Finland will hold its presidential election in a matter of days. The election is the first to take place while the country is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

At one time, Finland considered itself a neutral country but dropped that designation at the fall of the Soviet Union.

The move to become a member of NATO was also sparked by Russia. But this time it was their invasion of Ukraine.

The frontrunners are center-right National Coalition Party candidate Alexander Stubb and liberal Green Party member Pekka Haavisto, whose support base has steadily swelled. Jussi Halla-aho, the candidate from the nationalist Finns Party, has gained ground in recent polling as well.

Finland's president leads foreign and security policy and represents the country at NATO's meetings. The president also acts as commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defence Forces, deciding on any significant changes in military preparedness.

The president appoints and discharges ministers, some high-ranking civil servants, and Supreme Court judges.

At the prime minister's request, the president can, if justified, order an early parliamentary election. The Finnish president must be a native-born citizen who is directly elected to a six-year term.

A candidate must gain 50% of ballots cast to win in the first round of voting. If no one wins more than 50% of the vote, a second-round run-off will be held between the top two candidates.

Finland opted for a direct popular vote, rather than an electoral college, in 1994. Under this format, no president can be elected for more than two consecutive terms.

The Top Candidates

Alexander Stubb of the National Coalition Party is considered a pro-European candidate. He recently served as prime minister and foreign minister of Finland, as well as a member of the European Parliament. Pekka Haavisto of the Green League is a liberal and a former UN diplomat who has run for president twice in the past, in 2012 and 2018 but failed to win.

If elected, he would become Finland's first openly gay president. Nationalist Jussi Halla-aho, former Finns Party leader and now parliament speaker, is a stern critic of the EU and immigration who was fined by the country's Supreme Court for racist remarks in 2012.