Pekka Haavisto would have needed a big miracle to succeed Alexander Stubb. It didn't happen, and so at the end of the evening, Haavisto's election supervisors were disappointed and smiled through the tears.
“Perhaps In Finland it never is Pekka Haavisto as president.”
Chairman of the Greens Sofia Virta summed up his feelings in these words at Korjaamo after Haavisto, supported by the greens and nominated by the voters' association as a presidential candidate, left the stage during his election supervisors.
According to Virra, one of the most important emotions is the pain of giving up. We have to give up the idea that Haavisto will one day become the president of Finland.
Many greens had hoped for years that the president Sauli Niinistön after two seasons, it would be the turn of Haavisto, who finished second twice before.
“People have truly believed that now Peka will become president,” says Virta.
Haavisto went around Korjaamo thanking his supporters.
I don't hurt loss To Alexander Stubb caused clearly divided atmospheres at Korjaamo.
The primary feeling for many was disappointment from Haavisto's defeat. People had hoped that Haavisto would succeed in beating Stubb, contrary to recent polls. “To make a small or a big miracle”, as a long-time Green politician Pekka Sauri characterized Haavisto's defeat after it was confirmed.
There was no big miracle, which is why Korjaamo's biggest party atmosphere died down very quickly after Yle's forecast was announced and Stubb's victory was confirmed. The repair shop, which had been packed to the brim since the beginning of the evening, was empty. Some of the people went home, but a significant part still remained waiting for Haavisto's last words.
Still, the disappointment seemed to be mixed with at least a subtle satisfaction that Haavisto's gap with Stubb was historically narrow. Most of the Haavisto supporters who came knew already at the beginning of the evening that Stubb's victory was the most likely result.
Therefore, on the faces of the leading green politicians, one could not see huge disappointment, but rather exactly the pain of giving up that Sofia Virta described.
Sofia Virta reflected on the “feeling of giving up” caused by Haavisto's election loss.
The greens MEP, active supporter of Haavisto's campaign Ville Niinistö said that, despite the defeat, Haavisto's election campaign remains “invigorated”.
“We made a really great campaign, and it carried much further than, for example, many political analysts would have thought it would carry in this political situation,” said Niinistö.
Niinistö himself said that he campaigned really seriously from Brussels and Strasbourg. The jacket is now empty, Niinistö summed up his experience.
“In these elections, there was a feeling that Peka could have really become president. It makes it even sadder that we came so close. The jacket is empty. Feeling tired. But still smiling.”
Ville Niinistö (right) said that he worked very seriously in Haavisto's campaign.
Very another former chairman was also on the same lines Maria Ohisalo.
“This turned out to be a historically tight campaign and competition. Of course we wanted Peka to become president. He himself said in his speech that he hopes that this campaign will leave many things in people's hearts and minds. I think it's well said,” Ohisalo said.
Ohisalo also emphasized how Haavisto's campaign was upbeat until the end and how Haavisto fared against Stubbs in the election day votes.
He – like other top politicians of the Greens – still did not want to speculate on what more could have been done in Haavisto's campaign.
Maria Ohisalo said that she believed that it could have been Pekka Haavisto's turn in these elections.
From the greens words of thanks were also enough for Stubb, who came to visit Haavisto's supervisors before continuing to celebrate his own.
“Stubb is smart enough that, as president, he senses an opportunity to bring up the themes promoted by Haavisto. In that sense, something permanent will remain from this campaign,” Ville Niinistö said.
Sofia Virta praised the meeting between Haavisto and Stubb on stage and called it wonderful.
“At this time, such encounters can be a strong message beyond the borders of Finland, that this country is united.”
Stubb and Haavisto shared the stage in Haavisto's supervision.
Haavisto himself did a kind of honor tour of his election supervisors after appearing on stage together with Alexander Stubb. Haavisto toured through Korjaamo, posed for group photos with the supporters present and thanked the active members of the campaign team.
Even before retreating to the back room, he summed up his feelings in an interview with HS.
“This very tight result was certainly a positive thing for many of the supporters. In the second round, we were able to reach a large number of Finns, and the neck in votes was only one hundred thousand. Surely there is a smile through the tears at hand here.”
Haavisto did not believe that there is any equally decisive explanation for the loss to Stubbs.
“Here there were many currents in many directions. On the one hand, not voting, and on the other, the votes of the first round, which are looking for their home. At the same time, we had a lot of voters who said they had previously voted for the coalition. These elections did not go according to party political boundaries.”
Haavisto faced his supporters before withdrawing from Korjaamo.
Did they stay? these for Haavisto's last presidential election? So is it the case that Finland will never see Pekka Haavisto as president?
“Anything is possible, but in my own life I have now gone through the presidential campaign three times. I don't think it's a Finnish record yet, but it's close to it. At some point, you have to recognize your own limits.”
According to Haavisto, the plans for the rest of the evening were calm.
“I thank the campaign team once again in the back rooms. After that, we go to the lands of Unte at a reasonable time. Monday will be a day off, and on Tuesday we will return to parliamentary work.”
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