This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65157357
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Sanna Marin defeated by Finland's conservatives in tight race | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Sanna Marin was pleased with her party's performance but it was Petteri Orpo's night | Sanna Marin was pleased with her party's performance but it was Petteri Orpo's night |
| Finnish conservative leader Petteri Orpo has won a nail-biting three-way election race, defeating Prime Minister Sanna Marin's centre left. | |
| "We got the biggest mandate," said the leader of the National Coalition Party, after a dramatic night in which the lead gradually swung away from Ms Marin's Social Democrats. | |
| Mr Orpo was heading for 20.7% of the vote, ahead of the right-wing populist Finns Party and the centre left. | |
| It is a bitter defeat for Ms Marin. | |
| Shortly after the conservative leader claimed victory, she conceded the election. | |
| For weeks the election had been seen as a three-way race, but as results came in, it became too close to call, until a projection from public broadcaster YLE gave Petteri Orpo's National Coalition victory with the biggest number of seats in parliament. | |
| The defeated prime minister | |
| Finns Party leader Riikka Purra congratulated her rival and was overjoyed to have secured the best result in her party's history. She was heading for 20.1% of the vote, while Ms Marin's Social Democrats were on course for 19.9%, with 97% of the results counted. | |
| Sanna Marin became the world's youngest leader when she burst on to the political scene in 2019. She headed a coalition of five parties, all led by women. | Sanna Marin became the world's youngest leader when she burst on to the political scene in 2019. She headed a coalition of five parties, all led by women. |
| Now 37, she has steered Finland to within days of Nato membership, having won plaudits for her country's response to neighbouring Russia's full-scale invasion. | Now 37, she has steered Finland to within days of Nato membership, having won plaudits for her country's response to neighbouring Russia's full-scale invasion. |
| Her poll ratings are still high, but the election was largely fought on Finland's public debt as all the mainstream parties backed Nato membership. | Her poll ratings are still high, but the election was largely fought on Finland's public debt as all the mainstream parties backed Nato membership. |
| Many Finns see her as a polarising figure. She came under heavy scrutiny last year when a video emerged of her singing, dancing and drinking at a party. Supporters said the controversy was steeped in sexism and women across Finland and the world shared videos of themselves dancing in solidarity. | Many Finns see her as a polarising figure. She came under heavy scrutiny last year when a video emerged of her singing, dancing and drinking at a party. Supporters said the controversy was steeped in sexism and women across Finland and the world shared videos of themselves dancing in solidarity. |
| The conservatives will have the first opportunity in forming a government. Finland's system of proportional representation requires a coalition to muster more than 100 seats in the 200-seat parliament to run the country. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Sanna Marin | Sanna Marin |
| Finland | Finland |