The surprise announcement could completely change the dynamics of the election, especially for the national coalition. The Free Mountain received almost 30,000 votes, almost four times more than the country’s second-largest collector, Anni Sinnemäki (Greens), Deputy Mayor of Helsinki’s Urban Environment.
Petteri Orpo, Chairman of the National Coalition, said Helsingin Sanomat that Vapaavuori would have been a welcome name on the party’s flag in Helsinki.
“Jan Vapaavuori has been a great mayor of Helsinki and the national coalition. Of course, everyone can make their own decisions, and those decisions should be respected, ”he said. “We wished he was running, but, like [Vapaavuori] pointed out, we discussed in the summer and fall and I knew I was waiting for this decision and I was prepared a little mentally. “
Ben Zyskowicz (NCP) recalled that it is difficult to fill the boots of the Free Mountain. He won nearly a third of the National Assembly in 2017 from about 92,200 votes.
“The challenge is to find a new candidate who can fill the big boots left by Vapaavuori,” he admitted to Helsingin Sanomat.
His rating agreed Sari Sarkomaa (NCP): “Continuing the Free Mountain would have been important for the whole of Finland. He has done a great job. When the city of Helsinki is doing well, so is the whole of Finland. “
Sarkomaa stressed that the decision has no effect on the goals of the national coalition.
“Our goal remains the same. But [Vapaavuori] was such a good candidate that this puts us in a situation where we have to do a lot more work than we probably realize at the moment, ”he commented newspaper.
Deputy Mayor Pia Pakarinen (NCP) considered that the Free Mountain should probably be replaced by a committee.
“You have to keep in mind that we don’t need one candidate who gets 30,000 votes, but a lot of votes for the party, for its many great candidates, because the mayoral job is given to the party that gets the most votes.”
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page