1958 Finnish parliamentary election

Last updated
1958 Finnish parliamentary election
Flag of Finland 1920-1978 (State).svg
  1954 6–7 July 1958 1962  

All 200 seats in Parliament
101 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Kulo (cropped).JPG Vaino Tanner.jpg Vieno Johannes Sukselainen.jpg
Leader Kusti Kulo Väinö Tanner V. J. Sukselainen
Party SKDL SDP Agrarian
Last election21.57%, 43 seats26.25%, 54 seats24.10%, 53 seats
Seats won504848
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 7Decrease2.svg 6Decrease2.svg 5
Popular vote450,220449,536448,364
Percentage23.16%23.12%23.06%
SwingIncrease2.svg 1.59ppDecrease2.svg 3.13ppIncrease2.svg 1.04pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  Jussi Saukkonen (1951).jpg Lars Erik Taxell.jpg Eino Saari in 1961 (cropped).jpg
Leader Jussi Saukkonen Lars Erik Taxell Eino Saari
Party National Coalition RKP People's
Last election12.80%, 24 seats6.76%, 12 seats7.88%, 13 seats
Seats won29138
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 5Increase2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 5
Popular vote297,094126,365114,617
Percentage15.28%6.50%5.90%
SwingIncrease2.svg 2.48ppDecrease2.svg 0.26ppDecrease2.svg 1.98pp

 Seventh partyEighth party
  Emil-Skog-1957.jpg
Leader Emil Skog
Party TPSL ÅS
Last election0.23%, 1 seat
Seats won31
Seat changeNewSteady2.svg
Popular vote33,9475,487
Percentage1.75%0.28%
SwingNewIncrease2.svg 0.05pp

Prime Minister before election

Reino Kuuskoski
Independent

Prime Minister after election

Karl-August Fagerholm
SDP

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 6 and 7 July 1958. [1] The communist Finnish People's Democratic League emerged as the largest party, but was unable to form a government.

Contents

Background

Between March 1956, when Urho Kekkonen (Agrarian League) became president, and the 1958 elections, Finland had had four governments; Karl-August Fagerholm's Social Democratic Party majority government, V. J. Sukselainen's Agrarian minority government, and two civil-service caretaker governments, led by the Governor of the Bank of Finland, Rainer von Fieandt and the Chief Justice of Finland's Supreme Administrative Court, Reino Kuuskoski. The Social Democrats and Agrarians found it difficult to work together in the government, which significantly reduced Finland's chances of having a stable government, because the two other large or fairly large parties, the Finnish People's Democratic League and National Coalition Party, were excluded from the government.

The Social Democrats had been split into two parties since Väinö Tanner, a veteran Social Democrat and a former political prisoner (one of the eight "war culprits" after World War II), had very narrowly been elected the Social Democratic leader over Fagerholm in July 1957. The Social Democrats were among Kekkonen's chief opponents and wanted to defeat him in the 1962 presidential elections. After becoming president, Kekkonen wanted to defeat the Social Democrats politically, and thus their split into the majority and the minority, the so-called Skogists (after former Defence Minister Emil Skog) helped him move closer towards that goal.

In addition, Finland was suffering from a recession and, by that time's standards, a high unemployment rate, which helped the Finnish People's Democratic League to increase their support. After these elections, Fagerholm formed his third government, which included the Social Democrats, Agrarians, National Coalitioners, Swedish People's Party and the People's Party of Finland, in August 1958. Already when he appointed Fagerholm's government, President Kekkonen indicated that he would not help if it encountered problems. Soon the government ran into difficulties: the Soviet Union interrupted its trade negotiations with Finland, and in November or December 1958, the Soviet ambassador to Finland returned to the Soviet Union. These "night frosts," along with President Kekkonen's and the other Agrarians' opposition (Foreign Minister Virolainen resigned from the government at the beginning of December 1958, and former Assistant Finance Minister Karjalainen wrote that it was time for the wise people to leave the government), caused Fagerholm to tender his resignation in December 1958. Sukselainen formed another centrist minority government in January 1959, while Kekkonen visited the Soviet Union where the Soviet leader Khrushchev assured him that all was again well in the Finnish-Soviet relations. [2] [3]

Results

1958 Eduskunta.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Finnish People's Democratic League 450,22023.1650+7
Social Democratic Party 449,53623.1248–6
Agrarian League 448,36423.0648–5
National Coalition Party 297,09415.2829+5
Swedish People's Party 126,3656.5013+1
People's Party 114,6175.908–5
Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders 33,9471.753New
Liberal League 6,4240.3300
Åland Coalition 5,4870.2810
Agrarian League Opposition5,0570.260New
Finnish Christian League 3,3580.170New
Free Citizens and Centre List3,0330.160New
Free Economy List3310.020New
People's Co-operation League1600.010New
Others2420.010
Total1,944,235100.002000
Valid votes1,944,23599.48
Invalid/blank votes10,1620.52
Total votes1,954,397100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,606,25874.99
Source: Tilastokeskus 2004, [4] Suomen virallinen tilasto [5]

By electoral district

Electoral district Total
seats
Seats won
SKDL SDP ML Kok RKP SK TPSL ÅS
Åland 11
Central Finland 1233411
Häme 14342311
Helsinki 19445321
Kymi1525431
Lapland 94131
North Karelia112441
North Savo124251
North Vaasa811312
Oulu 1872711
Pirkanmaa 1353131
Satakunta 144433
South Savo121551
South Vaasa1021223
Uusima 16352141
Varsinais-Suomi 16543211
Total2005048482913831
Source: Statistics Finland [6]

References

  1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds. (2003) A Small Giant of the Finnish History, WSOY, 2003, p786, 811, 817–821
  3. Johannes Virolainen (1991) The Last Electoral Term, Otava
  4. 595. Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 (Tilastokeskus 2004)
  5. Suomen virallinen tilasto 29 A, Kansanedustajain vaalit XXVI(?)
  6. Suomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:26: Eduskuntavaalit 1958. Statistics Finland. 1959.