Sanna Marin defeated by Finland's conservatives in tight race

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Finnish conservative leader Petteri Orpo has won a three-way election race, defeating Prime Minister Sanna Marin's centre left, BBC reports.

"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 Marin's Social Democrats.

Orpo secured 20.8% of the vote, ahead of the right-wing populist Finns Party and the centre left.

The populists won a record 20.1%.

It is a bitter defeat for Marin, who increased her party's seats and secured 19.9% of the vote.

She continues to enjoy high poll ratings and has been widely praised for steering Finland towardsimminent entry into Natoand navigating her country through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shortly after the conservative leader claimed victory, the centre-left leader conceded the election.

"Congratulations to the winner of the elections, congratulations to the National Coalition Party, congratulations to the Finns Party. Democracy has spoken," she told supporters.

Meanwhile, three of the other parties in the outgoing coalition - the Centre Party, Left Alliance and Greens - all rang up big losses.

Now 37, Sanna Marin became the world's youngest leader when she burst on to the political scene in 2019. She headed a coalition of five parties, all led by women.

The conservatives will have the first opportunity in forming a government, and if they succeed, Orpo, 53, will become the next prime minister. Under Finland's system of proportional representation he will have to muster more than 100 seats in the 200-seat parliament to run the country, and that will not be straightforward.