Today’s polls will open at 9:00 am (0700 GMT) and close at 8:00 pm.

What are the powers of the President?

The President leads foreign and security policy and represents the country at NATO’s meetings. The president also acts as a commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defence Forces, deciding on any significant changes in military preparedness. The president appoints and discharges ministers, some high-ranking civil servants and Supreme Court judges. At the prime minister’s request, the president can, if justified, order an early parliamentary election.

Who are the Presidential candidates?

Former conservative prime minister Alexander Stubb, and ex-foreign minister Pekka Haavisto of the Green Party who is running as an independent. Just behind the frontrunners are far-right Finns Party candidate Jussi Halla-aho, who experts believe could also make it to the second round. Bank of Finland Governor and ECB governing council member on leave of absence, Olli Rehn is also running as a candidate.

How much votes does candidate need to win?

In order to win the presidency in the first round, a candidate must obtain more than 50 percent of ballots cast. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote today then a second-round run-off will be held on February 11 between top two candidates. Since swapping from an electoral college to a direct popular vote in 1994, no president may be elected for more than two consecutive terms. The Presidential candidates are nominated either by registered political parties or by constituency associations established by 20,000 people entitled to vote, as reported by Reuters.

Russia, migrants and more

Back in August 2023, Finland observed an influx of migrants entering through its eastern border without visas. Helsinki had claimed that Moscow was pushing the migrants in a hybrid attack to destabilise it which led to Finland closing its eastern border in November.

“We are in a situation now where Russia and especially Vladimir Putin is using humans as a weapon,” Stubb said Thursday evening during the final televised debate. “It’s a migrant issue, it’s a ruthless, cynical measure. And in that case we have to put Finland’s security first,” he added.

Main rival Haavisto stressed that Finland had to “send Russia a very clear message that this can’t go on.” In the post-Cold War period, Helsinki maintained a good relationship with Moscow.

Incumbent President Sauli Niinisto has served two terms. He once prided himself on his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin before becoming one of his most trenchant critics. Against this backdrop, all the presidential candidates champion both Finland’s independence and its new role as a NATO member, said Hanna Wass, vice dean at the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Helsinki.

“They all seem to have a strong idea emphasising self-sufficiency, in that in the future Finland should be in charge of its defence independently and also be an active contributor in building a shared European defence and Nordic cooperation,” Wass told AFP.

Tuomas Forsberg, a professor of international policy at the University of Tampere, believes that since the candidates’ positions are similar, the election will be more about their personalities.

“This will be more about electing an individual, where you look at the person’s credibility and reliability and perceived qualities as a leader of foreign policy,” Forsberg said as quoted by AFP.

Voting expectations

A poll published by public broadcaster Yle puts Stubb in the lead in the first round with 27 percent of the vote, Haavisto in second place with 23 percent and Halla-aho with 18 percent. Stubb was prime minister of Finland between 2014 and 2015, while Pekka Haavisto has held several ministerial posts. “They both have broad experience in both domestic and foreign politics, which voters seem to value the most,” Wass told AFP. While sharing similar political views, Haavisto and Stubb represent different backgrounds, Forsberg noted. “Their background and values… are seen as quite different because Alex is more a representative of the right and Haavisto of the left,” he said. “Even if Haavisto has tried to underline that there is nothing red about him, that he has taken the middle road as a Green,” Forsberg added. In a second voting round between the two — which will be held on February 11 unless a candidate receives more than 50 percent — the election debates could be decisive, said Forsberg.

When will the results be announced?

Results from advance voting will be confirmed soon after polls close on Sunda. Full results are expected as the vote count progresses. On 30 January, the first-round results will be officially confirmed.

(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)

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Published: 28 Jan 2024, 08:52 AM IST