A general election was held in Finland in Northern Europe on the 2nd, and according to the latest opinion polls, it is a three-way close race between the ruling Social Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Marin and two opposition parties.

As Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and membership in NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization approaches, attention will be paid to which party will be in power.

Finland's general election, which will be voted on on June 2, is a matter of contention such as the response to inflation, which is becoming more serious due to the military invasion by Russia, and fiscal problems.

According to the latest poll released by public broadcaster YLE on March 3, the approval ratings of each party are
30.19% for the center-right National Coalition, 8.19% for the right-wing Finn Party,

and the center-left Social Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Marin. is 5.18%,
making it a close three-way game.

Among them, the "National Coalition" has been highly evaluated for its long-standing appeal for membership in NATO, and support has expanded.

In addition, the "Finn Party" is skeptical of the EU = European Union, and appeals such as immigration restrictions are supported by voters.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Marin of the ruling Social Democratic Party faced a tough election campaign this time, and at an election rally held near the capital Helsinki on March 7, he said, "I want to be able to live even in a difficult environment where food, housing, and utility bills are high and inflation is accelerating.

Finland, which borders Russia, has maintained a militarily neutral stance until now, but with this military invasion, it has made a major shift in its policy toward joining NATO.

As membership approaches with the approval of all member states, attention is focused on which party will govern.

Prime Minister Marin: "Sweden's next job is to join NATO"

Prime Minister Marin of Finland responded to an interview with NHK on the 1st about the approval of all member countries for membership in NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"All 30 countries have approved Finland's application and we are now joining NATO, and we are very pleased that the process of joining NATO is coming to an end," Marin said.

"The next task is to get Sweden into NATO, and we stand with Sweden. We hope to achieve membership by the NATO Summit this summer."

Marin's assessment is

A 30-year-old female voter praised Prime Minister Marin, saying, "I think he is doing well in the face of a crisis that no one expected, and he has made it clear that he will be on the side of our people."

Meanwhile, a 49-year-old man who attended a rally of the opposition National Coalition said: "I think most of the policies were good, but the problem is that we have too much debt and we shouldn't spend too much money on taxes. It is important to be able to maintain economic stability without incurring debt."

Experts

Theodora Helimäki, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Helsinki who is familiar with Finnish elections, explained the reason why the ruling Social Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Marin has been forced to fight a tough battle and the opposition parties are gaining support: "In the four years since the last general election, the novel coronavirus and military invasions have caused economic hardship to people, and the opposition parties are not held accountable like the ruling party." I am analyzing.

Regarding the "Finn Party," which is gaining increasing support among the opposition parties, he said, "It is a populist party that is gaining support from those who want change," and commented on the "Finn Party" that has shown skepticism about the EU so far, "Finland is a small country, so it is desirable to maintain friendly relations with many countries. With the president having a voice, the prime minister and major political parties will not be able to unilaterally change relations with other countries."

On top of that, given that it is a close three-way contest, he pointed out that "it may take some time to form a coalition government" no matter which party becomes the first party.