Finnish parliamentary election, 1930
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland
on 1 and 2 October 1930. The Social Democratic Party
emerged as the largest in Parliament with 66 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 65.9%.
, which had been organized in November 1929, pressured the government to outlaw the Communist Party and its cover organizations, such as the Workers' and Small Farmers' Electoral Associations, as treasonous organizations. Prime Minister Kallio tried to persuade the Parliament to outlaw the Communists' political activity in June 1930, but the proposed constitutional amendment did not gain the five-sixths majority required for an immediate amendment of the Constitution. Thus the constitutional changes would have to be ratified by the next Parliament. Kallio resigned, partly pressured to do so by President Relander. In July 1930, Relander appointed as the new Prime Minister Mr. P.E. Svinhufvud (National Coalition), a former Prime Minister and Regent. His government sought to persuade the Finnish voters to elect a Parliament where the right-wing and centrist parties would have a two-thirds majority, which was - and is - needed to ratify changes to the Finnish Constitution. As a part of their strategy, they authorized the Investigative Central Police to deprive about 20,000 suspected Communists of the right to vote. The Lapua Movement kidnapped, took by car to isolated places and physically assaulted various left-wing politicians.
a A list seen in official results as the follower to this (banned) list which participated in the previous election.
b Isänmaallinen työväki, Itsenäiset maalaiset, Maalaisliitto puolueettomana isänmaan hyväksi, Vapaa työväenliitto työväen vapauden puolesta, Maalaisliittolainen valitsijayhdistys, Lapuanliike & Oikeistomaalaisliittolaiset
c Parties on the Patriotic List: ML+Kok.+Ed+RKP (Turun et., Viipurin länt.), ML+Kok.+Ed (Turun pohj., Hämeen et., Hämeen pohj., Viipurin it., Oulun et.), Kok.+Ed. (Mikkelin, Kuopion länt., Kuopion it., Viipurin it, Oulun pohj.).
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...
on 1 and 2 October 1930. 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...
emerged as the largest in Parliament with 66 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 65.9%.
Background
The 1930 elections were conducted in a politically heated atmosphere. The far-right Lapua MovementLapua Movement
The Lapua Movement , was a Finnish radical nationalist and anti-communist political movement founded in and named after the town of Lapua. After radicalisation it turned towards far-right politics and was banned after a failed coup-d'état in 1932...
, which had been organized in November 1929, pressured the government to outlaw the Communist Party and its cover organizations, such as the Workers' and Small Farmers' Electoral Associations, as treasonous organizations. Prime Minister Kallio tried to persuade the Parliament to outlaw the Communists' political activity in June 1930, but the proposed constitutional amendment did not gain the five-sixths majority required for an immediate amendment of the Constitution. Thus the constitutional changes would have to be ratified by the next Parliament. Kallio resigned, partly pressured to do so by President Relander. In July 1930, Relander appointed as the new Prime Minister Mr. P.E. Svinhufvud (National Coalition), a former Prime Minister and Regent. His government sought to persuade the Finnish voters to elect a Parliament where the right-wing and centrist parties would have a two-thirds majority, which was - and is - needed to ratify changes to the Finnish Constitution. As a part of their strategy, they authorized the Investigative Central Police to deprive about 20,000 suspected Communists of the right to vote. The Lapua Movement kidnapped, took by car to isolated places and physically assaulted various left-wing politicians.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
386,026 | 34.2 | 66 | |
| 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... |
308,280 | 27.3 | 59 | –1 |
| National Coalition Party | 203,958 | 18.1 | 42 | |
| Swedish People's Party | 113,318 | 10.0 | 20 | –3 |
| National Progressive Party National Progressive Party (Finland) The National Progressive Party was a liberal political party in Finland from 1918 to 1951. The party was founded December 8 1918, after the Finnish Civil War, by the republican majority of the Young Finnish Party and the republican minority of the Finnish Party... |
65,830 | 5.8 | 11 | |
| Small Farmers' Party of Finland Small Farmers' Party of Finland Small Farmers' Party of Finland was a party for the farmers suffering the great depression in Finland. The party joined with two other parties in 1936 and became the Party of the Small Farmers' and the Rural People. The Small Farmers' Party of Finland was established 12th May, 1929... |
20,883 | 1.8 | 1 | |
| Socialist List of Workers and Peasantsa | 11,504 | 1.0 | 0 | –23 |
| Swedish Left Swedish Left The Liberal Swedish Party was a political party in Finland, working amongst the Swedish-speaking minority. The party founded in 1919 under the name of Swedish Left until the 1947... |
9,226 | 0.8 | 1 | New |
| Small groupsb of the Patriotic Listc | 9,085 | 0.8 | 0 | – |
| Others | 1,918 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 5,517 | – | – | – |
| Total | 1,135,545 | 100 | 200 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Tilastokeskus 2004, Suomen virallinen tilasto | ||||
a A list seen in official results as the follower to this (banned) list which participated in the previous election.
b Isänmaallinen työväki, Itsenäiset maalaiset, Maalaisliitto puolueettomana isänmaan hyväksi, Vapaa työväenliitto työväen vapauden puolesta, Maalaisliittolainen valitsijayhdistys, Lapuanliike & Oikeistomaalaisliittolaiset
c Parties on the Patriotic List: ML+Kok.+Ed+RKP (Turun et., Viipurin länt.), ML+Kok.+Ed (Turun pohj., Hämeen et., Hämeen pohj., Viipurin it., Oulun et.), Kok.+Ed. (Mikkelin, Kuopion länt., Kuopion it., Viipurin it, Oulun pohj.).