Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb will become the new president of Finland. He won the second round of the presidential election over former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.
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After counting 100% of the ballots, reports Yle, Stubb received 51.6% of the votes, Haavisto – 48.4%. The turnout in the second round was 70.7% (in the first round – 75%).
Haavisto congratulated Stubb on his victory and called him “the right man” to serve as president.
Stubb said at a press conference late on February 11 that being elected president was “the greatest honor of his life,” BBC News reports. In his opinion, Finland “stands on the threshold of a new era, as international rules are being challenged from different sides.”
He noted that he does not see the possibility of a “political dialogue” with Russian President Vladimir Putin while Russia is waging a war against Ukraine.
We all want to find a path to peace, but it seems to me that right now the only path is through the battlefield,” Stubb said. He added that now “all we need to do is provide strong support to Ukraine.”
Alexander Stubb is 55 years old. He ran in the elections of the center-right National Coalition. Stubb has held several ministerial positions and was Prime Minister of Finland in 2014-2015. In 2017 he retired from Finnish politics. He was asked to return to politics by the leader of the National Coalition and current Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, in particular because of the war in Ukraine and the difficult situation in Europe.
During three constitutional reforms (in 1991, 2000 and 2012), the powers of the President of Finland were noticeably reduced. The head of state, for example, can dissolve parliament only if the prime minister asks him to do so. And the law, which the country’s leader refuses to sign, is returned to parliament, where deputies have the right to adopt it without the president’s signature if the draft is approved by the majority of them.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.