1927 Finnish parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 1 and 2 July 1927.[1] Although the Social Democratic Party remained the largest in Parliament with 60 of the 200 seats, Juho Sunila of the Agrarian League formed an Agrarian minority government in December 1927. It remained intact until December 1928. Voter turnout was 55.8%.[2]

1927 Finnish parliamentary election

← 1924 1–2 July 1927 1929 →

All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland
101 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Matti Paasivuori Pekka Heikkinen Kyösti Haataja
Party SDP Agrarian National Coalition
Last election 29.02%, 60 seats 20.25%, 44 seats 18.99%, 38 seats
Seats won 60 52 34
Seat change Steady Increase 8 Decrease 4
Popular vote 257,572 205,313 161,450
Percentage 28.30% 22.56% 17.74%
Swing Decrease 0.72pp Increase 2.31pp Decrease 1.25pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Eric von Rettig Oskari Mantere
Party RKP STPV National Progressive
Last election 12.03%, 23 seats 10.45%, 18 seats 9.09%, 17 seats
Seats won 24 20 10
Seat change Increase 1 Increase 2 Decrease 7
Popular vote 111,005 109,939 61,613
Percentage 12.20% 12.08% 6.77%
Swing Increase 0.17pp Increase 1.63pp Decrease 2.32pp

Prime Minister before election

Väinö Tanner
SDP

Prime Minister after election

Juho Sunila
Agrarian

Background

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Finland was governed during the 1927 election by a Social Democratic minority government led by Väinö Tanner. President Lauri Kristian Relander, an Agrarian, had supported the establishment of that minority government, after the Agrarian Prime Minister Kyösti Kallio's first government had been defeated in a vote of confidence in November 1926. He had advised Tanner to prepare a liberal and moderate government programme, which the Agrarians and Progressives could support. In April 1927 President Relander caught a cold which developed into a life-threatening pneumonia. He had to go on sick leave, and Tanner became the Acting President. He even received the centre-right Civil Guards' (Suojeluskunnat in Finnish; a voluntary Finnish men's paramilitary defence organization) salute on the Defence Forces' Flag Day (then held on 16 May). The bourgeois (non-socialist) parties tried to get back into power by persuading enough Finnish voters to reject the Social Democratic minority government.[3][4]

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party257,57228.30600
Agrarian League205,31322.5652+8
National Coalition Party161,45017.7434–4
Swedish People's Party111,00512.2024+1
Electoral Organisation of Socialist Workers and Smallholders109,93912.0820+2
National Progressive Party61,6136.7710–7
Peasants' List1,3410.1500
Farmers' Party7840.090New
Others1,1740.130
Total910,191100.002000
Valid votes910,19199.54
Invalid/blank votes4,1800.46
Total votes914,371100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,719,56753.17
Source: Nohlen & Stöver.[2] Tilastokeskus.[5] Lackman[6]

References

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  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ a b Nohlen & Stöver, p614
  3. ^ Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History / Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen, Helsinki: WSOY, 2003
  4. ^ Sakari Virkkunen, Finland's Presidents I / Suomen presidentit I, Helsinki: WSOY, 1994
  5. ^ Tilastokeskus 2004
  6. ^ Matti Lackman: Taistelu talonpojasta (Pohjoinen 1985), p133