Highlights: Nine candidates were in the running this Sunday for the first round of the presidential election. 75% of Finns went to the polls after a campaign which was dominated by security and international issues. The candidate of the right in power, Alexander Stubb came first. But with less than 2 points ahead of his rival Pekka Haavisto. The 19% of votes from the far right, coming 3rd, will undoubtedly confirm Stubb in his position as leader in the 2nd round.

Who will succeed Sauli Niinisto, president of Finland since 2012? Nine candidates were in the running this Sunday for the first round of the presidential election. 75% of Finns went to the polls…

Finland: Alexander Stubb and Pekka Haavisto will face each other in the 2nd round of the presidential election

Who will succeed Sauli Niinisto, president of Finland since 2012? Nine candidates were in the running this Sunday for the first round of the presidential election. 75% of Finns went to the polls after a campaign which was dominated by security and international issues in this country which shares 1240 km of border with Russia. The candidate of the right in power, Alexander Stubb came first. But with less than 2 points ahead of his rival Pekka Haavisto.

Former Finnish Foreign Minister and Green League candidate Pekka Haavisto (l) and former Finnish Prime Minister and National Coalition Party candidate Alexander Stubb (d) take part in a night debate on the presidential election at the city hall of Helsinki, Finland, after the first round of the presidential election, January 28, 2024. AFP - MARKKU ULANDER

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in Stockholm,

Carlotta Morteo

“

The race starts now

,” declared Alexander Stubb, who came first with 27.1% of the vote, but closely followed by Pekka Haavisto, who obtained 25.8% of the vote.

A former minister, representative of the current right-wing coalition in power, against the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the previous socialist government of Sanna Marin: the duel pits two very experienced men against each other.

The 19% of votes from the far right, coming 3rd, will undoubtedly confirm

Alexander Stubb

in his position as leader in the 2nd round, since the nationalist party has governed with the conservatives since last April. And the 10% of votes won by the social democrats and the far left combined will not be enough for Pekka Haavisto to gain the upper hand.

It is the central votes that will make all the difference in the 2nd round. Olli Rehn, the current governor of the Bank of Finland, former European commissioner, obtained 15.4% of the votes, and it is all the more difficult to predict what his voters will do as it is the personality, the credibility, of the future president of Finland which will be the determining factor.

Foreign policy is the heart of the presidential mandate. Alexander Stubb and Pekka Haavisto agree on the essentials, but in a context of increased tensions with their big neighbor Russia (since the war in Ukraine and Finland's entry into NATO), the Finns will be attentive during between two turns, to the smallest detail, to the slightest misstep.

And the second round will take place on February 11, in two weeks.

Read alsoFinland: a close duel in perspective for the presidential election

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Finland: Alexander Stubb and Pekka Haavisto will face each other in the 2nd round of the presidential election

Finland: Alexander Stubb and Pekka Haavisto will face each other in the 2nd round of the presidential election

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