Finland's election

Finland's Social Democrats party seals narrow election win

Finland's leftist Social Democrats party has won the general election by a thin margin, capturing two more seats than the nationalist Finns Party, according to final results from the justice ministry.

The results reflect a mounting sense of insecurity in the Nordic nation over immigration, welfare and climate change.

Tipped to win, the opposition Social Democrats scored 17.7 percent, winning 40 seats in the 200-seat parliament, while their eurosceptic Finns Party rivals were at 17.5 percent - 38 seats - after Sunday's election.

The joint ruling Centre Party of Prime Minister Juha Sipila and centre-right National Coalition stood at 13.8 percent and 17 percent, respectively, marking the first time in a century that no party won more than 20 percent in a general election.

With a fragmented parliament and deep divisions within the mainstream parties over how to tackle rising costs of expensive public services, coalition talks following the election could be protracted.

Finland's election

The Right’s New Rallying Cry in Finland: ‘Climate Hysteria’

When they really wanted to rile up conservative voters this spring, the politicians from Finland’s nationalist party made a beeline for the rawest subject in this year’s general election.

No, not immigration. Climate.

As Finland’s other parties competed with each other to offer ambitious climate goals ahead of Sunday’s general election, the Finns Party has seized on climate as a new front in the culture wars, warning its conservative, working-class supporters that they are being betrayed by urban elites.

Aggressive environmental measures will “take the sausage from the mouths of laborers,” warned a Finns Party politician, Matti Putkonen, in a recent televised debate. And, more important, from dogs and cats, whose food, he said, would increase in price by 20 to 40 percent.

“What are you going to say to the little girl or boy who cries when Mom and Dad say that they can’t afford it any longer?” he said. “And take the lovable pet to be put down?”