So social democrat Sanna Marin cannot serve a second term at the helm of the center-left coalition government in Finland from December 2019. On Sunday 2 April, the National Alliance Party (Conservatives) won the general election with 20.8% of the vote and 48 seats in parliament, ahead of the Nationalist Party of Finns, which received 20.1% of the vote (46 seats). . The Social Democrats came in third with 19.9% ​​of the vote (43 seats).

So Petteri Orbo, the leader of the National Alliance Party, will succeed Sanna Marin to form the next government. Leader of the Conservative Party since 2016, he was briefly agriculture minister and then interior minister, before being appointed to finance in 2017, in a government led by centrist Juha Sibila. He ushered in severe austerity until 2019. principle.

Petteri Orbo has a profile that contrasts with the current supporter of the Social Democratic Party, a somewhat dull politician with no status on the international stage. At the end of a campaign dominated by the economy – and he promised to reduce public debt, in particular, by cutting social spending – his party recorded the biggest increase (+3.6 points) and won eight new seats in parliament. .

“Rebuilding Trust”

“I have priority and that is economy”, He assured that on Sunday evening “Fixing Finland”. Petteri Orbo noted the polarization of debates during the campaign, insisting he wanted to “Restore the Faith” between the parties and “to form a government with a strong majority”. A task that promises to be complex.

According to various observers of Finnish political life questioned on the Yle channel on Sunday evening, Mr. Orbo Finns should try to align himself with the party as a matter of priority. Founded in 1995, the nationalist organization is reaching the best result in its history, thanks to an intensive campaign on social networks. He has particularly benefited from the popularity of his leader since 2021, 45-year-old Rika Burra.

The Conservatives have already governed together with the Finns Party between 2015 and 2019. However, the Nationalist Party is not what it was then: in 2017, the party split as its extremist faction took power. Its leaders, including its founder Timo Soini, who was then in government, knocked on the door to create a new formation, the Blue Reform, which has now disappeared from the political landscape.

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