Finland’s main conservative party claimed victory in parliamentary elections on Sunday evening, dashing Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s hopes of a re-election.
The tight three-way race saw right-wing populists The Finns take second place with 20.1 per cent, and Ms Marin’s Social Democratic Party in third, with just under 20 percent.
The centre-right National Coalition Party (NCP) came out on top at 20.8 per cent - not enough to form a government alone.
More than 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic country’s parliament.
“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 gathered in a restaurant in the capital, Helsinki.
Ms Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europe’s youngest leaders, has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine and her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinistö, in advocating for Finland’s successful application to join Nato.
Mr Orpo, 53, Finland’s former finance minister and likely new prime minister, assured that the Nordic country’s solidarity with Kyiv would remain strong during his tenure.
“First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you,” he told reporters at NCP’s victory event.
“We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear.
“And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose.”
Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, cleared the last hurdles of becoming a Nato member earlier in the week as alliance members Turkey and Hungary signed off the country’s membership bid.
NCP’s share of votes translates into 48 seats in the Eduskunta, Finland’s Parliament, while The Finns, a nationalist party running largely on an anti-immigration and anti-European Union agenda, is to get 46 seats and Marin’s Social Democrats 43 seats respectively.
Observers say the result means a power shift in Finland’s political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new centre-right government with nationalist tones.
The government will replace the centre-left Cabinet led by Ms Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019.
Government formation talks led by the NCP are expected to start in the coming days with goal of putting together a Cabinet enjoying a majority at the Parliament.
“I trust the Finnish tradition of negotiating with all parties, and trying to find the best possible majority government for Finland,” Mr Orpo told the AP.
“And you know what is important for us? It’s that we are an active member of the European Union. We build up Nato-Finland, and we fix our economy. We boost our economic growth and create new jobs. These are the crucial, main, important issues we have to write into the government program,” he said.
The positions of Ms Marin’s party on the Finnish economy emerged as a main campaign theme and were challenged by conservatives, who remain critical of the Social Democrats’ economic policies and are unlikely to partner with them.
Finland, which is expected to join Nato in the coming weeks, is a European Union member.
The country has a population of 5.5 million people.
