Sodom and Gomorrah Suomi: an openly gay man became the favorite in the Finnish presidential election

Pekka Haavisto, who ranks second among Finnish presidential candidates in opinion polls, is fueling his campaign with club nights and music from the 60s and 70s, The Observer writes.

“In a crowded, dimly lit music hall in Helsinki, an attentive crowd, dressed for an evening out, sweetly sings along to the musicians on stage in front of a kitschy image of a smiling 65-year-old man,” says the British publication. – Although the atmosphere is more reminiscent of a fun club night than a political campaign event, this is one of the last appearances by Pekka Haavisto, the man to whom the evening is dedicated, before he stands as a candidate in one of the most important presidential elections in Finland in living memory “

The 65-year-old former foreign minister, who hopes to become the country’s first Green head of state and first gay president, is ranked second in opinion polls ahead of Finland’s key elections on Sunday, The Observer said. 28 January. But the politician faces a growing threat from the right.

For much of the race, the race has centered on Haavisto, who is running as an independent candidate, and former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, the leading candidate. But recently, as the debate has taken a more inward turn, it is Jussi Halla-aho – the former leader of the far-right True Finns party – who is attracting public attention and rising in opinion polls, where he ranks third.

“All our events were sold out,” says 32-year-old volunteer Sonja Raitamäki, who works behind a counter selling merchandise, including T-shirts with the slogan “huoltoasemilta klubille” (from gas stations to clubs). Although she thinks the second round will be between Haavisto and Stubb, she admitted: “It’s a pretty intense fight.”

The union worker was shocked by the last-minute rise in popularity of the far-right Halla-aho, a surge that has sparked fears among Liberals that both of the latest election candidates could be right-wing candidates.

Although Pekka Haavisto was pleased with the results of his campaign over the last weekend, he feared that the True Finns party candidate might advance to the next round of voting.

“I’m concerned, but now we have to follow the will of the voters,” the politician told the Observer backstage, where he was joined by musicians, campaign staff and his gay partner Antonio Flores, after addressing supporters: “Of course, it would be absolutely exceptional if the two most right-wing parties would advance to the second round. This would leave many voters without a candidate. But anything is possible.”

It would also mark another victory for right-wing politicians in Finland, as the Halla-aho party is already part of a ruling coalition that also includes Stubb’s center-right National Coalition party.

The presence of Haavisto, who as foreign minister from 2019 to 2023 in the Social Democrat-led government negotiated Finland’s record entry into NATO, shows that the country’s political choices remain diverse, he said.

“In fact, when people initially said, ‘It’s very boring, four or five very similar men,’ I didn’t find any similarity,” he added. “We may look like men in the same age category, but we have very different experiences, very different stories, very different views. People can actually choose between very different alternatives.”

While the nine-candidate election saw record early voting, Haavisto believes many were still undecided heading into the final weekend. Although he had previously warned that Finland must curb hate speech against minorities – both a pressing social problem and a national security issue – he said he had seen signs of progress in other respects during his election campaign: “You could see that people could never imagine that gays could be elected. But the situation is changing.”

His club nights were an important part of his advertising campaign, notes The Observer. Haavisto invites leading figures from the Finnish music scene to perform, followed by a DJ set by Haavisto himself, known under the stage name “DJ Pexi”.

The unconventional politician mostly performs his favorite songs from the 60s and 70s. Between tracks, he steps up to the microphone and tells his fans crowded around the DJ booth what the songs mean to him. Friday’s setlist included “Rivers of Babylon” by Boney M, “Adam and Eve” by Paul Anka, “Era Mentira” by Ricarena and “Revolution” by The Beatles. Haavisto’s partner told the Observer his taste in music is “horrible” and the fact that people pay to attend sold-out nights astonishes Haavisto, as well as the students who dance to his DJ sets. “It was a successful concept.”

Despite moments of levity, much of his campaign focused on addressing the serious security concerns of the Finnish public.

At a recent event in Ivalo, Lapland, near Finland’s northernmost border point with Russia, a man asked him if he should sell his house 50 km from the border amid heightened tensions.

“These are the fears that people reflect. And, more generally, “Is war coming?” and “What does this mean for Finland?” Haavisto said.