Two pro-euro candidates appeared headed for a February runoff in Finland 's presidential race after a first round of voting Sunday , according to complete results . With all boxes reporting , conservative former Finance Minister Sauli Niinisto had a solid lead with just under 37 % percent of the vote . Meanwhile , pro-European Green League candidate Pekka Haavisto passed euro-skeptic Paavo Vayrynen to claim the No . 2 spot , with 18.8 % over Vayrynen 's 17.5 % . Vayrynen had been running second in earlier returns . Niinisto and Haavisto -- Finland 's first openly gay presidential candidate , according to Finnish media -- are vying to succeed Tarja Halonen , Finland 's first female president . Halonen has has reached her two-term limit after beating back a challenge from Niinisto , of the conservative National Coalition Party , in 2006 . A runoff between the top two finishers is slated for February 5 . Turnout was estimated at nearly 73 % of Finland 's 4.4 million eligible voters . The eventual winner will break a 30-year lock on the presidency by Halonen 's Social Democrats . Finland is one of the states that joined the euro from the beginning , when Niinisto was finance minister . He insists Finland should stay in the eurozone , despite the debt crisis that has taken some of the shine off the common currency . His NCP won the top share of votes in last April 's parliamentary election , and already leads a broad coalition government that includes the Social Democrats . Finland is one of the few remaining AAA-rated countries in the eurozone . But 2012 is only expected to deliver a growth of 0.4 % , with the possibility of a new recession , its finance ministry reports . It has had to take part in the bailouts of other euro states who faced deep financial problems , such as Greece and Ireland . Many Finns now see Niinisto -- who also served as deputy chairman of the European Investment Bank -- as someone who can stand up for Finland 's interests in the single currency . Haavisto , meanwhile , has served as Finland 's environment and development minister and has international experience working for the European Union and the United Nations in Sudan and the Middle East . Vayrynen and his Center Party have argued that Finland should leave the euro , and he insisted before Sunday 's vote that polls showing him running third were wrong . His third-place showing Sunday followed a strong finish in April by the euro-skeptic True Finns Party , which won 39 seats in parliament to become the third-largest party . The True Finns demanded that Finland stop supporting the eurozone bailouts , but its presidential candidate , Timo Soini , was running fourth in Sunday 's balloting . He told Finnish public broadcaster YLE that his weak support was an indication that his party wants him to remain as party leader , rather than president . Finland 's president is in charge of the country 's foreign policy , together with the government , and serves as commander-in-chief of its defense forces . But recent changes have seen more power being given to the government and parliament , and former President Mauno Koivisto told YLE that there was a risk of an `` imbalance '' between the direct public election of the president and the office 's diminishing power .
Pro - euro candidates appear bound for early 2018 . Green League 's Haavisto endorsed euro - skeptic Vayrynen in late 2017 . The latter would replace Finland 's first female president .