Halla-aho announces bid for Presidential polls

Speaker of the parliament and former Chair of the radical rightist Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) Jussi Halla-aho on Friday announced his candidature for the upcoming presidential election of Finland scheduled for January 2024.

Halla-aho, who is well-known for his anti-immigration position and was also convicted of inciting hatred against an ethnic group in 2012, made the announcement through a YouTube video posted to his Twitter in the afternoon.

The 52 years old politician in the video speech said that he got a significant amount of publicity during his political career in the last one and a half decades.

Pointing out his different kind of public image, he also admitted that it was very bad to some people and hoped that he has opportunity to correct the image in the next six months, particularly from his point of view to reflect reality in a better way.

He was elected as the Speaker of the Finnish parliament on June 21.

According to a recent survey conducted by the national broadcaster Yle, Halla-aho placed fourth with only six percent support.

Veteran politician of Vihreä Liitto (Green Party) and out outgoing Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto secured top place in the survey with 28 percent support followed by former Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party of Finland) lawmaker and Bank of Finland Governor Olli Rehn with 15 percent support.

Other aspirants, who already announced their candidatures are Liike Nyt (Movement Now) lawmaker Harry Harkimo, former Keskusta Chair Paavo Väyrynen and Saara Huhtasaari of Freedom Alliance.