what the Western press writes about the results of the elections in Finland and Montenegro

On April 2, parliamentary and presidential elections took place in two European countries. In Finland, Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) came third with 19.9% ​​of the vote, behind the centre-right Coalition Party and the True Finns, which got 20, 8% and 20.1% of the votes. In the presidential elections of Montenegro, the current head of state Milo Djukanovic was defeated by Yakov Milatovich. How the foreign press reacted to the election results – in the material of The Eastern Herald.
Guardian:
“Marin became the world’s youngest prime minister when she led the SDP in 2019 and took over as prime minister. She successfully led the country through the COVID pandemic and brought it to the threshold of NATO membership.
Marin’s decision to enjoy the social life became a topic of headlines in the newspapers. She was hailed by fans as a rising star of the centre-left and a role model for a new generation of young female leaders. Critics say his behavior was at times inappropriate for his job.
Last year, she had to apologize and take a drug test. But she defended her right to party after photos and videos surfaced of her drinking and dancing with friends.
His personal popularity remained high, but with a forecast of recession and rampant inflation, accusations by opposition leaders of excessive government borrowing and inflated government spending (…) hit home.
The New York Times:
“Ms. Marin was the new face of a new generation and had a great influence outside Finland, although inside the country she caused more controversy. She received high marks for her work in as Prime Minister, especially on issues such as (the conflict in) Ukraine and NATO membership, according to the polls she is more popular than her party.
However, the election campaign focused mainly on economic issues – the size of the country’s debt, the viability of its social security system, migration policy. Here, Marin and his Social Democrats drew more criticism and were vulnerable (…) In general, as in recent elections in Italy and Sweden, the vote showed a rightward shift.
Le Figaro :
“Forming a government traditionally takes weeks or even months. Sanna Marin is expected to take over next week when Finland officially joins NATO. Elections do not change membership in the military alliance: all major parties now support it.”
BBC:
“Although the presidency in Montenegro is largely ceremonial, a victory could improve the chances of the winning party in the June 11 parliamentary elections.
During the election campaign, Milatovic promised to fight corruption, improve living standards and strengthen ties with the European Union and neighboring Serbia. The 37-year-old candidate received support from parties close to Serbia, Russia and the Orthodox Church.
The New York Times:
“(Dukanovic’s defeat) gave the Balkans hope for a long-awaited end to the political era marked by the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s (…) The defeat of the leader, who began his political career in former Yugoslavia, raised the spirits of opposition groups in other Balkan countries, particularly in neighboring Serbia, whose own veteran leader Aleksandar Vučić also began his career in Yugoslavia and was an integral part of Serbian politics for decades.
Reuters
“Sunday’s vote comes after a year of political instability in which two governments that came to power after 2020 protests backed by the powerful Serbian Orthodox Church were toppled by votes of no confidence…
“People have made it clear that they want change and that the new political elite should pay more attention to their problems and needs,” said Milos Besic, a professor of political science at the University of Belgrade.