At the annual conference for the main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), former Prime Minister Sanna Marin has officially stepped down as party head. Following the defeat of her five-party left-leaning coalition in the April general election, Marin announced her intention to return to the backbenches. The shift in SDP leadership is unlikely to have a notable impact on Finnish politics given the party's opposition status, with the gov't now led by PM Petteri Orpo's centre-right National Coalition Party (NCP), in league with the right-wing nationalist Finns Party, the conservative Christian Democrats, minority interest Swedish People's Party.

• The SDP conference will elect a new leader during the course of the conference.
• Focus will then turn to the country's presidential election, taking place in January 2024. Incumbent Sauli Niinisto cannot run again due to term limits. The Finnish president has had a significant role both nationally and internationally since the invasion of Ukraine, with Niinisto being a visible presence alongside then-PM Marin during Finland's NATO accession process.
• Opinion polling shows former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, from the environmentalist centre-left Green League as frontrunner, with former PM Alexander Stubb from the NCP, independent academic Mika Aaltola, and Bank of Finland Governor Olli Rehn the other main contenders in the race.