BRUSSELS — Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her Social Democratic Occasion misplaced a decent election in Finland on Sunday to a center-right get together that targeted on financial issues.

The Nationwide Coalition Occasion, led by Petteri Orpo, 53, captured probably the most votes within the parliamentary election, adopted by the right-wing Finns Occasion and the Social Democrats. However no get together is close to a majority within the 200-seat physique, and Mr. Orpo goes to have a sophisticated activity pulling collectively a governing coalition.

With nearly one hundred pc of the vote counted, late Sunday evening, Mr. Orpo’s get together had 48 seats with 20.8 % of the vote, simply forward of the populist Finns, led by Riikka Purra, with 46 seats and 20.0 %.

Although Ms. Marin has been the closest Finland has to a political rock star, her center-left Social Democrats got here in third, with 43 seats and 19.9 % of the vote.

The agrarian-based Heart Occasion, which has been shrinking, could also be an important a part of a brand new center-right coalition, successful 11.3 % of the vote and 23 seats.

It was a slim defeat for Ms. Marin, 37. Regardless of her reputation, the election turned on the financial system, and Mr. Orpo succeeded in arguing that Finland’s debt is just too excessive and that public spending ought to be lower.

Mr. Orpo has a alternative of making an attempt to hitch with the Finns or with the Social Democrats, however he would nonetheless want the assist of different, smaller events to type a authorities. Through the marketing campaign, he was cautious to not offend both of the key events; Ms. Marin lambasted the Finns as racist.

Mr. Orpo is predicted to have the primary likelihood to type a brand new authorities and, presumably, turn out to be prime minister. However given the tightness of the race, forming a brand new coalition authorities is predicted to take many weeks of negotiations among the many events, a few of whom have dominated out being in a coalition with the Finns Occasion.

Ms. Marin has been a contemporary face for a contemporary era, and made a significant influence exterior Finland, although she has been extra controversial inside it. She has gotten good marks for her efficiency as prime minister, particularly on points just like the warfare in Ukraine and NATO membership, and has been extra well-liked within the polls than her get together has.

With Finland about to hitch NATO, nonetheless, the election turned totally on financial points: the dimensions of the nation’s debt, the longer term viability of its social welfare system and its coverage towards migration. There, Ms. Marin and her Social Democrats garnered extra criticism and proved susceptible.

“Democracy has spoken,” Ms. Marin mentioned after the outcomes have been in.

She mentioned: “I consider that the Social Democrats’ message was heard, and that was a values-based message. It has been a fantastic marketing campaign, and it is a nice day as a result of we did effectively. My congratulations to the Nationwide Coalition Occasion and Finns Occasion.”

Authorities spending was a key marketing campaign subject.

With the financial system contracting and inflation excessive, Ms. Marin’s opponents accused her of borrowing an excessive amount of and failing to rein in public spending. Ms. Marin, who turned prime minister in 2019, refused to specify any cuts however as an alternative emphasised financial progress, schooling, increased employment and better taxes as higher solutions.

The Finns Occasion pushed an anti-elitist agenda, concentrating on limiting migration from exterior the European Union, criticizing Finland’s contributions to the European Union and urging a slower path towards carbon neutrality. But it surely has tried to melt its picture underneath Riikka Purra, 45, who took the get together management in 2021, and it has used social media cleverly, growing its reputation amongst younger voters.

Typically, as in latest elections in Italy and Sweden, the vote confirmed a shift to the best. Ms. Marin’s get together and two others from her present five-party coalition, the Greens and the Left Alliance, had dominated out going into authorities with the Finns. The Heart Occasion has dominated out becoming a member of any coalition resembling the present one.

Ms. Marin’s personal life, together with movies of her ingesting and dancing with associates, gave her superstar overseas however induced some controversy in socially conservative Finland. She even felt compelled to take a drug check to forestall criticism. However she remained unusually well-liked for a primary minister on the finish of a parliamentary time period, mentioned Jenni Karimaki, a political scientist on the College of Helsinki.

Steven Erlanger reported from Brussels, and Johanna Lemola from Helsinki, Finland.