Finland to elect new president

Two seasoned politicians face off in Finland’s presidential election on Sunday, with the president’s role having gained importance in light of the country’s NATO membership and rising tensions with neighboring Russia.

Some 4.3 million voters will have to choose between former conservative prime minister Alexander Stubb and ex-foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, a Green Party MP running as an independent.

The changing geopolitical landscape in Europe will be the main concern for the new head of state, who leads the country’s foreign policy together with the government and also acts as supreme commander of Finland’s armed forces.

Relations between Moscow and Helsinki deteriorated following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, prompting Finland to drop decades of military non-alignment and join NATO in April 2023.

Russia, with whom Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre (830mile) border, swiftly warned of “countermeasures.”

Stubb came out ahead in the first round on January 28 with 27.2 percent of votes, while Haavisto came in a close second with 25.8 percent of the vote — qualifying them for the second round.

Outgoing president Sauli Niinisto, first elected in 2012, once prided himself on his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin before becoming one of his most forceful critics.

Stubb and Haavisto, who have both served as foreign ministers, share similar visions for the country’s position toward Russia, calling for additional sanctions against Moscow and support for Ukraine.

“The European Union can do much more to help Ukraine,” Haavisto said during a televised debate on Thursday evening.

“Ukraine’s road is our road, and at the moment they are fighting for the freedom of Europeans. They deserve all the support that we can give to them,” Stubb agreed.

Stubb meanwhile feels that the country should not exclude “any part” of NATO’s nuclear deterrence.