1991 Finnish parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 March 1991, the first time a Finnish parliamentary election had been held on a single day.[1]
For the first time since 1962 the Social Democratic Party was displaced as the largest party in the Eduskunta, with the Centre Party winning 55 seats and forming the first centre-right, non-socialist government since 1964,[2] with Esko Aho as Prime Minister.
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Centre Party | 676,717 | 24.8 | 55 | +15 | |
Social Democratic Party | 603,080 | 22.1 | 48 | –8 | |
National Coalition Party | 526,487 | 19.3 | 40 | –13 | |
Left Alliance | 274,639 | 10.1 | 19 | –1 | |
Green League | 185,894 | 6.8 | 10 | +6 | |
Swedish People's Party | 149,476 | 5.5 | 11 | –1 | |
Finnish Rural Party | 132,133 | 4.8 | 7 | –2 | |
Finnish Christian League | 83,151 | 3.1 | 8 | +3 | |
Liberal People's Party | 21,210 | 0.8 | 1 | +1 | |
Women's Party | 12,725 | 0.5 | 0 | New | |
Pensioners' Party | 10,762 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | |
Åland Coalition | 9,344 | 0.3 | 1 | 0 | |
Constitutional Right Party | 7,599 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | |
Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism | 6,201 | 0.2 | 0 | New | |
Independent Non-aligned Pensioners | 5,230 | 0.2 | 0 | New | |
Greens | 3,835 | 0.1 | 0 | – | |
Humanity Party | 2,831 | 0.1 | 0 | New | |
Joint Responsibility Party of Pensioners and the Greens | 2,807 | 0.1 | 0 | New | |
Others | 11,797 | 0.4 | 0 | – | |
Invalid/blank votes | 51,066 | – | – | – | |
Total | 2,776,984 | 100 | 200 | 0 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 4,060,778 | 68.4 | – | – | |
Source: Tilastokeskus[3] |
By Province
Province | Centre Party | Social Democratic Party | National Coalition Party | Left Alliance | Green League | Swedish People's Party | Rural Party | Christian League | Liberal People's Party | Electorate | Votes | Valid votes | Invalid votes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southern Savonia | 32,762 | 25,057 | 15,827 | 3,098 | 5,472 | 0 | 5,219 | 4,248 | 137 | 136,246 | 94,026 | 92,536 | 1,490 |
Northern Savonia | 50,820 | 23,808 | 18,139 | 18,812 | 9,369 | 0 | 9,603 | 4,187 | 644 | 198,532 | 137,691 | 136,008 | 1,683 |
North Karelia | 31,849 | 27,616 | 12,402 | 4,762 | 3,687 | 0 | 5,219 | 4,679 | 456 | 135,563 | 93,426 | 92,018 | 1,408 |
Kainuu | 25,025 | 5,415 | 4,681 | 10,380 | 2,032 | 0 | 1,643 | 1,427 | 276 | 73,204 | 52,166 | 51,522 | 644 |
Uusimaa | 55,048 | 133,869 | 158,204 | 51,038 | 72,700 | 66,636 | 14,506 | 15,020 | 4,506 | 882,630 | 624,147 | 606,833 | 17,314 |
Eastern Uusimaa | 5,480 | 9,104 | 5,656 | 2,036 | 2,767 | 16,423 | 1,076 | 736 | 225 | 64,626 | 45,583 | 44,663 | 920 |
Southwest Finland | 54,669 | 54,374 | 52,863 | 26,805 | 11,348 | 12,473 | 15,160 | 4,670 | 839 | 331,626 | 242,317 | 238,321 | 3,996 |
Tavastia Proper | 19,830 | 28,006 | 22,128 | 7,458 | 6,143 | 0 | 1,943 | 2,927 | 177 | 126,110 | 92,593 | 90,681 | 1,912 |
Päijänne Tavastia | 18,337 | 24,896 | 28,713 | 8,844 | 8,248 | 135 | 5,601 | 5,009 | 217 | 153,066 | 103,944 | 101,664 | 2,280 |
Kymenlaakso | 21,560 | 37,777 | 23,918 | 6,932 | 6,797 | 0 | 2,980 | 4,157 | 559 | 152,984 | 108,375 | 106,177 | 2,198 |
South Karelia | 22,362 | 25,293 | 13,348 | 2,151 | 4,738 | 0 | 2,738 | 4,786 | 1,148 | 111,298 | 79,282 | 77,730 | 1,552 |
Central Finland | 44,213 | 35,146 | 18,862 | 15,841 | 7,599 | 0 | 10,447 | 7,217 | 375 | 194,921 | 142,551 | 140,622 | 1,929 |
Southern Ostrobothnia | 58,982 | 13,706 | 22,198 | 5,702 | 2,736 | 196 | 10,670 | 3,276 | 358 | 151,962 | 120,135 | 119,135 | 1,000 |
Ostrobothnia | 10,758 | 17,164 | 8,336 | 6,624 | 3,027 | 48,646 | 1,879 | 2,394 | 550 | 130,603 | 101,151 | 100,205 | 946 |
Satakunta | 32,203 | 39,104 | 28,548 | 20,488 | 6,332 | 0 | 6,985 | 3,916 | 349 | 191,700 | 142,335 | 139,915 | 2,420 |
Pirkanmaa | 33,145 | 57,539 | 56,606 | 32,115 | 16,192 | 0 | 25,490 | 6,957 | 2,184 | 330,397 | 238,809 | 233,966 | 4,843 |
Central Ostrobothnia | 18,906 | 6,442 | 2,766 | 2,518 | 932 | 3,246 | 2,326 | 3,510 | 283 | 51,978 | 41,640 | 41,174 | 466 |
Northern Ostrobothnia | 82,748 | 20,375 | 20,856 | 25,405 | 10,991 | 0 | 6,042 | 2,538 | 7,367 | 246,074 | 180,451 | 178,227 | 2,224 |
Lapland | 56,350 | 15,571 | 9,951 | 22,068 | 3,926 | 0 | 2,169 | 1,153 | 456 | 150,094 | 114,093 | 112,505 | 1,588 |
Åland Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18,455 | 9,382 | 9,263 | 119 |
Source: European Election Database |
Aftermath
The new center-right coalition government would not have an easy time governing the country. The fall of the Soviet Union caused a collapse in trade with the east, which together with a worldwide recession, caused major economic problems including high unemployment and ballooning budget deficits. In response, the government adopted strict austerity measures, such as cuts in public spending, the unpopularity of which led to the government's defeat in the 1995 elections.
References
- Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
- Paavo Väyrynen (1993) It Is Time for the Truth 2: Facts and Memories About Mauno Koivisto's Finland, WSOY
- Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 Tilastokeskus 2004
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Finland |
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