Finland - February 2024
Former PM Alexander Stubb wins run-off presidential election
On 11 February, Alexander Stubb from the center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) won 51.6 per cent of the vote in the run-off against Pekka Haavisto, who received 48.4 per cent. Haavisto is a member of the centre-left Green Party but ran as an independent candidate. Stubb previously served as Prime Minister from 2014 to 2015, as well as Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, and a Member of the European Parliament. The incumbent President, Sauli Niinistö (NCP), is retiring after serving the maximum two consecutive six-year terms. As head of foreign and security policy, the incoming President will define Finland’s defence planning and NATO cooperation following the country’s recent accession. The President-elect will be inaugurated on 1 March. Voter turnout in the run-off election was 70.7 per cent.
Stubb also won the first round of the elections on 28 January with 27.2 per cent of the vote, followed by Haavisto (25.8 per cent) and Jussi Halla-aho, of the far-right Finns party, who came third with 19 per cent. In the first round, three of the nine candidates were women.
Sources: Yle (1), Yle (2), Yle (3), Politico, Euronews, Statistics Finland, International IDEA, ODIHR
