1972 Finnish parliamentary election

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1972 Finnish parliamentary election
Flag of Finland 1920-1978 (State).svg
  1970 2–3 January 1972 1975  

All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland
101 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Rafael-Paasio-1963 (cropped 2).jpg Ele-Alenius-1970 (cropped).jpg JohannesVirolainen1975 (cropped).jpg
Leader Rafael Paasio Ele Alenius Johannes Virolainen
Party SDP SKDL Centre
Last election23.43%, 52 seats16.58%, 36 seats17.12%, 36 seats
Seats won553735
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 3Increase2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1
Popular vote664,724438,757423,039
Percentage25.78%17.02%16.41%
SwingIncrease2.svg 2.35ppIncrease2.svg 0.44ppDecrease2.svg 0.71pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  Harri-Holkeri-1981 (cropped).jpg Veikko Vennamo in 1967 (cropped).jpg Jan-Magnus-Jansson-1962 (cropped).jpg
Leader Harri Holkeri Veikko Vennamo Jan-Magnus Jansson
Party National Coalition Rural Party RKP
Last election18.05%, 37 seats10.49%, 18 seat5.34%, 11 seats
Seats won34189
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 3Steady2.svgDecrease2.svg 2
Popular vote453,434236,206130,407
Percentage17.59%9.16%5.06%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.46ppDecrease2.svg 1.33ppDecrease2.svg 0.28pp

 Seventh partyEighth partyNinth party
  PekkaTarjanne1970 (cropped).jpg
Leader Pekka Tarjanne Eino Sares
Party Liberal People's Christian League ÅS
Last election5.95%, 8 seats1.13%, 1 seat0.35%, 1 seat
Seats won741
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 1Increase2.svg 3Steady2.svg
Popular vote132,95565,2287,672
Percentage5.16%2.53%0.30%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.79ppIncrease2.svg 1.40ppDecrease2.svg 0.05pp

Prime Minister before election

Teuvo Aura
Independent

Prime Minister after election

Rafael Paasio
SDP

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 2 and 3 January 1972. [1]

Contents

Background

Prime Minister Ahti Karjalainen's centre-left coalition government lost the Finnish People's Democratic League in March 1971 as they opposed the removal of government subsidies from certain foods whose prices rose, and was forced to resign in October 1971, due to the disagreements between the Social Democratic Party and the Centre Party over the amount of agricultural subsidies. According to some historians, politicians and journalists, such as Allan Tiitta, Seppo Zetterberg, Johannes Virolainen, Veikko Vennamo and Pekka Hyvärinen, an underlying reason for these early parliamentary elections was President Urho Kekkonen's desire to continue in office without regular presidential elections which had been scheduled for 1974. Re-election as President through exceptional means would require a five-sixths majority in Parliament and, according to the above analysts, Kekkonen hoped that such early elections would reduce the number of Finnish Rural Party MPs, and would thus make the exceptional electoral law's passage in Parliament easier.

Kekkonen remembered bitterly the loud and constant criticism of himself and of his foreign policy that Rural Party leader Veikko Vennamo had practised during the 1968 presidential election campaign, and he was determined not to submit himself to such a vicious election campaign this time. Finland was also negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Economic Community, and most Finnish politicians believed that Finland could get a favourable free trade agreement with President Kekkonen's help.

Results

1972 Eduskunta.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party 664,72425.7855+3
National Coalition Party 453,43417.5934–3
Finnish People's Democratic League 438,75717.0237+1
Centre Party 423,03916.4135–1
Finnish Rural Party 236,2069.16180
Liberal People's Party 132,9555.167–1
Swedish People's Party 130,4075.069–2
Finnish Christian League 65,2282.534+3
Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders 25,5270.9900
Åland Coalition 7,6720.3010
Total2,577,949100.002000
Valid votes2,577,94999.65
Invalid/blank votes9,1110.35
Total votes2,587,060100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,178,01181.41
Source: Tilastokeskus 2004 [2]

By electoral district

Finland's 1972 parliamentary election results service Eduskuntavaalit 1972.jpg
Finland's 1972 parliamentary election results service
Electoral district Total
seats
Seats won
SDP SKDL Kesk Kok SMP RKP LKP SKL ÅS
Åland 11
Central Finland 10322111
Häme 1553241
Helsinki 22746122
Kymi15613311
Lapland 913311
North Karelia821212
North Savo1123312
Oulu 18256221
Pirkanmaa 1353311
Satakunta 1343321
South Savo103121111
Uusimaa 218323131
Vaasa 18325323
Varsinais-Suomi 164323211
Total20055373534189741
Source: Statistics Finland [3]

Aftermath

To most other parties' surprise, the Rural Party retained their 18 MPs. Government formation was difficult due to partisan bickering and the elections' rather inconclusive results. Rafael Paasio of the Social Democrats formed a minority government of his own party in February 1972, replacing the Helsinki city manager Teuvo Aura's liberal caretaker government. Finally, after tough negotiations, Social Democrat Kalevi Sorsa managed to form a new centre-left majority government that included the Social Democrats, the Centre Party, the Swedish People's Party and the Liberal People's Party in September 1972.

President Kekkonen's goal of re-election by Parliament was achieved in January 1973. It was helped by the Rural Party splitting as thirteen of their MPs left to form the Finnish People's Unity Party, and by most National Coalition MPs supporting his re-election. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

References

  1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 595. Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 (Tilastokeskus 2004)
  3. Suomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:32: Kansanedustajain vaalit 1972. Statistics Finland. 1973.
  4. Seppo Zetterberg et al (2003) A Small Giant of the Finnish History, WSOY
  5. Allan Tiitta & Seppo Zetterberg (1992) Finland Through the Ages, Reader's Digest
  6. Johannes Virolainen (1991) The Last Electoral Term, Otava
  7. Veikko Vennamo (1989) As a Prisoner of the Kekkonen Dictatorship, Gummerus
  8. Pekka Hyvärinen (2000) Finland's Man: Urho Kekkonen's Life, WSOY
  9. Aarno Laitinen et al (1981) Tamminiemi's Inheritance Dividers, Lehtimiehet