Finland election: Leftist party tipped to win vote

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Finland election: Leftist party tipped to win vote

Voting has concluded in Finland's parliamentary election with advance results on Sunday showing the Social Democrats slightly ahead.

With just over 35% of ballots counted, the party is leading with 18.9% of the vote, ministry of justice data shows.

Should they win, the country will have its first left-wing leader in 20 years.

The centre-right National Coalition is second, while ex-PM Juha Sipila's Centre Party is third. The right-wing anti-immigration Finns Party is fourth.

These early figures are largely based on votes cast in advance. The final results will be announced in the coming days.

Finnish state broadcaster YLE tweeted the advance tallies, showing how close the top four parties sit with their share of the vote.

How did we get here?

Last month, Mr Sipila's government resigned over its failure to achieve a key policy goal on social welfare and healthcare reform. His Centre Party had been in a centre-right coalition government since the last parliamentary elections in 2015.

Concerned about Finland's expensive welfare system in the face of an ageing po[CENSORED]tion, Mr Sipila made tackling the nation's debt one of his government's main aims, introducing planning reforms he hoped would save up to €3bn (£2.6bn; $3.4bn) over a decade.

But while the introduction of austerity measures - such as benefits cuts and pension freezes - resulted in Finland reducing its government debt for the first time in a decade last year, the reforms proved politically controversial.

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party, a centre-left party with strong links to Finland's trade unions, saw its po[CENSORED]rity grow.

Why is Finland's welfare system an issue?

Like many developed nations, Finland has an ageing po[CENSORED]tion that is putting financial pressure on its social welfare systems.

As an increasing number of people live longer in retirement, the cost of providing pension and healthcare benefits can rise. Those increased costs are paid for by taxes collected from of the working-age po[CENSORED]tion - who make up a smaller percentage of the po[CENSORED]tion than in decades past.

In 2018, those aged 65 or over made up 21.4% of Finland's po[CENSORED]tion, the joint fourth highest in Europe alongside Germany - with only Portugal, Greece, and Italy having a higher proportion, according to Eurostat.

Finland's welfare system is also generous in its provisions, making it relatively expensive. Attempts at reform have plagued Finnish governments for years.

In February this year, caring for the nation's elderly returned to the top of the political agenda amid reports that alleged neglect in care homes may have resulted in injury or death, according to YLE.

What are the other key issues?

Immigration has become an important topic following reports of alleged sexual assaults by foreign men. As a result, support has risen for the Finns Party, which has promised to cut immigration and enforce stricter asylum rules. Other parties have also pledged to crack down on migrants who commit crime.

Another key issue is climate change. Following the release of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, almost all parties have vowed to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees, the New York Times reports.

Today's result could also be felt outside Finland's borders, as the country is set to take presidency of the European Union in July. Should the Finns Party win a significant number of seats, it could affect EU policy making.

The Finns Party has already announced an alliance with Germany's far-right AfD, Italy's League party and the Danish People's Party for the forthcoming European elections.

They plan to form a parliamentary group, the European Alliance for People and Nations, to challenge the power of centrist parties.