1987 Finnish parliamentary election

1987 Finnish parliamentary election
All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland ; 101 seats needed for a majority
Prime Minister before election; Kalevi Sorsa ; SDP	Prime Minister after election; Harri Holkeri ; National Coalition

Last updated April 16, 2023

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1987.^[1]

The results saw a rightwards shift in Finnish politics, although it was uncertain how far, because the voter turnout — at a comparatively low 75% — hurt the left more than the right and had a variable impact. The centre-right National Coalition Party (KOK) increased its vote share by only 1% yet gained nine seats in the Eduskunta, almost overtaking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the largest party. The SDP vote share dropped by 3%, with 100,000 fewer votes, yet they lost only one seat due to the way their votes were distributed across the country. The Centre Party's vote share remained stable and it gained two new seats. The Greens, who had registered a significant gain in the 1984 municipal elections gained two seats, far fewer than expected. Weakened perhaps from its membership in the long-lived government, the Finnish Rural Party (SMP) lost more than one-third of its support and almost half of its seats.

Results



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	695,331	24.14	56	–1
	National Coalition Party	666,236	23.13	53	+9
	Centre Party	507,460	17.62	40	+2
	Finnish People's Democratic League	270,433	9.39	16	–10
	Finnish Rural Party	181,938	6.32	9	–8
	Swedish People's Party	152,597	5.30	12	+2
	Democratic Alternative	122,181	4.24	4	New
	Greens	115,988	4.03	4	+2
	Finnish Christian League	74,209	2.58	5	+2
	Pensioners' Party	35,100	1.22	0	New
	Liberal People's Party	27,824	0.97	0	–
	Liberals for Åland–Social Democrats	7,019	0.24	1	0
	Constitutional Right Party	3,096	0.11	0	–1
	Åland Centre–Freeminded Cooperation	1,843	0.06	0	0
	Free Åland	539	0.02	0	0
	Others	18,299	0.64	0	–
Total		2,880,093	100.00	200	0

Valid votes		2,880,093	99.47
Invalid/blank votes		15,395	0.53
Total votes		2,895,488	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		4,017,039	72.08
Source: Tilastokeskus,^[2] ASUB

By electoral district

Electoral district	Total seats	Seats won
		SDP	Kok	Kesk	SKDL	RKP	SMP	SKL	DV	Vihr	L–S

Åland	1										1
Central Finland	10	3	2	2	1		1	1
Häme	15	6	6	2	1
Helsinki	20	6	7		1	3		1		2
Kymi	14	6	4	2			1	1
Lapland	8	1	1	4	1				1
North Karelia	7	3	1	3
North Savo	10	2	2	4	1		1
Oulu	18	2	3	8	3		1			1
Pirkanmaa	13	4	5	1	1		1		1
Satakunta	12	4	3	2	2		1
South Savo	8	3	2	3
Uusima	29	9	9	2	2	4	1		1	1
Vaasa	18	3	3	5	1	4	1	1
Varsinais-Suomi	17	4	5	2	2	1	1	1	1
Total	200	56	53	40	16	12	9	5	4	4	1

Source: Statistics Finland^[3]

Aftermath

Faced with these inconclusive results, negotiations about the shape of the new government began. After six weeks of talks and attempts to put together a completely non-socialist government, a pathbreaking combination was formed that included conservatives and socialists in the Council of State, joined by the dependable and successful Swedish People's Party and the battered and desperate SMP.

The new government, consisting of nine centrist and conservative and eight socialist ministers and headed by the KOK's Harri Holkeri, surprised some observers because a non-socialist government was possible and seemed appropriate given the election results. The outcome angered others, who contended that Koivisto had misused presidential powers when he brokered a government that had his former party as a member despite its considerable electoral losses. Koivisto countered that he had behaved properly and had let the parties themselves argue out a workable combination.

One explanation for the unusual government was that animosity against the Centre Party (Kesk) leader, Paavo Väyrynen, was so common in both the SDP and the KOK that neither party was willing to form a government with him. Thus, Kesk was deprived of its traditional "hinge" role. Another consideration was that the SDP and the KOK were not so much at odds with each another as socialist and conservative parties elsewhere might have been. Both parties had moved toward the centre, and they were in agreement about most issues, especially about the need to reduce the agricultural subsidies that had always been defended by Kesk. The resulting "red-blue" government had as program objective the preservation of the social welfare system, the improvement of Finland's competitive position in international trade, a fundamental reform of the tax system, and adherence to the Paasikivi-Kekkonen Line in foreign affairs. The SFP fitted in easily with this program. The formerly rightist, but now moderate, SMP was included because it strengthened the government slightly and because it was likely to be dependable, because it had no other place to go. Koivisto informed the new government that it would not have to resign after the presidential election of 1988, and observers expected the cabinet to serve its full term until the 1991 parliamentary elections.^[4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre Party (Finland)</span> Agrarian political party in Finland

The Centre Party, officially the Centre Party of Finland, is an agrarian political party in Finland.

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 16 March 2003. The Centre Party led by Anneli Jäätteenmäki overtook the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to become the largest party in the Eduskunta. This was credited mainly to Jäätteenmäki's powerful leadership and modernization of the party still often viewed as agrarian and conservative by many. However, the SDP actually won some seats and increased its share of the vote, losing in the number of total popular votes only by a few thousand.

Varsinais-Suomi is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established as Turku and Pori Province South in 1907 when the Diet of Finland was replaced by the Parliament of Finland. It was renamed Varsinais-Suomi in 1997. It is conterminous with the region of Southwest Finland. The district currently elects 17 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 398,903 registered electors.

Helsinki is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established as Helsinki City in 1954 from parts of Uusimaa Province. It was renamed Helsinki in 1997. It is conterminous with the municipality of Helsinki. The district currently elects 23 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 546,375 registered electors.

Central Finland is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established as Vaasa Province East in 1907 when the Diet of Finland was replaced by the Parliament of Finland. It was renamed Central Finland Province in 1960 and Central Finland in 1997. It is conterminous with the region of Central Finland. The district currently elects 10 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 226,335 registered electors.

North Karelia was an electoral district represented in the Finnish Eduskunta (parliament). In 2013 it was merged with Northern Savonia electoral district to form the Savonia-Karelia electoral district. It covered the administrative region of North Karelia, with a population of 169,722. North Karelia elected six members of the Eduskunta, when in 2005 there were still seven seats.

Pirkanmaa is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established as Häme Province North in 1907 when the Diet of Finland was replaced by the Parliament of Finland. It was renamed Pirkanmaa in 1997. It is conterminous with the region of Pirkanmaa. The district currently elects 20 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 437,155 registered electors.

Satakunta is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established as Turku and Pori Province North in 1907 when the Diet of Finland was replaced by the Parliament of Finland. It was renamed Satakunta in 1997. It is conterminous with the region of Satakunta. The district currently elects eight of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 176,653 registered electors.

Southern Savonia was an electoral district represented in the Finnish Eduskunta (parliament). It covered the administrative region of Southern Savonia, with a population of 163,276. Southern Savonia elected six members of the Eduskunta. The electoral district was merged with Kymi to form the new Southeastern Finland district.

Häme is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established as Häme Province South in 1907 when the Diet of Finland was replaced by the Parliament of Finland. It was renamed Häme in 1997. It is conterminous with the regions of Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme. The district currently elects 14 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 310,047 registered electors.

Uusimaa is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established as Uusimaa Province in 1907 when the Diet of Finland was replaced by the Parliament of Finland. It was renamed Uusimaa in 1997. It is conterminous with the region of Uusimaa but excludes the municipality of Helsinki which has its own electoral district. The district currently elects 37 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 801,205 registered electors.

Vaasa is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established in 1960 by the merger of Vaasa Province North and Vaasa Province South districts. It is conterminous with the regions of Central Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia and South Ostrobothnia. The district currently elects 16 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 365,027 registered electors.

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 18 March 2007. Early voting was possible from the 7–13 March. The 200 members of the Eduskunta were elected from 15 constituencies.

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 20 and 21 March 1983. The elections were widely regarded as a "protest election" because, contrary to expectations, the major parties with the exception of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) performed poorly; the Liberal People's Party (LKP) lost all its seats in the Eduskunta, while the Finnish Rural Party (SMP) more than doubled its seat tally and the Greens won seats for the first time. The SMP's success was credited, at least in part, to voter distaste for some mainstream parties because of political scandals; no significant policy differences emerged in the election campaign. The SDP won 57 seats, the best performance by a party since World War II.

Two-stage presidential elections were held in Finland in January 1982. The public elected presidential electors to an electoral college on 17 and 18 January. They in turn elected the President. The result was a victory for Mauno Koivisto, the first member of the Social Democratic Party to be elevated to the country's highest post, and his election meant the full integration of Social Democrats into Finnish public life and an end to the postwar dominance of the Centre Party.

Presidential elections were held in Finland in 1988. They were the first elections held under a new system. Previously, the public had elected an electoral college that in turn elected the President. For this election, the public directly elected the President on 31 January and 1 February, but also elected an electoral college that would elect the President if no candidate won over 50% of the popular vote. The college was increased in size from 300 to 301 seats to make a tie less likely, though this was still technically possible, as electors could abstain from voting.

The Social Democratic Party of Finland, shortened to the Social Democrats and commonly known as the Demars is a social-democratic political party in Finland. It is currently the largest party in the Parliament of Finland with 40 seats.

Southeast Finland is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established in 2013 by the merger of Kymi and South Savo districts. It is conterminous with the regions of Kymenlaakso, South Karelia and South Savo. The district currently elects 15 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 353,468 registered electors.

Savo-Karelia is one of the 13 electoral districts of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. The district was established in 2013 by the merger of North Karelia and North Savo districts. It is conterminous with the regions of North Karelia and North Savo. The district currently elects 15 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 parliamentary election it had 343,887 registered electors.

Pasokification is the decline of centre-left social-democratic political parties in European and other Western countries during the 2010s, often accompanied by the rise of nationalist, left-wing and right-wing populist alternatives. In Europe, the share of votes for such parties was at its 70-year lowest in 2015.

References

↑ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
↑ Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 Tilastokeskus 2004
↑ Suomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:38: Kansanedustajain vaalit 1987. Statistics Finland. 1987.
↑ Text from PD source: US Library of Congress: A Country Study: Finland , Library of Congress Call Number DL1012 .A74 1990.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[DN-1] Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7

[2] Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 Tilastokeskus 2004

[3] Suomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:38: Kansanedustajain vaalit 1987. Statistics Finland. 1987.

[LOC-4] Text from PD source: US Library of Congress: A Country Study: Finland , Library of Congress Call Number DL1012 .A74 1990.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Elections and referendums in Finland
Parliamentary elections	1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1913 1916 1917 1919 1922 1924 1927 1929 1930 1933 1936 1939 1945 1948 1951 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1972 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Local elections	1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1928 1930 1933 1936 1945 1947 1950 1953 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2017 2021 2022
Presidential elections	(1919) 1925 1931 1937 (1940) (1943) (1946) 1950 1956 1962 1968 1978 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 2024
European elections	1996 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024
Referendums	1931 1994
Elections in brackets were not public elections