HELSINKI — Finland’s center-right National Coalition Party claimed victory with 97.7% of votes counted in Sunday’s extremely tight three-way parliamentary race, appearing to beat the ruling Social Democrats led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
With the top three parties expected to each get around 20% of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone.
The National Coalition Party was on top with 20.7%, followed closely by the right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1%, while the Social Democrats garnered 19.9%.
“Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party,” said the party’s leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters.
Marin remains popular at home but her party’s views on the Finnish economy, which emerged as the main campaign theme, were being challenged by conservatives.
Over 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic country’s parliament.
PHOTOS: Finns vote in tight election; young leader seeks reelection
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
HELSINKI (AP) - Finland’s general election on Sunday was expected to result in a tight race between three political parties, with Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats fighting to secure a second term and her party’s conservative opponent taking an early lead in the vote count.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT). Initial results are expected by midnight.
With 44% of the votes counted, the center-right National Coalition Party was on top with 20.8%, followed closely by the Social Democrats with 20.7% while right-wing populist party The Finns had 18.6%.
Some 40% of eligible voters cast their ballots in advance, and those were already included in the latest vote count.
Over 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic country’s parliament, the Eduskunta.
Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europe’s youngest leaders, has received praise for her Cabinet’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and for her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinistö, in advocating for Finland’s successful application to join NATO. Her vocal support of Ukraine in the last year has increased her international visibility.
Marin remains popular at home but her party’s views on the Finnish economy, which emerged as the main campaign theme, were being challenged by conservatives.
National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo hammered on economic issues at a campaign event Saturday.
“The most important thing in the next government is to fix our economy, push economic growth, balance public economy. And the second very important issue is to build up NATO-Finland,” Orpo told The Associated Press in Espoo, just outside the capital.
The Finns leader Riikka Purra emphasized the populist party would focus on shaping policies regarding migration, climate, criminal and energy if it becomes a partner in the next government.
“We also want to tighten up our attitude towards the European Union,” Purra said during a campaign event in the municipality of Kirkkonummi, her home district located some 45 kilometers (28 miles) west of Helsinki.
Recent polls indicated each of the three parties could take about 20% of the vote. If that happens, no party would be in position to form a government alone; whichever one wins the most votes is expected to begin talks in the next few days on forming a governing coalition.
After voting at Helsinki City Hall, university professor Mariana Seppänen said she thinks Marin’s positive reputation abroad exceeds the prime minister’s domestic popularity.
“I think usually the party that has been in charge and has the prime minister … loses the election, and the criticism has been very harsh,” Seppänen said. “But I think she (Marin) has a lot of support anyway.”
While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to seek NATO membership in May 2022, neither the historic decision to abandon the nation’s non-alignment policy nor the war have emerged as major campaign issues. Finland shares a long land border with Russia.
Apart from Finland’s economy, other issues the parties debated during the election campaign were the government’s increasing debt, climate change, education, immigration and social benefits.
”I know Sanna Marin is very popular, and she has done great, and most Finns also think that she has done an amazing job with the coronavirus,” another voter, Evelina Mäkelä, said in Helsinki.
“But maybe we have to look at the new crisis that we have; some of us still believe that she does a very good job. Other people want something new, apparently,” Mäkelä said.
Finland, which is expected to join NATO in the coming weeks, is a European Union member with a population of 5.5 million.
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Kostya Manenkov and David Keyton in Helsinki contributed to this report.
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