This Sunday, the Finns decide on the future of Sanna Marin with the aim of joining NATO

Elections are being held in Finland this Sunday, where the political future of the current prime minister is at stake. Social Democrat Sanna Marin, and for which there is unprecedented interest at the international level before the country’s next entry into NATO. There is no clear favorite in the polls, which show a tie between the social democrats, conservatives and the far right, all around 20% of the vote, but with a slight advantage for the moderate right of the now opposition Kokoomus Zabava.

The latest poll, compiled by Efe from the national broadcaster YLE, gives the conservatives the order Petteri Orpowho was the vice president of the Finnish government, 19.8% of the vote, three tenths more than the True Finns, led by the new face of the extreme right Riikka Purra. Sanna Marin’s SDP is in third place with 18.7% of the vote, although it improved by one point the results it achieved in the 2019 elections.

In recent weeks, the extreme right managed to overtake the SDP in second place, stealing votes from the conservatives. If the forecasts are confirmed, the big loser in these elections will be center party, SDP’s main partner in the government coalition, which would win 10.7% of the vote and reap the worst result in its history. It would also set the party back The green onesthe third partner of the SDP, which would receive 9 percent.

Finland, which divides the largest border with Russia bloc of the community – about 1,300 kilometers – underwent a radical change from its historical neutrality as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which led to almost 80% of the population supporting the country’s accession to the Atlantic alliance.

The current geopolitical situation largely shaped the election campaign in which the main candidates discussed the possibility of providing military aid to Ukraine.

Marin, who became in 2019 the youngest head of government in the world At only 34 years old, he still has it high level of popularity among Finns (64% think he did a “very good job”). Marin’s tenure, which took over after the resignation of Antti Rinne over his handling of a postal strike, has been defined by the pandemic and war despite criticism leveled against him over a video of him dancing with friends and influential persons.

Just three days before the election, Turkey’s parliament ratified Helsinki’s NATO membership on Thursday, which could bolster the Social Democrats’ bid.