Ex-PM Alexander Stubb wins Finnish presidency, narrowly defeating former top diplomat Pekka Haavisto
1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia. Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy together with the government, especially concerning countries outside the European Union such as the United States, Russia and China.
The head of state also commands the military — particularly important in Europe’s current security environment and the changed geopolitical situation of Finland, which joined NATO in April 2023 in the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine a year earlier. The Finnish president is expected to remain above the fray of day-to-day politics and largely to stay out of domestic political disputes.
Haavisto was Finland’s top diplomat in 2019-2023 and the main negotiator of its entry into NATO. A former conflict mediator with the United Nations and a passionate environmentalist, this was his third bid for the presidency, running as an independent candidate.Milestone Alert!
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