1987 Finnish parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1987.[1]

1987 Finnish parliamentary election

← 1983 15–16 March 1987 1991 →

All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland
101 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Kalevi Sorsa Ilkka Suominen Paavo Väyrynen
Party SDP National Coalition Centre
Last election 26.71%, 57 seats 22.12%, 44 seats 17.63%, 38 seats
Seats won 56 53 40
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 9 Increase 2
Popular vote 695,331 666,236 507,460
Percentage 24.14% 23.13% 17.62%
Swing Decrease 2.57pp Increase 1.01pp Decrease 0.01pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Esko Helle Christoffer Taxell Pekka Vennamo
Party SKDL RKP Rural Party
Last election 13.46%, 26 seats 4.61%, 10 seats 9.69%, 17 seats
Seats won 16 12 9
Seat change Decrease 10 Increase 2 Decrease 8
Popular vote 270,433 152,597 181,938
Percentage 9.39% 5.30% 6.32%
Swing Decrease 4.07pp Increase 0.69pp Decrease 3.37pp

  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
 
Leader Esko Almgren Kristiina Halkola Kalle Könkkölä
Party Christian League Democratic Alternative Green
Last election 3.03%, 3 seats 1.47%, 2 seats
Seats won 5 4 4
Seat change Increase 2 New Increase 2
Popular vote 74,209 122,181 115,988
Percentage 2.58% 4.24% 4.03%
Swing Decrease 0.45pp New Increase 2.56pp

Prime Minister before election

Kalevi Sorsa
SDP

Prime Minister after election

Harri Holkeri
National Coalition

The results saw a rightwards shift in Finnish politics, although it was uncertain how far, because the voter turnout — at a comparatively low 75% — hurt the left more than the right and had a variable impact. The centre-right National Coalition Party (KOK) increased its vote share by only 1% yet gained nine seats in the Eduskunta, almost overtaking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the largest party. The SDP vote share dropped by 3%, with 100,000 fewer votes, yet they lost only one seat due to the way their votes were distributed across the country. The Centre Party's vote share remained stable and it gained two new seats. The Greens, who had registered a significant gain in the 1984 municipal elections gained two seats, far fewer than expected. Weakened perhaps from its membership in the long-lived government, the Finnish Rural Party (SMP) lost more than one-third of its support and almost half of its seats.

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party695,33124.1456–1
National Coalition Party666,23623.1353+9
Centre Party507,46017.6240+2
Finnish People's Democratic League270,4339.3916–10
Finnish Rural Party181,9386.329–8
Swedish People's Party152,5975.3012+2
Democratic Alternative122,1814.244New
Greens115,9884.034+2
Finnish Christian League74,2092.585+2
Pensioners' Party35,1001.220New
Liberal People's Party27,8240.970
Liberals for ÅlandSocial Democrats7,0190.2410
Constitutional Right Party3,0960.110–1
Åland CentreFreeminded Cooperation1,8430.0600
Free Åland5390.0200
Others18,2990.640
Total2,880,093100.002000
Valid votes2,880,09399.47
Invalid/blank votes15,3950.53
Total votes2,895,488100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,017,03972.08
Source: Tilastokeskus,[2] ASUB

By electoral district

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Electoral district Total
seats
Seats won
SDP Kok Kesk SKDL RKP SMP SKL DV Vihr LS
Åland 1 1
Central Finland 10 3 2 2 1 1 1
Häme 15 6 6 2 1
Helsinki 20 6 7 1 3 1 2
Kymi 14 6 4 2 1 1
Lapland 8 1 1 4 1 1
North Karelia 7 3 1 3
North Savo 10 2 2 4 1 1
Oulu 18 2 3 8 3 1 1
Pirkanmaa 13 4 5 1 1 1 1
Satakunta 12 4 3 2 2 1
South Savo 8 3 2 3
Uusima 29 9 9 2 2 4 1 1 1
Vaasa 18 3 3 5 1 4 1 1
Varsinais-Suomi 17 4 5 2 2 1 1 1 1
Total 200 56 53 40 16 12 9 5 4 4 1
Source: Statistics Finland[3]

Aftermath

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Faced with these inconclusive results, negotiations about the shape of the new government began. After six weeks of talks and attempts to put together a completely non-socialist government, a pathbreaking combination was formed that included conservatives and socialists in the Council of State, joined by the dependable and successful Swedish People's Party and the battered and desperate SMP.

The new government, consisting of nine centrist and conservative and eight socialist ministers and headed by the KOK's Harri Holkeri, surprised some observers because a non-socialist government was possible and seemed appropriate given the election results. The outcome angered others, who contended that Koivisto had misused presidential powers when he brokered a government that had his former party as a member despite its considerable electoral losses. Koivisto countered that he had behaved properly and had let the parties themselves argue out a workable combination.

One explanation for the unusual government was that animosity against the Centre Party (Kesk) leader, Paavo Väyrynen, was so common in both the SDP and the KOK that neither party was willing to form a government with him. Thus, Kesk was deprived of its traditional "hinge" role. Another consideration was that the SDP and the KOK were not so much at odds with each another as socialist and conservative parties elsewhere might have been. Both parties had moved toward the centre, and they were in agreement about most issues, especially about the need to reduce the agricultural subsidies that had always been defended by Kesk. The resulting "red-blue" government had as program objective the preservation of the social welfare system, the improvement of Finland's competitive position in international trade, a fundamental reform of the tax system, and adherence to the Paasikivi-Kekkonen Line in foreign affairs. The SFP fitted in easily with this program. The formerly rightist, but now moderate, SMP was included because it strengthened the government slightly and because it was likely to be dependable, because it had no other place to go. Koivisto informed the new government that it would not have to resign after the presidential election of 1988, and observers expected the cabinet to serve its full term until the 1991 parliamentary elections.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 Tilastokeskus 2004
  3. ^ Suomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:38: Kansanedustajain vaalit 1987. Statistics Finland. 1987.
  4. ^ Text from PD source: US Library of Congress: A Country Study: Finland, Library of Congress Call Number DL1012 .A74 1990.