Finland's PM Marin concedes defeat, right-wing NCP wins election

Finland's left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat on Sunday in the Nordic country's parliamentary election as the opposition right-wing National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory in a tightly fought contest. The pro-business NCP was expected to win 48 of the 200 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats on 43 seats, justice ministry election data showed with all ballots counted. "We got the biggest mandate," NCP leader Petteri Orpo said in a speech to followers, vowing to "fix Finland" and its economy.He will get the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain majority in parliament as Marin's era as prime minister was expected to end.

Marin, 37, the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019, is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, but at home she has faced criticism for her partying and her government's public spending.Orpo accused Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, has hit the country hard and the cost of living has increased. With the top three parties each getting around 20 percent of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone. The new government will replace the cenleter-ft Cabinet by Marin, a highly popular Prime Minister at home and abroad since 2019. Finland, which is expected to join the NATO in the coming weeks, is a European Union member.