Hard-fought Election Battle Looms for Finland’s MEP Seats – A Look at the Stakes

The Coalition, the Left Alliance, and the Finns Party are all hopeful of winning the upcoming election, while other parties are struggling to maintain their current seats. Finland will elect fifteen representatives to the European Parliament on Sunday, June 9th.

Last fall, it was decided to increase the size of the Parliament from 705 to 720 members in this election, with Finland gaining an additional representative seat. In the European Parliament elections, Finland operates as one electoral district, where around 100,000 votes are typically needed to secure a seat.

In the previous government, all members except the former prime minister are running for re-election. The Coalition Party, which had three seats in the previous Parliament, aims for four seats this time. Notable candidates include Sirpa Pietikäinen and Henna Virkkunen, while Petri Sarvamaa will not be running as he moves to Luxembourg for a new role.

The Green Party, which was the second-largest in the last election, is focusing on the security situation in Europe this time. Despite potentially losing their third seat, they have a strong list of candidates. Notable contenders include Ville Niinistö, Maria Ohisalo, and MPs like Atte Harjanne and Krista Mikkonen.

The Social Democrats, currently the most popular party in Finland according to recent polls, may struggle to mobilize their voters for the European elections. Notable candidates from the party include Eero Heinäluoma and Maria Guzenina, among others.

Other parties like the Finns Party, the Center Party, the Left Alliance, and the Swedish People’s Party are also putting forward candidates for the upcoming elections, each vying for representation in the European Parliament. The election will take place on June 9th, with 15 representatives being elected from Finland.