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Advance votes for the Finnish parliamentary elections are counted on April 14 at a polling station in Helsinki. Photo: AFP

Voting begins in Finland's 'anti-austerity election'

  • A record 1.5 million Finns, over a third of the electorate, have already cast their ballots during a week of advance voting this month
  • Voting is taking place amid widespread opposition to spending cut. The far-right is predicted to make large gains

Finns began voting in a general election on Sunday where the centre-right government was expected to be overturned amid widespread opposition to its spending cuts, and the far-right is predicted to make large gains.

As polling stations opened at 9am, Helsinki was typically quiet, and a trio of young women where the first to appear at Normaalilyseo high school in the city centre to cast their votes.

Chairman of the Finns Party and parliamentary candidate Jussi Halla-aho votes in the parliamentary elections. Photo: Reuters

A record 1.5 million Finns, over a third of the electorate, have already cast their ballots during a week of advance voting this month.

“After those who have voted in advance, we have about 1,700 people who have a right to vote today [in this district],” election official Vesa Hintsanen said at the school on Sunday.

Much of the debate in the run-up to the election has been about whether the next government should continue the current administration’s public spending cuts.

Finland is the happiest country in the world, but the Finns don’t quite believe it

Cutbacks to Finland’s prized education system drew particular criticism from MPs on all sides.

“People are saying enough is enough with some of the cuts,” said political commentator Sini Korpinen.

The opposition Social Democratic Party, which Finland’s main polls predict will win by a margin of a couple of per cent, has vowed to alleviate the austerity policies introduced by the ruling coalition over the past four years.

Social Democratic Party Chairman Antti Rinne. Photo: Reuters

Yet the Social Democratic Party may face tough economic conditions in which to implement its anti-austerity promises: many economic forecasts suggest Finland’s GDP growth will slow in the coming years.

Aware the public mood has turned against any further belt-tightening, the Centre Party of incumbent Prime Minister Juha Sipila and his centre-right governing partner the National Coalition Party, have insisted the economy is now strong enough to allow for an easing of austerity.

In recent months, Finland’s far-right Finns Party – previously languishing in fifth place in opinion polls – has surged in popularity to become the second- or third-biggest party, according to recent forecasts.

Finland’s government resigns over failed reform package

The Finns Party focused its campaign on immigration, urging people to “vote for some borders”, and on climate change, where it denounced the “climate hysteria” of other parties.

In January, outrage over highly publicised reports of an alleged string of sexual assaults by immigrant men boosted support for the party’s anti-immigration agenda.

At a Finns Party rally on the eve of the vote in Myyrmaki, a disadvantaged suburb of the capital, a crowd of people, young and old, clamoured around party leader Jussi Halla-aho, asking for autographs and congratulating him on the campaign.

“You will be the next prime minister,” one woman assured him.

Governments in Finland are usually coalitions of three or four parties. The winner of most votes on Sunday will be tasked with heading negotiations to form a majority government.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Election predicted to reflect backlash against austerity
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