Finland's Ex-Prime Minister Wins First Round Of Presidential Vote To Set Up A Runoff
HuffPost
Alexander Stubb, a conservative, will face veteran politician, ex-Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, in a runoff next month.
HELSINKI (AP) — Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb won the first round of Finland’s presidential election Sunday and will face runner-up ex-Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto in a runoff next month.
The vote largely centered on the Nordic nation’s new role as a NATO front-line country with Russia, and the security situation in Europe, particularly Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
With all the votes counted, Stubb led the first round with 27.2% of the votes, while Haavisto, Finland’s top diplomat in 2019-2023, took second place with 25.8%. Parliamentary Speaker Jussi Halla-aho came in third with 19%, followed by Bank of Finland governor Olli Rehn with 15.3%.
The first-round election result will be officially confirmed Tuesday. The result will push the race into a runoff on Feb. 11 between Stubb and Haavisto, because none of the candidates received more than half of the votes.
“Getting such a result together with the team is heartwarming. I am grateful and humbled by it,” Stubb told his supporters in an election party at a Helsinki restaurant, adding that he wasn’t planning major changes in his campaign for the second round of voting.
