This Sunday is the time for the first round of the presidential election in Finland and nine presidential candidates are ready to take over from President Sauli Niinistö. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, there will be a second round on February 11 between the two who received the most votes.
And it is, among other things, foreign and security policy that are big issues in Sunday’s election. Not least in the city of Imatra, where Finland’s proximity to Russia is constantly reminded.
The neighboring country, which is located less than a mile from the small city with its 25,000 inhabitants, has both attacked Ukraine and also used migrants for hybrid attacks against Finland.
The government’s decision to keep Finland’s eastern border completely closed applies until February 11 this year. This as the risk of new hybrid attacks from Russia is still considered to be too great.
– I think Putin wants to play, but I don’t feel insecure, says resident Katja Jukarainen.
– No difference, says Yrjö Aho about how it feels to live so close to Russia given the circumstances.
Effective border control
At the border, they have become more efficient in order to improve surveillance and, among other things, specialists have been called in.
– They have come to Finland to help us. We patrol more and have technical equipment, says Jussi Vainikka, captain at the border guard.
Already during the pandemic, it became more difficult for Russian citizens to cross the border into Finland. This has led to a worse economy for the border municipalities in Finland because, among other things, many shops were forced to close.
No sign of improvement
There is still no indication that the relationship between Russia and Finland will improve.
– Russia uses our NATO membership against us. They try to carry out all sorts of small hostile activities, but I think Finland has taken a very firm stance, says Iro Särkkä, a researcher at the Institute for Foreign Policy.
According to her, the Russian leadership will continue to test Finland’s borders and will also try to test whoever will be Finland’s next president.
– You have to keep calm, but also have good relations with the rest of the world and you shouldn’t provoke the bad people, says resident Aanita Laapotti about the qualities she is looking for in Finland’s next president.
The battle for who will be Finland’s next president is currently judged to be very even between the early favorite Alexander Stubb, the former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, and the True Finns’ candidate Jussi Halla-Aho.