1975 Finnish parliamentary election

21–22 September 1975
All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland 101 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   130x130px 130x130px 130x130px Leader Rafael Paasio Ele Alenius Johannes Virolainen Party Social Democratic SKDL Centre Last election 25.78%, 55 seats 17.02%, 37 seats 16.41%, 35 seats Seats won 54 40 39 Seat change 1 3 4 Popular vote 683,590 519,483 484,772 Percentage 24.86% 18.89% 17.63% Swing 0.92pp 1.87pp 1.22pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   130x130px 130x130px 130x130px Leader Harri Holkeri Carl Olof Tallgren Pekka Tarjanne Party National Coalition Swedish People's Liberal People's Last election 17.59%, 34 seats 5.06%, 9 seats 5.16%, 7 seats Seats won 35 9 9 Seat change 1 2 Popular vote 505,145 128,211 119,534 Percentage 18.37% 4.66% 4.35% Swing 0.78pp 0.40pp 0.81pp   Seventh party Eighth party   130x130px 130x130px Leader Raino Westerholm Veikko Vennamo Party Christian League Finnish Rural Party Last election 2.53%, 4 seats 9.16%, 18 seats Seats won 9 2 Seat change 5 16 Popular vote 90,599 98,815 Percentage 3.29% 3.59% Swing 0.76pp 5.57pp
Prime Minister before election Rafael Paasio Social Democratic Prime Minister after election Rafael Paasio Social Democratic

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 21 and 22 September 1975.

Background

Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa's Social Democratic Party 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, as well as the government's increased spending and taxes. The Social Democrats and Centre Party also disagreed on regional policy over the extent to which the national government should re-distribute power and tax revenues to cities, towns and administrative provinces.

President Urho Kekkonen had gradually become dissatisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Sorsa, Finance Minister Johannes Virolainen and Foreign Minister Ahti Karjalainen: either they were not competent, diligent or courageous enough, or they spent too much time in partisan disputes, or - in Virolainen's case, especially - their foreign policy ability or understanding was not good enough. Although Helsinki was to host the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) at the end of July and at the start of August 1975, Kekkonen did not worry about the possibly negative effect on Finland's international image of having a caretaker government. He appointed it, and chose Keijo Liinamaa of the Social Democratic Party as Prime Minister, who was the state labour disputes mediator.

Campaign

The opposition parties campaigned with varied slogans; the Finnish People's Democratic League claimed to be loyal supporters of Kekkonen's foreign policy towards the Soviet Union and to be even more faithful defenders of the working class than the Social Democrats; the National Coalition Party promised voters lower taxes and more security; the Finnish Rural Party bitterly condemned Kekkonen's allegedly authoritarian presidency, and his "servile" foreign policy towards the Soviet Union.

The right-wing Constitutional People's Party accused Kekkonen of violating the Constitution's spirit by forcing Parliament to re-elect him as President through an exceptional law in 1973, and the Finnish Christian League kept opposing abortion, pornography, the sale of beer in grocery stores, and the public mocking of Christian values.

Aftermath

Government formation in the midst of a quickly deepening recession and after an inconclusive election proved very painstaking. Veteran Centrist politician Martti Miettunen finally succeeded, with the help of Kekkonen's strongly-worded televised speech, in forming a centre-left majority "emergency" government in November 1975. It lasted until September 1976, when the Social Democrats and Finnish People's Democratic League left it. Miettunen then formed a centrist minority government.