Voters in Finland were electing a new president Sunday at an unprecedented time for the Nordic nation that is now a NATO member with its eastern border with Russia closed — two things almost unthinkable a few years ago.
Polls across the country opened at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) and will close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).
Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy, particularly when dealing with countries outside the European Union like the United States, Russia and China.
This Reuters article has a breakdown on the nine candidates:
ALEXANDER STUBB The 55-year-old, multilingual presidential front-runner Alexander Stubb of the National Coalition Party is known as a pro-European, who previously served as prime minister and foreign minister and as a member of the European Parliament. In 2017, Stubb left Finnish politics to become vice president of the European Investment Bank and later director at the European University Institute in Florence, before returning to contest the presidential election.
PEKKA HAAVISTO Liberal Pekka Haavisto, a Green League member and former United Nations diplomat, has run for president twice before, in 2012 and 2018, both times finishing second behind retiring President Sauli Niinisto. The 65-year-old centre-left front-runner Haavisto served as Finland’s foreign minister from 2019 to 2023 and held other ministerial positions before that. If elected, Haavisto would become Finland’s first openly gay president.
JUSSI HALLA-AHO Nationalist Jussi Halla-aho, former Finns Party leader and now parliament speaker, is a stern critic of the EU and immigration who was fined by the country’s Supreme Court for racist remarks in 2012. A divisive figure, Halla-aho is third in polls and rising, being particularly popular among young people.
OLLI REHN Bank of Finland Governor and ECB governing council member on leave of absence, Olli Rehn, 61, is a member of the Centre Party and former EU economy commissioner. The latest polls have placed him fourth with 12% support.
Other candidates include Social Democrat EU Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, Christian Democrat party leader Sari Essayah, Left Alliance leader Li Andersson, academic Mika Aaltola and businessman Harry Harkimo.