Finnish Rural Party
Encyclopedia
The Finnish Rural Party was a Finnish
populist
party
. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League
in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo
, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen
. Vennamo was chairman of the Finnish Rural Party between 1959 and 1979.
The support for the Finnish Rural Party was at its highest in the 1970s and 1980s, with its share of the votes reaching 10 percent in some parliamentary elections. In the 1990s, the party fell into financial trouble, and was discontinued in 1995. The True Finns
party is often seen as the successor of the Finnish Rural Party.
, leader of a faction in the Agrarian League (which was renamed Centre Party in 1965). The relations of Veikko Vennamo and the Agrarian League's strong man Urho Kekkonen
were icy at best, and after Kekkonen was elected president
in 1956 Vennamo decided to found a new party, which he did in 1959.
The Finnish Rural Party started as a protest movement, with support from small farmers and the unemployed. The largest source for this support was the state-sponsored resettlement of veterans of war and evacuees from ceded Karelia into independent small farms. The main carrying force was Vennamo, who was charismatic, a good orator and a skilled negotiator. The Rural Party won in its best showing 18 seats in the Finnish parliament (which has 200 seats) and sometimes even managed to join the cabinet. Veikko Vennamo's son, Pekka Vennamo, became the party leader when his father retired in the 1980s. Vennamo Junior had neither the charisma nor the oratorical skills of his father. Other parties noticed this, and the Rural Party was taken again into the cabinet. As a protest movement without a charismatic leader, burdened with ministers participating in unpopular coalitions, the party gradually lost political support.
Agricultural changes proved hard for small farmers, who sold their farms and moved to the cities. The Social Democratic Party
was seen as a more credible alternative for the unemployed. Finally, the declining support of the Rural Party forced Vennamo Junior to resign. Some of the party's former MPs joined the Centre Party or retired with Vennamo. The party's last chairman and MP Raimo Vistbacka
(the only one elected in 1995) was among the founders of True Finns
and became that party's first MP and chairman. The Rural Party's last party secretary Timo Soini
likewise became the True Finns' first party secretary. With the True Finns' electoral success in the 2011 election
three former Rural Party MPs returned to the parliament as True Finns MPs (Anssi Joutsenlahti, Lea Mäkipää, Pentti Kettunen).
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League
Centre Party (Finland)
The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo
Veikko Vennamo
Veikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo was a Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party , which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League...
, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
. Vennamo was chairman of the Finnish Rural Party between 1959 and 1979.
The support for the Finnish Rural Party was at its highest in the 1970s and 1980s, with its share of the votes reaching 10 percent in some parliamentary elections. In the 1990s, the party fell into financial trouble, and was discontinued in 1995. The True Finns
True Finns
True Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party...
party is often seen as the successor of the Finnish Rural Party.
History
The founder of the Finnish Rural Party was Veikko VennamoVeikko Vennamo
Veikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo was a Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party , which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League...
, leader of a faction in the Agrarian League (which was renamed Centre Party in 1965). The relations of Veikko Vennamo and the Agrarian League's strong man Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
were icy at best, and after Kekkonen was elected president
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
in 1956 Vennamo decided to found a new party, which he did in 1959.
The Finnish Rural Party started as a protest movement, with support from small farmers and the unemployed. The largest source for this support was the state-sponsored resettlement of veterans of war and evacuees from ceded Karelia into independent small farms. The main carrying force was Vennamo, who was charismatic, a good orator and a skilled negotiator. The Rural Party won in its best showing 18 seats in the Finnish parliament (which has 200 seats) and sometimes even managed to join the cabinet. Veikko Vennamo's son, Pekka Vennamo, became the party leader when his father retired in the 1980s. Vennamo Junior had neither the charisma nor the oratorical skills of his father. Other parties noticed this, and the Rural Party was taken again into the cabinet. As a protest movement without a charismatic leader, burdened with ministers participating in unpopular coalitions, the party gradually lost political support.
Agricultural changes proved hard for small farmers, who sold their farms and moved to the cities. The Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
was seen as a more credible alternative for the unemployed. Finally, the declining support of the Rural Party forced Vennamo Junior to resign. Some of the party's former MPs joined the Centre Party or retired with Vennamo. The party's last chairman and MP Raimo Vistbacka
Raimo Vistbacka
Raimo Viljam Vistbacka is a Finnish politician and former member of the Finnish Parliament. He was first elected to the parliament in 1987, representing the True Finns' predecessor, the Finnish Rural Party. When the True Finns were founded in 1995 Vistbacka became the party's first MP. He retired...
(the only one elected in 1995) was among the founders of True Finns
True Finns
True Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party...
and became that party's first MP and chairman. The Rural Party's last party secretary Timo Soini
Timo Soini
Timo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city...
likewise became the True Finns' first party secretary. With the True Finns' electoral success in the 2011 election
Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
three former Rural Party MPs returned to the parliament as True Finns MPs (Anssi Joutsenlahti, Lea Mäkipää, Pentti Kettunen).
Chairmen
- Veikko VennamoVeikko VennamoVeikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo was a Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party , which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League...
(1959–1979) - Pekka Vennamo (1979–1989)
- Heikki Riihijärvi (1989–1991)
- Tina Mäkelä (1991–1992)
- Raimo VistbackaRaimo VistbackaRaimo Viljam Vistbacka is a Finnish politician and former member of the Finnish Parliament. He was first elected to the parliament in 1987, representing the True Finns' predecessor, the Finnish Rural Party. When the True Finns were founded in 1995 Vistbacka became the party's first MP. He retired...
(1992–1995)
Party Secretaries
- Köpi Luoma 1959–1960
- Eino Poutiainen 1961–1970
- Rainer Lemström 1970–1972 ja 1977–1979
- Urpo Leppänen 1972–1977 ja 1979–1984
- Aaro Niiranen 1984−1989
- Tina Mäkelä 1989–1991
- Reijo Rinne 1991−1992
- Timo SoiniTimo SoiniTimo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city...
1992–1995
Deputy Chairpersons
- Tauno Lääperi 1959–?
- Aarne Jokela 1959–?
- Rainer Lemström 1. 1976–1977
- Aune Rutonen 2. 1976–1982
- Eino Poutiainen 1977–1979
- Niilo Salpakari 1980–1982
- Leo Lassila 1982–1983
- Helvi Koskinen 1982–1985
- Kalle Palosaari 1. 1983–1988
- Lea Mäkipää 2. 1985–
- Timo SoiniTimo SoiniTimo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city...
1. 1991–1992 - Toivo Satomaa 2. 1991–
- Marja-Leena Leppänen
- Jouko Kröger
Chairpersons of the parliamentary group
- J. Juhani Kortesalmi (1979–1983, 1986–1987)
- Veikko VennamoVeikko VennamoVeikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo was a Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party , which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League...
(1983–1986) - Heikki Riihijärvi (1987)
- Urpo Leppänen (1987–1988)
- Sulo Aittoniemi (1988–1994)
- Lea Mäkipää (1994–1995)
- Raimo VistbackaRaimo VistbackaRaimo Viljam Vistbacka is a Finnish politician and former member of the Finnish Parliament. He was first elected to the parliament in 1987, representing the True Finns' predecessor, the Finnish Rural Party. When the True Finns were founded in 1995 Vistbacka became the party's first MP. He retired...
(1995)
Party Congresses
- Perustava kokous 9.2.1959 PieksämäkiPieksämäkiPieksämäki is a town and municipality of Finland. Its original name was Haukivuori .It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region.The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
- 1. puoluekokous 29.–30.1959 KiuruvesiKiuruvesiKiuruvesi is a town and municipality of Finland located in the former province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
- 2. puoluekokous 3.–4.9.1960 JoensuuJoensuuJoensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
- 3. puoluekokous 4.–5.8.1961 JyväskyläJyväskyläJyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
- 4. puoluekokous 16.–17.6.1962 PieksämäkiPieksämäkiPieksämäki is a town and municipality of Finland. Its original name was Haukivuori .It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region.The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
- 5. puoluekokous 15.–16.6.1963 SeinäjokiSeinäjokiSeinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
- 6. puoluekokous 13.–14.6.1964 KuopioKuopioKuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
- 7. puoluekokous 12.–13.6.1965 OuluOuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
- 8. puoluekokous 13.–14.8.1966 TampereTampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
- ylimääräinen puoluekokous 29.10.1966 HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
- 9. puoluekokous 5.–6.8.1967 HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
- 10. puoluekokous 3.–4.8.1968 KajaaniKajaaniKajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...
- 11. puoluekokous 16.–17.8.1969 PoriPoriPori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
- 12. puoluekokous ?.8.1970 LahtiLahtiLahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
- 13. puoluekokous 7.–8.8.1971 OuluOuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
- 14. puoluekokous 12.8.1972 KouvolaKouvolaKouvola is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located northeast of the capital, Helsinki.The city has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
- 15. puoluekokous 4.–5.8.1973 MikkeliMikkeliMikkeli is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in what used to be the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
- 16. puoluekokous 3.–4.8.1974 TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
- 17. puoluekokous 1975 JyväskyläJyväskyläJyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
- 18. puoluekokous 7.–8.8.1976 JoensuuJoensuuJoensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
- 19. puoluekokous 6.–7.8.1977 OuluOuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
- 20. puoluekokous 5.–6.8.1978 TampereTampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
- 21. puoluekokous 4.–5.8.1979 PoriPoriPori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
- 22. puoluekokous 1.–3.8.1980 LahtiLahtiLahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
- 23. puoluekokous 7.–9.8.1981 SeinäjokiSeinäjokiSeinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
- 24. puoluekokous 6.–8.8.1982 LappeenrantaLappeenrantaLappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...
- 25. puoluekokous 5.–7.8.1983 KuopioKuopioKuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
- 26. puoluekokous 3.–5.8.1984 TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
- 27. puoluekokous 2.–4.8.1985 HyvinkääHyvinkääHyvinkää is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in Uusimaa region, approximately north of the capital Helsinki. The town was chartered in 1960. Hyvinkää belongs to the Province of Southern Finland. The population of Hyvinkää is ....
- 28. puoluekokous 8.–10.8.1986 JyväskyläJyväskyläJyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
- 29. puoluekokous 7.–9.8.1987 OuluOuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
- 30. puoluekokous 5.–7.8.1988 LahtiLahtiLahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
- 33. puoluekokous 4.–5.8.1991 TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
- 34. puoluekokous 1.8.1993 MikkeliMikkeliMikkeli is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in what used to be the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
- 35. puoluekokous 3.–4.7.1994 OuluOuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
Parliamentary elections
| Year | MPs | Votes | Share of votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 Finnish parliamentary election, 1962 Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 4 and 5 February 1962.-Background:Sukselainen's second minority government had resigned in 1961, followed by Prime Minister Martti Miettunen's first government, also a centrist minority government. In the spring of 1961, Mr... |
0 | 49,773 | 2.2% |
| 1966 Finnish parliamentary election, 1966 Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 20 and 21 March 1966.-Background:Prime Minister Johannes Virolainen had led a centre-right coalition government since September 1964. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic leader Rafael Paasio had moved the party somewhat more to the left, in order to... |
1 | 24,351 | 1.0% |
| 1970 Finnish parliamentary election, 1970 Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1970.-Background:Social Democrat Mauno Koivisto had replaced his party leader Rafael Paasio as Prime Minister in March 1968. His government was very broad-based, including the Social Democrats, Centrists, Communists, Swedish People's... |
18 | 265,939 | 10.5% |
| 1972 Finnish parliamentary election, 1972 Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 2 and 3 January 1972.-Background:Prime Minister Karjalainen's centre-left government lost one party, the Communists, in March 1971 and was forced to resign in October 1971, due to the Social Democrats' and Centrists' disagreement over the amount of... |
18 | 236,206 | 9.2% |
| 1975 Finnish parliamentary election, 1975 Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 21 and 22 September 1975.-Background:Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa's 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,... |
2 | 98,815 | 3.6% |
| 1979 Finnish parliamentary election, 1979 Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 18 and 18 March 1979.-Background:Prime Minister Miettunen's centrist minority government had resigned in May 1977. After a two-year break, Social Democrat Kalevi Sorsa returned to office as Prime Minister... |
7 | 132,457 | 4.6% |
| 1983 Finnish parliamentary election, 1983 The Finnish parliamentary election in 1983 was held after the victory of Mauno Koivisto in the presidential election of 1982. As was customary in Finland after a presidential election, the government resigned after Koivisto's victory in January 1982... |
17 | 288,711 | 9.7% |
| 1987 Finnish parliamentary election, 1987 The Finnish parliamentary election of 1987 moved the country somewhat to the right. It was uncertain how far, because the voter participation rate--at a comparatively low 75 percent, 5 percent lower than usual--hurt the left more than the right and had a varying impact... |
9 | 181,938 | 6.3% |
| 1991 Finnish parliamentary election, 1991 The Finnish Parliamentary election of 1991, held on March 17, was historic, since it led to the Centre Party becoming the largest parliamentary party, forming a purely centre-right government for the first time after 1966 The Finnish Parliamentary election of 1991, held on March 17, was historic,... |
7 | 132,133 | 4.9% |
| 1995 Finnish parliamentary election, 1995 The 32nd elections to the Finnish parliament were held on March 19, 1995. The previous centre-right cabinet fell, as the Social Democrats made strong gains and achieved the best result of any party after the Second World War... |
1 | 36,185 | 1.3% |
Local council (municipal) elections
| Year | Councillors | Votes | Share of votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 359 | 52,524 | 2.7% |
| 1964 | 30,683 | 1.4% | |
| 1968 | 910 | 165,139 | 7.3% |
| 1972 | 646 | 125,061 | 5.0% |
| 1976 | 245 | 56,091 | 2.1% |
| 1980 | 348 | 83,265 | 3.0% |
| 1984 | 639 | 142,474 | 5.3% |
| 1988 | 453 | 95,258 | 3.6% |
| 1992 | 354 | 64,880 | 2.4% |
Presidential elections
| Electoral college Electoral college An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way... elections |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Candidate | Votes for SMP electors | Share of votes | |
| 1968 | Veikko Vennamo Veikko Vennamo Veikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo was a Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party , which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League... |
231,282 | 11.4% | |
| 1978 | Veikko Vennamo | 114,488 | 4.7% | |
| 1982 | Veikko Vennamo | 71,947 | 2.3% | |
| 1988 | Mauno Koivisto Mauno Koivisto Mauno Henrik Koivisto is a Finnish politician who served as the ninth President of Finland from 1982 to 1994. He also served as Prime Minister 1968–1970 and 1979–1982... (SDP Social Democratic Party of Finland The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many... candidate, also supported by SMP) |
120,043 | 4.0% | |
| Direct elections | ||||
| Year | Candidate | Votes | Share of votes | |
| 1994 | Sulo Aittoniemi | 30 622 (first round) | 1.0% (first round) | |
External links
- The New Radical Right Taking Shape in Finland, Kyösti Pekonen, Pertti Hynynen and Mari Kalliala; accessed 26 March 2011.