1975 Finnish parliamentary election

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1975 Finnish parliamentary election
Flag of Finland 1920-1978 (State).svg
  1972 21–22 September 1975 1979  

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 election25.78%, 55 seats17.02%, 37 seats16.41%, 35 seats
Seats won544039
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 1Increase2.svg 3Increase2.svg 4
Popular vote683,590519,483484,772
Percentage24.86%18.89%17.63%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.92ppIncrease2.svg 1.87ppIncrease2.svg 1.22pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  Harri-Holkeri-1981 (cropped).jpg C O Tallgren.jpg PekkaTarjanne1970 (cropped).jpg
Leader Harri Holkeri Carl Olof Tallgren Pekka Tarjanne
Party National Coalition RKP Liberal People's
Last election17.59%, 34 seats5.06%, 9 seats5.16%, 7 seats
Seats won3599
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Steady2.svgIncrease2.svg 2
Popular vote505,145128,211119,534
Percentage18.37%4.66%4.35%
SwingIncrease2.svg 0.78ppDecrease2.svg 0.40ppDecrease2.svg 0.81pp

 Seventh partyEighth party
  Raino-Westerholm-1977 (cropped).jpg Veikko Vennamo in 1967 (cropped).jpg
Leader Raino Westerholm Veikko Vennamo
Party Christian League Rural Party
Last election2.53%, 4 seats9.16%, 18 seats
Seats won92
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 5Decrease2.svg 16
Popular vote90,59998,815
Percentage3.29%3.59%
SwingIncrease2.svg 0.76ppDecrease2.svg 5.57pp

Prime Minister before election

Keijo Liinamaa
Independent

Prime Minister after election

Martti Miettunen
Centre

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 21 and 22 September 1975. [1]

Contents

Background

Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa's Social Democratic Party government survived until June 1975. It resigned because of internal disagreements over the ways to combat Finland's recession, which had largely been caused by the 1973 oil crisis, as well as the government's increased spending and taxes. The Social Democrats and Centre Party also disagreed on regional policy over the extent to which the national government should re-distribute power and tax revenues to cities, towns and administrative provinces.

President Urho Kekkonen had gradually become dissatisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Sorsa, Finance Minister Johannes Virolainen and Foreign Minister Ahti Karjalainen: either they were not competent, diligent or courageous enough, or they spent too much time in partisan disputes, or - in Virolainen's case, especially - their foreign policy ability or understanding was not good enough. Although Helsinki was to host the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) at the end of July and at the start of August 1975, Kekkonen did not worry about the possibly negative effect on Finland's international image of having a caretaker government. He appointed it, and chose Keijo Liinamaa of the Social Democratic Party as Prime Minister, who was the state labour disputes mediator.

Campaign

The opposition parties campaigned with varied slogans; the Finnish People's Democratic League claimed to be loyal supporters of Kekkonen's foreign policy towards the Soviet Union and to be even more faithful defenders of the working class than the Social Democrats; the National Coalition Party promised voters lower taxes and more security; the Finnish Rural Party bitterly condemned Kekkonen's allegedly authoritarian presidency, and his "servile" foreign policy towards the Soviet Union.

The right-wing Constitutional People's Party accused Kekkonen of violating the Constitution's spirit by forcing Parliament to re-elect him as President through an exceptional law in 1973, and the Finnish Christian League kept opposing abortion, pornography, the sale of beer in grocery stores, and the public mocking of Christian values.

Results

1975 Eduskunta.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party 683,59024.8654–1
Finnish People's Democratic League 519,48318.8940+3
National Coalition Party 505,14518.3735+1
Centre Party 484,77217.6339+4
Swedish People's Party 128,2114.6690
Liberal People's Party 119,5344.359+2
Finnish Rural Party 98,8153.592–16
Finnish Christian League 90,5993.299+5
Finnish People's Unity Party 45,4021.651New
Constitutional People's Party 43,3441.581New
Party of Finnish Entrepreneurs11,4750.420New
Åland Coalition 9,4820.3410
Socialist Workers Party 9,4570.340New
Others5090.020
Total2,749,818100.002000
Valid votes2,749,81899.59
Invalid/blank votes11,4050.41
Total votes2,761,223100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,741,46073.80
Source: Tilastokeskus 2004, [2] Suomen virallinen tilasto [3]

By electoral district

Electoral district Total
seats
Seats won
SDP SKDL Kesk Kok RKP LKP SKL SMP SKYP SPK ÅS
Åland 11
Central Finland 103232
Häme 1553241
Helsinki 216443211
Kymi15613311
Lapland 91341
North Karelia831211
North Savo1123411
Oulu 172561111
Pirkanmaa 1344131
Satakunta 1343231
South Savo93132
Uusimaa 248425221
Vaasa 1832523111
Varsinais-Suomi 164423111
Total200544039359992111
Source: Statistics Finland [4]

Aftermath

Government formation in the midst of a quickly deepening recession and after an inconclusive election proved very painstaking. Veteran Centrist politician Martti Miettunen finally succeeded, with the help of Kekkonen's strongly-worded televised speech, in forming a centre-left majority "emergency" government in November 1975. It lasted until September 1976, when the Social Democrats and Finnish People's Democratic League left it. Miettunen then formed a centrist minority government. [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 29 A, XXXIII
  4. Suomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:33: Kansanedustajain vaalit 1975. Statistics Finland. 1976.
  5. Seppo Zetterberg et al (2003) A Small Giant of the Finnish History, WSOY
  6. Raino Westerholm (1978) Into a Christian Society, Kirjayhtymä
  7. Veikko Vennamo (1989) As a Prisoner of the Kekkonen Dictatorship, Gummerus
  8. Kimmo Rentola (2005) A Ghost of Revolution: The Left, Belyakov and Kekkonen, Otava
  9. Georg C. Ehrnrooth (1999) Amid the Crocodiles: Memories from the Cold War Decades, Schildts