1991 Finnish parliamentary election

Last updated
1991 Finnish parliamentary election
Flag of Finland (state).svg
  1987 17 March 1991 1995  

All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland
101 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Visit of Esko Aho, Finnish Prime Minister, to the CEC (cropped).jpg Pertti Paasio (cropped).jpg Ilkka Suominen (cropped).jpg
Leader Esko Aho Pertti Paasio Ilkka Suominen
Party Centre SDP National Coalition
Last election17.62%, 40 seats24.14%, 56 seats23.13%, 53 seats
Seats won554840
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 15Decrease2.svg 8Decrease2.svg 13
Popular vote676,717603,080526,487
Percentage24.83%22.12%19.31%
SwingIncrease2.svg 7.21ppDecrease2.svg 2.02ppDecrease2.svg 3.82pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  Claes Andersson (vanst) Finland.jpg Ole Norrback in 1994 (cropped).jpg Heidi Hautala A4.jpg
Leader Claes Andersson Ole Norrback Heidi Hautala
Party Left Alliance RKP Green
Last election13.63%, 20 seats5.30%, 12 seats4.03%, 4 seats
Seats won191110
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1Increase2.svg 6
Popular vote274,639149,476185,894
Percentage10.08%5.48%6.82%
SwingDecrease2.svg 3.55ppIncrease2.svg 0.18ppIncrease2.svg 2.79pp

 Seventh partyEighth partyNinth party
  Toimi-Kankaanniemi-1993 (cropped).jpg Heikki Riihijarvi by Topi Ikalainen 48-71 p8 (cropped).jpg
Leader Toimi Kankaanniemi Heikki Riihijärvi Kaarina Koivistoinen
Party Christian League Rural Party Liberal People's
Last election2.58%, 5 seats6.32%, 9 seats0.97%, 0 seats
Seats won871
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 3Decrease2.svg 2Increase2.svg 1
Popular vote83,151132,13321,210
Percentage3.05%4.85%0.78%
SwingIncrease2.svg 0.47ppDecrease2.svg 1.47ppDecrease2.svg 0.19pp

Finnish parliamentary election results by province, 1991.png

Prime Minister before election

Harri Holkeri
National Coalition

Prime Minister after election

Esko Aho
Centre

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 March 1991, the first time a Finnish parliamentary election had been held on a single day. [1] [2] For the first time since 1962 the Social Democratic Party was displaced as the largest party in the Eduskunta, with the Centre Party winning 55 seats and forming the first centre-right, non-social democratic government since 1964, [3] with Esko Aho as Prime Minister.

Contents

Results

1991 Eduskunta.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Centre Party 676,71724.8355+15
Social Democratic Party 603,08022.1248–8
National Coalition Party 526,48719.3140–13
Left Alliance 274,63910.0819–1
Green League 185,8946.8210+6
Swedish People's Party 149,4765.4811–1
Finnish Rural Party 132,1334.857–2
Finnish Christian League 83,1513.058+3
Liberal People's Party 21,2100.781+1
Women's Party12,7250.470New
Pensioners' Party10,7620.3900
Constitutional Right Party 7,5990.2800
Liberals for ÅlandFreemindedGreens 6,5460.2410
Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism 6,2010.230New
Independent Non-aligned Pensioners5,2300.190New
Greens 3,8350.140
Humanity Party2,8310.100New
Joint Responsibility Party of Pensioners and the Greens2,8070.100New
Åland Centre 1,8580.0700
Åland Social Democrats 9400.0300
Others11,7970.430
Total2,725,918100.002000
Valid votes2,725,91898.16
Invalid/blank votes51,0661.84
Total votes2,776,984100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,060,77868.39
Source: Tilastokeskus, [4] ASUB

By electoral district

Electoral district Total
seats
Seats won
Kesk SDP Kok Vas RKP Vihr SKL SMP LKP LSG
Åland 11
Central Finland 10331111
Häme 1334411
Helsinki 201562231
Kymi134531
Lapland 8512
North Karelia73211
North Savo1052111
Oulu 18922311
Pirkanmaa 152442111
Satakunta 12332211
South Savo8332
Uusima 3047824311
Vaasa 186321411
Varsinais-Suomi 174442111
Total2005548401911108711
Source: Statistics Finland [5]

By province

Province Centre Social Democratic National Coalition Left Alliance Green League Swedish People's Rural Christian League Liberal People's ElectorateVotesValidInvalid
Southern Savonia 32,76225,05715,8273,0985,47205,2194,248137136,24694,02692,5361,490
Northern Savonia 50,82023,80818,13918,8129,36909,6034,187644198,532137,691136,0081,683
North Karelia 31,84927,61612,4024,7623,68705,2194,679456135,56393,42692,0181,408
Kainuu 25,0255,4154,68110,3802,03201,6431,42727673,20452,16651,522644
Uusimaa 55,048133,869158,20451,03872,70066,63614,50615,0204,506882,630624,147606,83317,314
Eastern Uusimaa 5,4809,1045,6562,0362,76716,4231,07673622564,62645,58344,663920
Southwest Finland 54,66954,37452,86326,80511,34812,47315,1604,670839331,626242,317238,3213,996
Tavastia Proper 19,83028,00622,1287,4586,14301,9432,927177126,11092,59390,6811,912
Päijänne Tavastia 18,33724,89628,7138,8448,2481355,6015,009217153,066103,944101,6642,280
Kymenlaakso 21,56037,77723,9186,9326,79702,9804,157559152,984108,375106,1772,198
South Karelia 22,36225,29313,3482,1514,73802,7384,7861,148111,29879,28277,7301,552
Central Finland 44,21335,14618,86215,8417,599010,4477,217375194,921142,551140,6221,929
Southern Ostrobothnia 58,98213,70622,1985,7022,73619610,6703,276358151,962120,135119,1351,000
Ostrobothnia 10,75817,1648,3366,6243,02748,6461,8792,394550130,603101,151100,205946
Satakunta 32,20339,10428,54820,4886,33206,9853,916349191,700142,335139,9152,420
Pirkanmaa 33,14557,53956,60632,11516,192025,4906,9572,184330,397238,809233,9664,843
Central Ostrobothnia 18,9066,4422,7662,5189323,2462,3263,51028351,97841,64041,174466
Northern Ostrobothnia 82,74820,37520,85625,40510,99106,0422,5387,367246,074180,451178,2272,224
Lapland 56,35015,5719,95122,0683,92602,1691,153456150,094114,093112,5051,588
Åland 00000000018,4559,3829,263119
Source: European Election Database Archived 2021-06-24 at the Wayback Machine

Aftermath

The new center-right coalition government would not have an easy time governing the country. The fall of the Soviet Union caused a collapse in trade with the east, which together with a worldwide recession, caused major economic problems including high unemployment and ballooning budget deficits. In response, the government adopted strict austerity measures, such as cuts in public spending, the unpopularity of which led to the government's defeat in the 1995 elections.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Left Alliance (Finland)</span> Finnish political party

The Left Alliance is a left-wing democratic socialist political party in Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Finland</span>

There are five types of elections in Finland: elections for the president, the parliament, county councils of the wellbeing services counties, municipal councils and the European Parliament. Normally, all Finnish citizens aged 18 or older are eligible to vote. Some non-citizens may also have the right to vote in municipal, county and European elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Dutch general election</span>

Early general elections were held in the Netherlands on 8 September 1982. The Labour Party emerged as the largest party, winning 47 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives; however, this would be the last time it did so until 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Danish general election</span>

General elections were held in Denmark on 10 January 1984, after the opposition voted against the centre-right four-party government's state budget bill. Although the Social Democratic Party remained the largest in the Folketing with 56 of the 179 seats, the Conservative People's Party achieved its best-ever result, gaining 16 seats. The coalition partners Venstre and the Christian People's Party also increased their representation, although the fourth government party, the Centre Democrats, lost seven of their 15 seats. Overall the coalition government won three more seats, and Poul Schlüter continued as prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Danish general election</span>

General elections were held in Denmark on 8 December 1981. The election was followed by a two-week crisis over the formation of a new government before the Social Democratic Party resumed its minority government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Swedish general election</span> 1982 election for the Swedish parliament

General elections were held in Sweden on 19 September 1982. They saw the return of the Swedish Social Democratic Party to power after six years in opposition, the longest period in opposition by the Social Democrats since the 1910s. The center-right coalition of Thorbjörn Fälldin had earlier suffered a loss upon the breakup of the government in 1981, the year before the election, when the rightist Moderate Party chose to withdraw from the government, protesting against the centrist tax policies of the Fälldin government. After regaining power, Social Democratic leader Olof Palme succeeded in being elected Prime Minister again, having earlier held power between 1969 and 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 Swedish general election</span>

General elections were held in Sweden on 15 September 1985. The Swedish Social Democratic Party remained the largest party in the Riksdag, winning 159 of the 349 seats. Incumbent prime minister Olof Palme of the Social Democrats was able form a minority government with support from the Left Party Communists. However, Palme was assassinated in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Finnish parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 21 March 1999. Despite suffering significant losses, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) remained the largest party of the Eduskunta and Paavo Lipponen remained Prime Minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Finnish parliamentary election</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1945 Finnish parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 and 18 March 1945. The broad-based centre-left government of Prime Minister Juho Kusti Paasikivi remained in office after the elections.

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 20 and 21 March 1966. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) overtook the Centre Party as the largest faction in Parliament. Rafael Paasio of the SDP subsequently became Prime Minister and formed a popular front government consisting of the SDP, the Centre Party, the People's Democratic League (SKDL), and the Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders (TPSL) in May 1966.

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1970.

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

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

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.

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Finnish parliamentary election</span> Election

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 19 March 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Finnish presidential election</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social Democratic Party of Finland</span> Political party in Finland

The Social Democratic Party of Finland is a social democratic political party in Finland. It is the third largest party in the Parliament of Finland with a total of 43 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Finnish parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 14 April 2019. For the first time, no party received more than 20% of the vote. The Centre Party, which had been the largest party following the 2015 elections, dropped to fourth place, losing 18 seats and recording its lowest vote share since 1917. The Social Democratic Party saw the biggest gains, winning six more seats and narrowly becoming the largest party for the first time since 1999. The Green League and the Left Alliance also gained five and four seats respectively.

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Berglund, Sten (1991). "The finnish parliamentary election of 1991". Electoral Studies. 10 (3): 256–261. doi:10.1016/0261-3794(91)90016-l. ISSN   0261-3794.
  3. Paavo Väyrynen (1993) It Is Time for the Truth 2: Facts and Memories About Mauno Koivisto's Finland, WSOY
  4. Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 Tilastokeskus 2004
  5. Vaalit 1991:2 - Kansanedustajain vaalit 1991. Statistics Finland. 1991.