Sanna Marin defeated by Finland's conservatives in tight race | BBC News |

Finnish conservative leader Petteri Orpo has won a nail-biting three-way election race, defeating Prime Minister Sanna Marin's centre left.

"We got the biggest mandate," said the leader of the National Coalition Party, after a dramatic night in which the result gradually swung away from Ms Marin's Social Democrats.

Mr Orpo secured 20.8% of the vote, ahead of the right-wing populist Finns Party with a record 20.1% and the centre left.

It is a bitter defeat for Ms Marin, who increased her party's seats and secured 19.9% of the vote [dropped to 3rd place!]. She continues to enjoy high poll ratings and has been widely praised for steering Finland towards imminent entry into NATO.

Finland, national parliament election:

Seats, 100.0% counted

Kok.-EPP: 48 (+10)
PS-ID: 46 (+7)
SDP-S&D: 43 (+3)
Kesk.-RE: 23 (−8)
Vihr.-G/EFA: 13 (−7)
Vas.-LEFT: 11 (−5)
SFP-RE: 9
KD-EPP: 5
...

+/− vs. 2019 election#Finlandia #finlandelections pic.twitter.com/F9gTftjs84

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) April 2, 2023

2023 Finnish parliamentary election - Wikipedia

Five Government parties and four opposition parties finished with seats in parliament split dead even, 100-100. It is expected that National Coalition Party's Petteri Orpo with his incoming plurality will begin government formation negotiations.

Following the April 2019 parliamentary election, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by Antti Rinne, formed a government with the Centre Party, Green League, Left Alliance, and the Swedish People's Party, with Rinne serving as prime minister. Later that year, Rinne was involved in a political scandal regarding the Finnish postal service, after which he resigned. Sanna Marin succeeded him, becoming the world's youngest serving prime minister.