1972 Finnish parliamentary election

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

1972 Finnish parliamentary election

← 1970 2–3 January 1972 1975 →

All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland
101 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Rafael Paasio Ele Alenius Johannes Virolainen
Party SDP SKDL Centre
Last election 23.43%, 52 seats 16.58%, 36 seats 17.12%, 36 seats
Seats won 55 37 35
Seat change Increase 3 Increase 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 664,724 438,757 423,039
Percentage 25.78% 17.02% 16.41%
Swing Increase 2.35pp Increase 0.44pp Decrease 0.71pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Harri Holkeri Veikko Vennamo Jan-Magnus Jansson
Party National Coalition Rural Party RKP
Last election 18.05%, 37 seats 10.49%, 18 seat 5.34%, 11 seats
Seats won 34 18 9
Seat change Decrease 3 Steady Decrease 2
Popular vote 453,434 236,206 130,407
Percentage 17.59% 9.16% 5.06%
Swing Decrease 0.46pp Decrease 1.33pp Decrease 0.28pp

  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
 
Leader Pekka Tarjanne Eino Sares
Party Liberal People's Christian League ÅS
Last election 5.95%, 8 seats 1.13%, 1 seat 0.35%, 1 seat
Seats won 7 4 1
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 3 Steady
Popular vote 132,955 65,228 7,672
Percentage 5.16% 2.53% 0.30%
Swing Decrease 0.79pp Increase 1.40pp Decrease 0.05pp

Prime Minister before election

Teuvo Aura
Independent

Prime Minister after election

Rafael Paasio
SDP

Background

edit

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

edit
 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party664,72425.7855+3
National Coalition Party453,43417.5934–3
Finnish People's Democratic League438,75717.0237+1
Centre Party423,03916.4135–1
Finnish Rural Party236,2069.16180
Liberal People's Party132,9555.167–1
Swedish People's Party130,4075.069–2
Finnish Christian League65,2282.534+3
Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders25,5270.9900
Åland Coalition7,6720.3010
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

edit
 
Finland's 1972 parliamentary election results service
Electoral district Total
seats
Seats won
SDP SKDL Kesk Kok SMP RKP LKP SKL ÅS
Åland 1 1
Central Finland 10 3 2 2 1 1 1
Häme 15 5 3 2 4 1
Helsinki 22 7 4 6 1 2 2
Kymi 15 6 1 3 3 1 1
Lapland 9 1 3 3 1 1
North Karelia 8 2 1 2 1 2
North Savo 11 2 3 3 1 2
Oulu 18 2 5 6 2 2 1
Pirkanmaa 13 5 3 3 1 1
Satakunta 13 4 3 3 2 1
South Savo 10 3 1 2 1 1 1 1
Uusima 21 8 3 2 3 1 3 1
Vaasa 18 3 2 5 3 2 3
Varsinais-Suomi 16 4 3 2 3 2 1 1
Total 200 55 37 35 34 18 9 7 4 1
Source: Statistics Finland[3]

Aftermath

edit

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

edit
  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