The victory of the "former player"

With Alexander Stubb's election as President, for the first time in Finland's 107-year history, the nation has a president with a "foreign" background.

The 2024 Finnish presidential election concluded at 9 PM on February 11th in Finland when the results of the second round of voting were announced on television, showing Alexander Stubb winning 51.7% of the votes and Pekka Haavisto receiving 48.3%.

Thus, former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb has become the 13th president of Finland.

Pekka Haavisto (right) congratulates Alexander Stubb on his victory on February 11th. (Photo reproduced from Yle)

In the first round, held on January 28th, none of the nine candidates received more than 50% of the vote. Therefore, a second round between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round, Alexander Stubb (27.2% of the vote) and Pekka Haavisto (25.8%), was necessary.

The race for Finland's 13th presidency was extremely tense and dramatic, especially in the second round. Not only were citizens of Finland interested and anxious, but many major foreign media outlets also followed and reported on the election in unprecedented numbers, exceeding 70 people. This was the first election after Finland joined NATO, and the world was experiencing conflicts that had a significant impact on the country's foreign policy. The Finnish president is not only the nominal head of state, like in some countries, but also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and, along with the Prime Minister, is responsible for foreign affairs.

Opinion polls showed Haavisto had higher approval ratings than Stubb before the election. However, as the election day approached, support shifted in favor of Stubb. One reason for this shift, according to many commentators, is that many Finns (especially men) have not yet fully accepted their head of state being gay. Pekka Haavisto's partner is Antonio Flores (born in 1978), from Ecuador.

This is the third time Pekka Haavisto has run for the Finnish presidency. In the previous two instances (2012 and 2018), he was the Green Party candidate. In 2012, he finished second in the first round with 18.8% of the vote and advanced to the second round against winner Sauli Niinistö, but Niinistö won in the second round. In 2018, Haavisto also finished second with 12.4% of the vote, but incumbent President Sauli Niinistö secured enough votes to continue for a second term (2018-2024).

Alexander Stubb will take office for a six-year term (2024-2030), succeeding the current President Sauli Niinistö, who completed two very successful terms (2012-2024) on March 1st. Alexander Stubb (55 years old) will be the fourth youngest president among Finland's 13 heads of state to date, following the three previous leaders: 42 years old (1925), 51 years old (1940), and 54 years old (1919).

President-elect Alexander Stubb (center) with his wife and children in Helsinki, Finland on February 11. (Source: EPA)

Alexander Stubb, born in 1968, is a Finnish national of Swedish descent. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and has held positions such as Prime Minister of Finland, Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister for Europe and Foreign Trade, Member of Parliament in Finland and the European Parliament. Since 2020, he has been a Professor and Director of the School of Transnational Management at the European University Institute. He is fluent in five languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, French, and German (with Finnish and Swedish as his mother tongue).

With Alexander Stubb's election as President, for the first time in Finland's 107-year history, the country has a head of state with a "foreign element." His wife, Suzanne Innes-Stubb (born in 1970), is a British lawyer and currently the director of Kone, a well-known Finnish elevator manufacturer. Suzanne Innes-Stubb is also fluent in five languages: English, French, German, Finnish, and Swedish.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bau-cu-tong-thong-phan-lan-chien-thang-cua-nguoi-cu-260736.html