Petteri Orpo, leader of Finland's right-wing National Coalition Party, speaking to Rudaw on April 2, 2023. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
HELSINKI, Finland - The leader of Finland's right-wing National Coalition Party, who emerged from Sunday’s preliminary election results with the highest number of seats, told Rudaw that the upcoming Finnish government will be formed based on negotiations with all political parties of the country.
Finland’s parliamentary elections were carried out on Sunday, with the National Coalition Party coming out on top with 20.8 percent of the votes, followed closely by the right-wing Finns Party with 20.1 percent, and current Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democratic Party coming in third place with 19.9 percent of the votes.
“I trust on Finnish tradition to negotiate with all parties and try to find the best possible majority government to Finland,” Petteri Orpo, leader of the National Coalition Party, told Rudaw’s Znar Shino on Sunday.
None of the top parties can form the upcoming cabinet alone as neither has achieved a majority of votes but Orpo has the chance to form a coalition first.
"Congratulations to the winner of the elections, congratulations to the National Coalition Party, congratulations to the Finns Party. Democracy has spoken," Marin said to her supporters as she conceded defeat following the results.
Orpo, the country’s likely next prime minister, stated that the priorities of the next cabinet include being an active member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well boosting the country’s economy. He has been a proponent of budget austerity measures.
The likely new prime minister of the country has previously served as finance, agriculture, and interior minister. Orpo was a key figure behind tightening Finland’s immigration policies during his time as interior minister which gained significant praise from fellow politicians, and is expected to take the same approach in his new role.
Orpo was first voted into parliament in 2007.
Marin continues to be a popular figure in Finland and has been praised for securing Finland’s NATO entry and for managing the Covid-19 pandemic. However, despite her response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marin received criticism last year when a video of her partying and singing emerged.
The Turkish parliament late on Thursday accepted Finland’s bid to join NATO, after nearly a year of opposing Helsinki and Stockholm’s bids to join the military alliance over accusations the Nordic countries are a haven for groups and individuals that the Turkish state considers “terrorists.”
“I want to show to the other countries, NATO countries, that we are active and good member. We are security provider, not consumer,” Orpo added.
Finland’s parliamentary elections were carried out on Sunday, with the National Coalition Party coming out on top with 20.8 percent of the votes, followed closely by the right-wing Finns Party with 20.1 percent, and current Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democratic Party coming in third place with 19.9 percent of the votes.
“I trust on Finnish tradition to negotiate with all parties and try to find the best possible majority government to Finland,” Petteri Orpo, leader of the National Coalition Party, told Rudaw’s Znar Shino on Sunday.
None of the top parties can form the upcoming cabinet alone as neither has achieved a majority of votes but Orpo has the chance to form a coalition first.
"Congratulations to the winner of the elections, congratulations to the National Coalition Party, congratulations to the Finns Party. Democracy has spoken," Marin said to her supporters as she conceded defeat following the results.
Orpo, the country’s likely next prime minister, stated that the priorities of the next cabinet include being an active member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well boosting the country’s economy. He has been a proponent of budget austerity measures.
The likely new prime minister of the country has previously served as finance, agriculture, and interior minister. Orpo was a key figure behind tightening Finland’s immigration policies during his time as interior minister which gained significant praise from fellow politicians, and is expected to take the same approach in his new role.
Orpo was first voted into parliament in 2007.
Marin continues to be a popular figure in Finland and has been praised for securing Finland’s NATO entry and for managing the Covid-19 pandemic. However, despite her response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marin received criticism last year when a video of her partying and singing emerged.
The Turkish parliament late on Thursday accepted Finland’s bid to join NATO, after nearly a year of opposing Helsinki and Stockholm’s bids to join the military alliance over accusations the Nordic countries are a haven for groups and individuals that the Turkish state considers “terrorists.”
“I want to show to the other countries, NATO countries, that we are active and good member. We are security provider, not consumer,” Orpo added.
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