1922 Finnish parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland between 1 and 3 July 1922.[1] The Social Democratic Party remained the largest in Parliament with 53 of the 200 seats. The caretaker government of Professor Aimo Cajander (Progressive), that President Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg had appointed in June 1922, following the resignation of Prime Minister Juho Vennola (Progressive), remained in office until Kyösti Kallio formed an Agrarian-Progressive minority government in November 1922. Voter turnout was 58.5%.[2]

1922 Finnish parliamentary election

← 1919 1–3 July 1922 1924 →

All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland
101 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Väinö Tanner Pekka Heikkinen Antti Tulenheimo
Party SDP Agrarian National Coalition
Last election 37.98%, 80 seats 19.70%, 42 seats 15.71%, 26 seats
Seats won 53 45 35
Seat change Decrease 27 Increase 3 Increase 9
Popular vote 216,861 175,401 157,116
Percentage 25.06% 20.27% 18.15%
Swing Decrease 12.92pp Increase 0.57pp Increase 2.44pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Niilo Wälläri Eric von Rettig Oskari Mantere
Party Socialist Workers' RKP National Progressive
Last election 12.13%, 22 seats 12.81%, 26 seats
Seats won 27 25 15
Seat change new Increase 3 Decrease 11
Popular vote 128,181 107,414 79,676
Percentage 14.81% 12.41% 9.21%
Swing new Increase 0.28pp Decrease 3.60pp

Prime Minister before election

Aimo Cajander
Independent

Prime Minister after election

Kyösti Kallio
Agrarian

Background

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By 1922, the Finnish society, economy and politics had begun to stabilize. The Progressive (liberal) President Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg had pardoned many Red (socialist) prisoners of the Finnish Civil War, the worst poverty caused by World War I and the Civil War was over, and the Agrarian leader, Kyösti Kallio, was preparing a law (Lex Kallio) that would distribute the excess farmlands of wealthy landowners to the former tenant farmers and other landless rural people. The Social Democrats, led by Väinö Tanner, had committed themselves to the peaceful and democratic pursuit of socialist reform goals. The mostly Agrarian-Progressive minority governments pursued moderate and conciliatory policies. Compulsory schooling of Finnish children was enacted in 1921. The Communists dared to organize the Socialist Workers' Party before the elections, so they preferred open political activity to underground political activity. Shortly before the election campaign officially started, the Finnish Parliament rejected a five-year defence treaty between Finland, Poland, Latvia and Estonia. Enough deputies doubted the ability of Poland and the Baltic countries to defend Finland during a real war.[3][4]

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party216,86125.0653–27
Agrarian League175,40120.2745+3
National Coalition Party157,11618.1535+7
Socialist Workers' Party128,18114.8127New
Swedish People's Party107,41412.4125+3
National Progressive Party79,6769.2115–11
Others7720.090
Total865,421100.002000
Valid votes865,42199.38
Invalid/blank votes5,4040.62
Total votes870,825100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,489,02258.48
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

See also

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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. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p613
  3. ^ Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History / Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen, Helsinki: WSOY, 2003, pages 619–620, 629–630, 672
  4. ^ Pentti Virrankoski, A History of Finland 1&2 / Suomen historia 1&2, Helsinki: Finnish Literary Society / Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura, 2009, pages 786–787, 791, 797–800