Finland’s opposition conservatives triumph in local elections

In this file photo taken on Oct 16, 2020, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin wearing a face mask, arrives on the second day of a two days face-to-face EU summit, in Brussels. (JOHANNA GERON / POOL / AFP)

Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party came out on top in the Nordic nation’s countrywide local elections.

The opposition party garnered 21.4 percent of the vote in the final tally, more than it had in the previous municipal vote four years ago. It was the fourth consecutive local-vote victory for the party that runs on a platform of fiscal restraint and lower taxes on work.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats were second ahead of Finance Minister Annika Saarikko’s Center Party, and both lost backing compared with 2017.

The opposition party garnered 21.4 percent of the vote in the final tally, more than it had in the previous municipal vote four years ago

In Sunday’s election, more than 8,800 people were chosen to 293 councils across the country to decide on issues including zoning plans and primary health care. The vote was moved from mid-April to June to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Marin, 35, said she was disappointed with the result of the election, her first as the party’s leader. National Coalition’s leader Petteri Orpo said in his victory speech that the outcome shows Finns want an alternative to the left-leaning government that’s heavily stimulating the economy and allowing government debt to grow.

“What worries people on a national level is irresponsible fiscal policy,” Orpo said. “That same concern is felt on the municipal level. People want councilors to carry out responsible economic policies.”

The populist Finns Party took fourth place with 14.5 percent backing, lower than suggested by polls ahead of the vote, but almost 6 percentage points higher than in 2017.

The turnout was about 55 percent, the lowest since the 1940s.

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