Daniel Sazonov, the son of Russian immigrants, has been elected the subsequent mayor of Helsinki, in accordance with Finnish nationwide broadcaster Yle, citing the outcomes of the municipal election on Monday.
Though each the conservative Nationwide Coalition Occasion and their primary rivals, the Social Democrats, secured 21 seats every on the town council, the conservatives will appoint the brand new mayor after successful a bigger share of the favored vote.
Born in Helsinki in 1993, Sazonov holds a regulation diploma. In line with his personal web site, his dad and mom are Ingrian Finns who emigrated from Russia. The historic area of Ingria spans from Lake Ladoga to the Karelian Isthmus, encompassing the realm round present-day St. Petersburg. Sazonov turned a Finnish citizen on the age of 9.
He was first elected to the Helsinki Metropolis Council in 2017 and was appointed deputy mayor for social affairs and well being in 2021.
In line with Yle, Sazonov beforehand wrote columns for the now-defunct Russian-language newspaper Spektr and its successor, Finskaya Gazeta. He reportedly severed ties with the publication in 2022 as a result of battle between Russia and Ukraine.
“I don’t wish to have any dealings with events that help Russia’s place… In gentle of the present info, writing for the newspaper was a mistake,” he wrote on X in February. “I haven’t been to Russia in years and haven’t any ties there.”
Throughout the Chilly Warfare, Finland maintained comparatively pleasant relations with the Soviet Union. The shut ties continued for many years after the collapse of the bloc.
Since 2022, nonetheless, Finland has imposed a number of rounds of sanctions on Moscow. In 2023, the Nordic nation deserted its longstanding coverage of non-alignment and formally joined NATO.
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