Finnish parliamentary election, 14 April 2019

Author (Corporate)
Publication Date 2019
Content Type

Summary:

Reports and analyses relating to the legislative elections held in Finland on 14 April 2019.

Further information:

In Finland, the Members of Parliament are usually elected every four years. In the parliamentary election, the country is divided into electoral districts. A certain number of Members of Parliament are selected from each district. The number depends on the population of the electoral district. A total number of 200 Members of Parliament are elected. A functioning government is required a parliamentary majority of at least 101 seats.

In March 2019, the coalition government led by Centre's Party Juha Sipila - and also include the National Coalition Party (NCP) and the Blue Reform Party - resigned after it failed to agree on major social and health reform. The cabinet remained in place in a caretaker capacity until the election in April. During the electoral campaign, leaders from some of the main political parties rejected the possibility to join a coalition which would include the Finns Party.

On 14 April, the opposition Social Democrats (SDP) claimed a narrow win (17,7%) over the Eurosceptic Finns Party (17,5%). The co-ruling Centre Party scored 13,8%, while the National Coalition stood at 17,0%. This was the first time in a century that no party won more than 20% in a general election. Antti Rinne, leader of the biggest party in parliament, SDP, would be given the first shot at forming a government.

Five centre-left parties concluded talks in early June to form a new government. Social Democrat leader Rinne was set to become the first leftist Prime Minister for 20 years. The newly formed government consisted of the SDP, the Greens, the Centre party, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People's Party. It planned to increase public spending by increasing taxes on fuel, tobacco and alcohol.

Related Links
Official
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland: Parliamentary elections in Finland 2019 https://um.fi/parliamentary-elections-in-finland-2019
infofinland: Elections and voting in Finland https://www.infofinland.fi/en/information-about-finland/finnish-society/elections-in-finland
Finnish Ministry of Justice: Parliamentary Elections 2019 Results https://tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi/EKV-2019/en/tulos_kokomaa.html
OSCE: ODIHR: Finnish Parliamentary Elections, 14 April 2019 https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/finland/411758
IFES Election Guide: Finnish Election for Parliament, 14 April 2019 http://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3125/

News
BBC News, 08/03/2019: Finland's government resigns over failed healthcare reform https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47496326
Politico, 10/03/2019: Finland’s Sipilä hopes to turn crisis into election reboot https://www.politico.eu/article/finlands-juha-sipila-hopes-to-turn-crisis-into-election-reboot/
Bloomberg, 08/04/2019: Parties and COalition Building: A Guide to the Finish Elections https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-08/parties-and-coalition-building-a-guide-to-the-finnish-elections
Politico, 12/04/2019: Social Democrats in front as Finland heads to the polls https://www.politico.eu/article/finland-election-social-democrats-in-front/
The New York Times, 12/04/2019: The Right’s New Rallying Cry in Finland: ‘Climate Hysteria’ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/12/world/europe/finland-populism-immigration-climate-change.html
YLE News, 14/04/2019: Finland election: SDP squeezes narrow lead over upstart Finns Party https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finland_election_sdp_squeezes_narrow_lead_over_upstart_finns_party/10738144
Deutsche Welle, 14/04/2019: Finland election: Social Democrats, nationalist party top vote-getters https://p.dw.com/p/3GlG5
Reuters, 14/04/2019: Finnish Social Democrats and nationalist Finns Party nearly tied in election https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1RP0RG
The Guardian, 14/04/2019: Finland’s Social Democrats declare general election victory https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/14/finland-social-democrats-partial-election-result-leftwing
Euronews, 14/04/2019: Finland's Social Democrats win razor-thin victory against far-right party https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/14/finland-s-social-democrats-win-first-place-in-advance-voting
Politico, 15/04/2019: Finland’s Social Democrats win close election victory https://www.politico.eu/article/finlands-social-democrats-win-close-election-victory/
EurActiv, 15/04/2019: Social Democrats clinch narrow victory in Finland’s election https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/social-democrats-clinch-narrow-victory-in-finlands-election/
BBC News, 15/04/2019: Finland election: Tough coalition talks after split poll https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47893264
France24, 15/04/2019: Finland's Social Democrats win razor-thin victory against far-right party https://www.france24.com/en/20190414-social-democrats-claim-narrow-win-over-populists-finns-party-finland-election
Helsinki Times, 15/04/2019: Social Democrats emerges narrowly as largest party in Finnish Parliament http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/16342-social-democrats-emerges-narrowly-as-largest-party-in-finnish-parliament.html
The Guardian, 15/04/2019: Finland's SDP tries to build coalition after narrow election win https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/15/finlands-sdp-tries-to-build-coalition-after-narrow-election-win
Reuters, 31/05/2019: Finland's coalition parties agree on government program https://www.reuters.com/article/us-finland-government/finlands-coalition-parties-agree-on-government-program-idUSKCN1T11RU
Bloomberg, 01/06/2019: Finland’s New Government Plans Spending Spree, Iltalehti Reports https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-01/finland-s-new-government-plans-spending-spree-iltalehti-says
Reuters, 02/06/2019: Finland's center-left coalition concludes talks to form new government https://www.reuters.com/article/us-finland-government/finlands-center-left-coalition-concludes-talks-to-form-new-government-idUSKCN1T30MG
Uutiset, 03/06/2019: Finland's new government: SDP, Centre dominate ministerial portfolios https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finlands_new_government_sdp_centre_dominate_ministerial_portfolios/10813034
News Now Finland, 03/06/2019: Consensus and concessions as new government programme unveiled https://newsnowfinland.fi/politics/consensus-and-concessions-as-new-government-programme-unveiled

Commentary and Analysis
Euronews: Finland election 2019: all you need to know about the landmark vote https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/12/finland-election-2019-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-landmark-vote
Wikipedia: 2019 Finnish parliamentary election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Finnish_parliamentary_election
Euro|topics, April 2019: Who will govern Finland? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/218351/
Robert Schuman Foundation, 26/03/2019: Towards victory for the Social Democrats in Finland? https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/1796-towards-victory-for-the-social-democrats-in-finland
Helsinki Times, 13/04/2019: Trumpism comes to Finland, exporting happiness, and Kardashians in Lapland – Finland in the World Press http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/world-int/world-news/finland-in-the-world-press/16339-trumpism-comes-to-finland-exporting-happiness-and-kardashians-in-lapland-finland-in-the-world-press.html
The Economist, 17/04/2019: The right-wing Finns Party does well in Finland’s election https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/04/17/the-right-wing-finns-party-does-well-in-finlands-election
LSE: EUROPP Blog, 27/04/2019: Finland’s election showed the limitations of existing models of electoral competition https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/04/27/finlands-election-showed-the-limitations-of-existing-models-of-electoral-competition/
Uutiset, 04/06/2019: Tuesday's papers: Will proposed government programme come to fruition? https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/tuesdays_papers_will_proposed_government_programme_come_to_fruition/10814490

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