Returnees and names of the future - watch these on election night
On Sunday, we head from the election coffee to the election hustings. As we approach H-hour, everyone has their own predictions about who will go through and what the outcome will be. On election night, it's also worth watching what happens to the large number of returnees and who are the emerging names of the future for the parties. This year's elections will feature a significant number of returning veterans and newcomers. Pitching this kind of profile is part of the parties' clever electoral strategy. Many voters see a familiar candidate as a reliable and credible alternative, and there is also evidence that voting for a young candidate is important to many young voters.
What is interesting about the returnees is that the Democrats in particular are experiencing a phenomenon similar to that of the Centre in the last elections: the party at the top of the polls has put together a large number of experienced candidates hoping to make it through. The most prominent of these are Jouni Backman, who is standing in the constituency of South-East Finland, and Kimmo Kiljunen, who is standing in Uusimaa.
Among the possible or even probable returnees, the following candidates can also be mentioned:
Tuula Väätäinen (S&D)
Arja Alho (S&D)
Antti Vuolanne (S&D)
Heikki Autto (CoR)
Raimo Vistbacka (sin.)
Timo Kaunisto (centre)
Kirsi Ojansuu-Kaunisto (Green)
Risto E.J. Penttilä (coopted)
Anne Holmlund (CoR)
Sampsa Kataja (CoR)
Eila Tiainen (left)
Janne Sankelo (CoR)
Johannes Koskinen (S&D)
Osmo Kokko(ps.)
Raimo Piirainen (S&D)
Oras Tynkkynen (Greens)
Regarding the age of the candidates, it is noteworthy that although there are many young and well-known candidates, the average age of the candidates has increased since the last elections and is now 46 years old. It is also noteworthy that a number of established politicians from the centre are leaving their seats in the forthcoming elections. We can therefore expect at least some degree of rejuvenation in the Centre Party's parliamentary group. It remains to be seen how well the generational change in the centre will work out.
Potential new, young MPs include:
Risto Lahti (centre)
Sallamaarit Markkanen (centre)
Matias Marttinen (CoR)
Henrik Vuornos (coopted)
Daniel Sazonov (coopted)
Eemeli Peltonen (S&D)
Riikka Karppinen (Green)
Eveliina Heinäluoma (S&D)
Ida Schauman (EPP)
Mikko Kiesiläinen (Green)
Iiris Suomela (Green)
Samuli Voutila (ps.)
Ville Valkonen (CoR)
Lauri Kattelus (CoR)
Matias Mäkynen (S&D)
Fatim Diarra (Greens)
Bella Forsgren (Greens)
Many young candidates have been successful in mobilising young people in their campaigns against climate change - although youth voting is generally lower than average, a climate issue that strongly affects young people may attract young voters this year.
Other young candidates who did well in the last elections include Sanna Marin (S&D), Katri Kulmuni (Centre), Susanna Koski (Coalition Party), Wille Rydman (Coalition Party), Joona Räsänen (SD), Li Andersson (Left). They are all likely to pass in this election too. Li Andersson is likely to be the queen of the young candidates - in the previous elections in spring 2015, Andersson collected 15 154 votes in Varsinais-Suomi.
The youngest Member of Parliament is currently 28-year-old Ilmari Nurminen (S&D). Who will succeed Nurminen as the "Baby of the House" in the next parliament? Potential names include 24-year-old Eemeli Peltonen, the chairman of Järvenpää City Council and former vice-chairman of the Youth Democracy Party, who is standing for election in Uusimaa, and 25-year-old Iiris Suomela, the vice-chairman of Tampere City Council and former chairman of the Green Youth Party, who is standing for election in Pirkanmaa. Both are fairly close to a seat. If they both fail, Nurminen may renew their seats.