Finland's prime minister Sanna Marin has conceded defeat in Sunday's parliamentary election, acknowledging that her left-wing government lost to the pro-business National Coalition Party (NCP). The NCP claimed victory with 48 seats, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party and Marin's Social Democrats.
The NCP leader Petteri Orpo vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy in a speech to supporters. He will have the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain a majority in parliament, marking the end of Marin's era as prime minister.
In her concession speech, Marin said that while she accepted defeat, she was proud of her party's achievements during her term. She acknowledged that Finland's economic resilience had been challenged by Europe's energy crisis, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, and increased living costs.
Marin, 37, who is considered a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, has faced criticism at home for her partying and government spending. Despite this, she remains popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates.
The NCP's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implement austerity policies to curb deficit spending. The party shares these views with the Finns Party, which has promised to reduce "harmful" immigration and implement fiscal discipline.
Marin's foreign policy actions have been notable, particularly her push for Finland to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all 30 Western defense alliance members approved the accession.
The NCP leader Petteri Orpo vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy in a speech to supporters. He will have the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain a majority in parliament, marking the end of Marin's era as prime minister.
In her concession speech, Marin said that while she accepted defeat, she was proud of her party's achievements during her term. She acknowledged that Finland's economic resilience had been challenged by Europe's energy crisis, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, and increased living costs.
Marin, 37, who is considered a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, has faced criticism at home for her partying and government spending. Despite this, she remains popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates.
The NCP's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implement austerity policies to curb deficit spending. The party shares these views with the Finns Party, which has promised to reduce "harmful" immigration and implement fiscal discipline.
Marin's foreign policy actions have been notable, particularly her push for Finland to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all 30 Western defense alliance members approved the accession.
just saw that Sanna Marin conceded defeat 
what a bummer, I was rooting for her 
but at least she took it like a champ 
and acknowledged Finland's economic struggles 
Russia's war in Ukraine is still affecting so many countries 
hope the new govt can fix things up for everyone 
also, I'm curious to see how they'll handle immigration policies 
might be a bit of a challenge with the EU and beyond 
but hey, it's time for a change 
Just thought, what does this mean for Finns who are already feeling the pinch from energy prices? Marin said they were challenged by Europe's crisis... but how will NCP tackle the real issues here? 
Will they really reduce immigration and austerity policies? That sounds super tough on ordinary folk. 
On a positive note, good on Sanna Marin for acknowledging her party's achievements - she's still got a lot of support among young people 
The NCP's promise to "fix Finland" sounds a lot like just trying to go back to the way things were before... is that really what we want? 
And what about all those young folks who looked up to Marin as a leader? What's next for them now that she's out of office? 
, another time and another country where politicians promise to "fix" everything 
. I mean, what's the point of even having a new government if they're just gonna keep making the same promises? 
.
. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for fiscal responsibility and making sure everyone pays their fair share 
It's not like Finland was stuck in neutral just waiting for a new government to take over 
.
. And hey, at least the Finns are finally joining NATO! 
which is kinda surprising cuz they werent super popular before... i mean, Petteri Orpo is gonna try to "fix" Finland's economy 
](https://i.giphy.com/gifs/finnish-economy-problems-1j6pV2n6xw4k8U=/scales=1200/200/middle/right/crop/inexact/safe/https%3A//giphy.com/gifs/economy-financial-problems-3PmJFy9bQwHfY)
](https://i.imgur.com/fD2q8hZ.png)
](https://i.giphy.com/gifs/sanna-marin-smiling-9kCpVUxJLWYFQe=/scales=1200/200/middle/right/crop/inexact/safe/https%3A//giphy.com/gifs/sanna-marin-positive-energy-2ZtKd5TjJyJbqI)
. Can't wait to see how Helsinki does with NATO membership 
! Maybe this is an opportunity for some fresh faces in politics 
?
. But at the same time, I can see why people might be feeling frustrated with her party's spending habits 
...I mean, who doesn't love a good party? 
. On the NCP side, it'll be interesting to see how they try to "fix Finland" 
. I'm not sure if austerity is the answer, but hey, at least they're trying to tackle some of those big issues 
!
- 48 seats for NCP is a major win, but still only 49% of the vote 
. Social Democrats dropped from 39 to 27 seats 
. And can you believe Marin was only 37 when she became PM? 
her party's achievements might be cool, but they also got roasted for some questionable spending decisions 
. The NCP's pro-business agenda is a big shift from the left-wing government we're used to in Finland 
EU migration trends: Finland has been one of the countries with highest immigration rates in Europe for years, but NCP wants to change that 
. Meanwhile, Finns Party is pushing for fiscal discipline and reducing "harmful" immigration 