Special things about the new President of Finland

After two rounds of voting and a particularly tense race, Finland has a new president. Alexander Stubb from the right-wing National Coalition Party (known as Kokoomus in Finland) defeated left-wing Green Party politician Pekka Haavisto in the runoff vote on February 11.

This is the first national election since Helsinki joined NATO. Finland's president holds a crucial position in shaping the country's role in the transatlantic military alliance at a time of increasingly tense relations with Russia.

Mr. Alexander Stubb meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Minsk, Belarus in 2018. Photo: X/Twitter

The election may not normally get much attention beyond the borders of this Nordic nation of 5.6 million people. But Finland, NATO’s newest member, shares the longest border with Russia – some 830 miles (1,340 km) – and its politics have drawn particular attention from European and American allies as the geopolitical order shifts.

American power is being challenged by Moscow and Beijing, Europe is grappling with its biggest land war since World War II, while America’s commitment to Ukraine is increasingly in doubt and a US presidential election with an unpredictable outcome looms.

Finland has a parliamentary system of government , but the country's presidency is not a ceremonial role. The president is responsible for foreign policy and is also the commander-in-chief of the Nordic country's armed forces.

“What kind of NATO country Finland will become is an open question at the moment,” said Jenni Karimaki, a political analyst at the University of Helsinki. “The new president will have a lot of say in that.”

Whatever the case, Finland's new President Alexander Stubb will undoubtedly play a key role in steering his country through a changing world. There are a few things that are special about the veteran politician.

Stubb is primarily pro-European, pro-marriage equality and an internationalist. He has previously served as party leader, prime minister and foreign minister of Finland, and served as a member of the European Parliament in Brussels. He is fluent in Finnish, Swedish, English, French and German.

Second, the sports-loving politician said he wanted to be a president who could unite the country. But that was no small challenge as his Kokoomus Party was running a coalition government with the far-right Finn Party.

Finland shares its eastern border with the Russian Federation. Photo: Brittanica

Third, Mr Stubb is never shy about using social media and is known for taking selfies with supporters – especially celebrities.

“For me, social media has always been a spontaneous channel of communication,” Stubb wrote on X/Twitter in October 2021. “I manage my own accounts. I recognize the risks.” But he also said that using social media to communicate, despite the risks, is better than not communicating at all.

Fourth, in a 2018 tweet to his “old friend and colleague” Sergey Lavrov (current Russian Foreign Minister), Mr. Stubb apologized for saying that those who wanted to block Russian investment in a Finnish nuclear power plant were “Russophobic.”

Mr Stubb also praised Mr Lavrov: “We may not agree on everything, but he is one of the most professional and experienced foreign ministers I have ever met.”

Fifth, having been chosen to replace President Sauli Niinistö, Mr. Stubb will be under enormous pressure from the “shadow” of his predecessor. Mr. Niinistö has enjoyed sky-high approval ratings from the Finnish public over the past two terms – a 12-year period, amid rising tensions with “neighbor” Russia over the conflict in Ukraine .

Minh Duc (According to Euronews, NY Times)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/nhung-dieu-dac-biet-ve-tan-tong-thong-phan-lan-a649600.html