President Sauli Niinistö will announce whether he will run for a second term as president later this spring. Niinistö and his partner Jenni Haukio are currently in Kuopio on a tour around all of Finland’s counties.
Niinistö stated he would follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, President Tarja Halonen. Halonen announced her plans for running for a second term in May 2005.
Current world events will have an impact on Finland and require action, President Niinistö says.
“A lame duck situation or a president busy with an election campaign would not be ideal. That’s why it’s good to have a few meetings first before announcing anything,” he continues.
Candidates to have officially placed their bids for the presidency are Matti Vanhanen of the Centre Party, Pekka Haavisto of the Green League and Merja Kyllönen of the Left Alliance.
The presidential elections will be held on 28 January 2018.