AMN
Finns today cast ballots in a closely contested parliamentary election. The race is between right-wing, conservatives and Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s centre left.
Finland may be days from joining Nato, but the war in Ukraine has had no impact on the vote, even though Finland shares the longest border with Russia.
The election battle ground has instead been over the economy. And Finns are making a big choice on their country’s future direction.
The main challenge to Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats comes from the right.
After four years of opposition Petteri Orpo’s conservative National Coalition Party has high hopes of forming a coalition, but this could be the populist Finns Party’s best chance to lead a government yet.
The big issue during the campaign has been Finland’s public debt and how the country’s prized welfare state can be financed in the future.