1930 Finnish parliamentary election

1930 Finnish parliamentary election

←  1929 1–2 October 1930 1933  →
All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland 101 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Kaarlo Harvala Pekka Heikkinen Paavo Virkkunen Party SDP Agrarian National Coalition Last election 27.36%, 59 seats 26.15%, 60 seats 14.51%, 28 seats Seats won 66 59 42 Seat change 7 1 14 Popular vote 386,026 308,280 203,958 Percentage 34.16% 27.28% 18.05% Swing 6.80pp 1.13pp 3.54pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Eric von Rettig Eemil Linna Party RKP National Progressive Small Farmers' Last election 11.45%, 23 seats 5.60%, 7 seats 1.07%, 0 seats Seats won 20 11 1 Seat change 3 4 1 Popular vote 113,318 65,830 20,883 Percentage 10.03% 5.83% 1.85% Swing 1.42pp 0.23pp 0.78pp   Seventh party   Party Swedish Left Last election – Seats won 1 Seat change New Popular vote 9,226 Percentage 0.82 Swing New
Prime Minister before election Pehr Evind Svinhufvud National Coalition Prime Minister after election Pehr Evind Svinhufvud National Coalition

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 1 and 2 October 1930. ^[1] The Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest in Parliament with 66 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 65.9%. ^[2]

Background

1930 Finnish parliamentary election posters on Heikinesplanadi

The 1930 elections were conducted in a politically heated atmosphere. The far-right Lapua Movement, which had been organized in November 1929, pressured the government to outlaw the Communist Party and its cover organizations, such as the Workers' and Small Farmers' Electoral Associations, as treasonous organizations. Prime Minister Kallio tried to persuade the Parliament to outlaw the Communists' political activity in June 1930, but the proposed constitutional amendment did not gain the five-sixths majority required for an immediate amendment of the Constitution. Thus the constitutional changes would have to be ratified by the next Parliament. Kallio resigned, partly pressured to do so by President Relander. In July 1930, Relander appointed as the new prime minister Mr. P.E. Svinhufvud (National Coalition), a former prime minister and regent. His government sought to persuade the Finnish voters to elect a Parliament where the right-wing and centrist parties would have a two-thirds majority, which was - and is - needed to ratify changes to the Finnish Constitution. As a part of their strategy, they authorized the Investigative Central Police to deprive about 20,000 suspected Communists of the right to vote. The Lapua Movement kidnapped, took by car to isolated places and physically assaulted various left-wing politicians. ^{[3] [4]}

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	386,026	34.16	66	+7
	Agrarian League	308,280	27.28	59	–1
	National Coalition Party	203,958	18.05	42	+14
	Swedish People's Party	113,318	10.03	20	–3
	National Progressive Party	65,830	5.83	11	+4
	Small Farmers' Party	20,883	1.85	1	+1
	Socialist List of Workers and Peasants	11,504	1.02	0	–23
	Swedish Left	9,226	0.82	1	New
	Small groups [a]  of the Patriotic List [b]	9,085	0.80	0	–
	Others	1,918	0.17	0	–
Total		1,130,028	100.00	200	0
Valid votes		1,130,028	99.51
Invalid/blank votes		5,517	0.49
Total votes		1,135,545	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,722,588	65.92
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Tilastokeskus 2004, [6] Suomen virallinen tilasto

1. Isänmaallinen työväki, Itsenäiset maalaiset, Maalaisliitto puolueettomana isänmaan hyväksi, Vapaa työväenliitto työväen vapauden puolesta, Maalaisliittolainen valitsijayhdistys, Lapuanliike & Oikeistomaalaisliittolaiset ^[5]
2. Parties on the Patriotic List: ML+Kok.+Ed+RKP (Turun et., Viipurin länt.), ML+Kok.+Ed (Turun pohj., Hämeen et., Hämeen pohj., Viipurin it., Oulun et.), Kok.+Ed. (Mikkelin, Kuopion länt., Kuopion it., Viipurin it, Oulun pohj.). ^[5]

Aftermath

The right-wing and centrist parties received exactly two-thirds of the seats, and thus the new Parliament ratified the constitutional amendments which outlawed the Communist Party and its affiliated organizations until 1944.

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p607
3. Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History / Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen, Helsinki: WSOY, 2003
4. Sakari Virkkunen, Finland's Presidents I / Suomen presidentit I, Helsinki: WSOY, 1994
5. Suomen virallinen tilasto 29 A, XV (Tilastokeskus 1931), s. 47.
6. Tiedosto "595. Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 (Tilastokeskus 2004)