Finnish PM faces tough bid for reelection

HELSINKI — Finns were casting ballots in a closely contested parliamentary election on Sunday that could cost left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin power amid voter concerns over the future of generous public services at a time of economic downturn, Reuters reported.

With no party seen as holding a decisive lead, the election is likely to be followed by lengthy coalition talks, although whichever party wins on Sunday will have the first attempt at forming a government.

The vote came just days ahead of Finland's formal accession to NATO, made possible after Turkiye ratified the country's membership bid on Thursday.

"The polls show that the more right-wing political trend in Finland is gaining strength," Juho Rahkonen from the E2 research institute told Agence France-Presse.

Marin, 37, is seen by fans around the world as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders and remains very popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates, but she has antagonized some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education that they see as irresponsible.

"The right wing offers an alternative that makes life miserable for all of us, cuts services, cuts livelihoods for the poorest," Marin told supporters on Saturday. "We have an opportunity to choose a better alternative."

Opinion polls show her Social Democrats, the biggest party in the outgoing coalition government, in a dead heat with the right-wing National Coalition Party and the nationalist Finns Party, with all three seen winning some 18.7-19.8 percent of ballots.

The National Coalition has led in polls for almost two years although its lead has melted away in recent months. It has promised to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt, which has reached just over 70 percent of GDP since Marin took office in 2019.

The grouping accuses Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis, driven by the Ukraine conflict, has hit the country hard and the cost of living has increased.

Voting started at 9 am and was scheduled to close at 8 pm local time. Partial results from early voting will be published shortly afterward.

Agencies Via Xinhua