Finnish political parties - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
Anyone can join a political party
Political parties are organisations which aim to develop society into the direction its members consider best. A political party must have a party program. This is a document listing the party’s most important principles and goals. The program also states how the party wants to impact Finnish society and political decisions.
Anyone in Finland can be a member of a political party. Membership in a party cannot be a justification to not choose a candidate for a job. A central form of civic participation is to become a candidate in an election. Candidates are usually members of a party. It is also possible to stand as an independent candidate or the candidate of a constituency association.
There are many parties in the Finnish Parliament
Finland has a multi-party system, meaning there are many different parties. The support for different parties varies from one election to the next. Usually no party has an absolute majority in the Parliament. Parties must work together. That is why, in Finnish politics, it is important to know how to negotiate and compromise.
In 2024, there were 16 registered parties in Finland. Nine of these had representatives in Parliament. The other parties were small. Their goal was to have their representatives in Parliament.
Parties must declare where they receive funding from
In Finland, the state and taxpayers fund the activities of political parties. The state support is only enough to pay for some of the party’s expenses. Parties also receive funds from membership fees. Political parties receive financial support from the state according to how many Members of Parliament are from the party. Large parties which do well in elections thus receive more money than small parties.
Parties and candidates also receive other funding for elections. Some of this funding is donations, which can be from private individuals, companies or organisations. Candidates cannot accept support which cannot be traced back to its giver. There is a legally defined maximum for how much funding one supporter can give. Party funding is overseen by the National Audit Office of Finland (Valtiontalouden tarkastusvirasto).
How do party views differ from each other?
The right and the left disagree on the role of the state
Traditionally, the most important factor separating parties has been the division into right and left. Leftist parties have supported socialism or social democracy, labour rights and a strong state which offers people different types of services and receives its funding from the taxes paid by individuals and companies. The left has been ready to accept high taxation, because according to their view, taxes help build and maintain an equal society where everyone is taken care of.
Right-wing parties have supported capitalism, free market economy and lower taxes. The right wants the role of the state to be smaller in society and for people to have more individual responsibility for their lives. The right supports the interests of entrepreneurs and companies. Companies have an important role in society in creating economic growth and jobs.
Conservative and liberal views show values
Other divisions can be made between parties. Nowadays, especially conservative and liberal values strongly divide people. Conservative views contain traditional values and moderate reform. Nowadays, conservatives are often also nationalists, meaning they want to prioritise Finnish national interests in decisions. Many conservatives also support strict restrictions on immigration.
Liberal views are connected to broad freedoms for individuals and the economy, tolerant values and human rights. For liberals, often women’s rights as well as rights of sexual and gender minorities are important. Liberals emphasise international cooperation and Finland’s international responsibilities. Liberals are often more positive toward immigration than conservatives.
Opinions on agriculture and environmental protection separate parties
Traditionally, voters in Finland have cared about whether the candidate protects the interests of rural or urban populations. People in cities often care about global networks and tight international cooperation, for example, with the European Union.
From a rural point of view, it is more important to maintain services in sparsely populated regions and protect national agricultural production. From this point of view, dependency on other countries may be seen as negative – taking away jobs from Finland, making agricultural work more difficult and causing societal unrest.
For many voters, it is important whether the party considers economic growth or environmental and nature protection more important. Economic growth can harm the environment, but it can bring wealth and jobs to society.
There are many parties in the Finnish Parliament
Here we present the parties which received at least one Member of Parliament in the 2023 parliamentary elections. The parties are presented in order of their size based on their average support in parliamentary elections from 2003-2023.
National Coalition Party (founded 1918)
The National Coalition Party (Kansallinen Kokoomus) is a right-wing party. Traditionally it has been the party of the financial elite and the educated upper class. It has a strong position in the metropolitan area, but it is also one of Finland’s biggest parties overall. Some politicians in the National Coalition Party are liberal, some are conservative.
The core values of the National Coalition Party include freedom, responsibility, security and equal opportunities. The interests of entrepreneurs are central. The National Coalition Party wants to encourage people to be active and to start their own companies. That is why the party believes taxes paid by companies should be lowered. The role of the state should be smaller than what leftist parties want. The National Coalition Party is positive toward the EU.
Social Democratic Party of Finland (founded 1899)
The Social Democratic Party of Finland (Sosiaalidemokraattinen Puolue, SDP) has been a large party for a long time and it has often been in the cabinet. SDP, the Centre Party (Suomen Keskusta) and the National Coalition Party are the oldest parties in Finland and traditionally the largest. SDP has been a left-wing party supported by industrial workers and urban salaried workers. Its ideology is social democracy, which has its roots in socialism. The party is not as leftist as the Left Alliance (Vasemmistoliitto). SDP is a liberal party.
A central value for SDP is maintaining the welfare state and social justice. The party wants to work toward an equal and solidary society. It objects to an unregulated market economy.
The Centre Party (founded 1906)
The Centre Party (Suomen Keskusta, Keskustapuolue) has traditionally been the most popular party in the Finnish countryside. However, it has lost supporters especially to the Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset). The Centre Party defines itself as more right-wing than left-wing. Some of the party’s politicians support liberal values, some support conservative values.
The Centre Party supports the interests of agriculture, for example, financial support to farmers from the state and the EU. The Centre Party strives for services and jobs everywhere in Finland. Finland is a sparsely populated country and it is often expensive to arrange services in rural areas. It is important for the Centre Party that people are in an equal position regardless of where they live. The Centre Party also supports entrepreneurs. The party tries to make it easier for companies to employ people. The Centre Party also emphasises the importance of Finland’s security and self-sufficiency.
Finns Party (founded 1995)
The Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset) is a nationalist party. The Finns Party used to be a small party, but since the 2011 parliamentary election, it has received a lot of votes and has established its place as one of the big parties. Earlier, the Finns Party received support from both the right and the left, but the party has clearly shifted to the right. The values of the Finns Party are very conservative.
In their politics, the Finns Party emphasises the importance of maintaining Finnish identity and Finnish culture. The Finns Party wants to reduce immigration to Finland and it is critical of the EU. The party also finds it important to promote Finnish work and entrepreneurship.
The Left Alliance (founded 1990)
The Left Alliance (Vasemmistoliitto) is a leftist party. Traditionally, it has been the party of low-wage labourers, but nowadays it is primarily supported by young voters. The Left Alliance is a very liberal party.
The core values of the Left Alliance are equality, justice, freedom and ecological sustainability. The Left Alliance believes that the welfare state should be developed and capitalism should be limited. The party’s goal is an ecologically sustainable welfare state where everyone can participate in decision-making. The party wants to promote equality and feminism as well as environmental protection.
The Green Party (founded 1987)
Important matters for the Green Party (Vihreät) are environmental protection and the prevention of climate change. Especially young, highly educated voters from cities vote for the Green Party. Most of the supporters of the Green Party are on the left, but the party also has people with views more to the right. The Green Party is a very liberal party.
In addition to environmental protection, the Green Party emphasises equality and human rights in their politics. The Green Party strives to promote a fair transition to an ecologically sustainable economy. The goal of the Green Party is an ecologically and socially sustainable society where everyone can live a life that is their own. The rights of different minorities are important to the Green Party.
The Swedish People’s Party of Finland (founded 1906)
The Swedish People’s Party of Finland (Suomen Ruotsalainen Kansanpuolue, RKP; Svenska Folkpartiet i Finland, SFP) is a party supported especially by the Swedish-speaking population in Finland. It promotes bilingualism and tries to promote and maintain Swedish-speaking services. SFP is a small party, but it is almost always in the cabinet. SFP and the Swedish language is an important link for Finland for Nordic cooperation and culture. Most of SFP’s politicians are economically on the right. SFP is a liberal party.
Because so many Swedish-speaking Finns support SFP, there are many different factions in the party. The party has both an urban faction as well as one that emphasises agriculture. The party supports the European Union and strong European cohesion. SFP strives toward an open and tolerant society and emphasises the freedoms and responsibilities of individuals. SFP takes a positive stand on immigration, multiculturalism and the rights of minorities.
Christian Democrats (founded 1958)
The Christian Democrats (Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit, KD) centre Christian values in decision-making. The basis of their politics is Christianity. The Christian Democrats are a small party. In economic matters, the party is somewhat more to the right than to the left – similar to the Centre Party. The values of the Christian Democrats are conservative.
Values important to the Christian Democrats include human dignity, the significance of families and strengthening local communities. The Christian Democrats strive for a society where the economy and wellbeing are founded on entrepreneurship and responsibility. Justice, health and education are important themes. The Christian Democrats oppose abortion and the right for same-sex couples to marry.
Movement Now (founded 2018)
Movement Now (Liike Nyt) is a small party. Its goal is to reform Finnish politics and economy. It does not want to commit to the ideologies of traditional parties. Its politicians are mostly on the right. The party’s values are mostly quite conservative.
Central themes to Movement Now are entrepreneurship and the development of market economy. It wants to promote openness and the freedom of individuals. Promoting economic growth and security are the party’s goals.