LONDON - Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s hope of securing a second term is in doubt amid a rise in support for far-right parties and the opposition conservative National Coalition Party that holds a narrow lead ahead of today’s (Sunday) parliamentary elections, according to the latest opinion polls. Marin came to power in December 2019 with her left-wing Social Democratic Party (SDP), however polls suggest that she is in a second place with just below 19% in a final pre-election poll. Her rival center-right National Coalition Party is currently leading at over 20%, while Riikka Purra’s far-right Finns Party is running neck and neck with Marin’s center-left.
The opinion poll results, however, are still too close to call.
The 37-year-old has led her nation through the COVID-19 pandemic earning praise at home and internationally.
But she will also go down in history as the prime minister who launched NATO membership application in spring 2022 when Finnish public opinion changed in favor of joining the military alliance after the Russia-Ukraine war started in February last year.
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