1987 Finnish parliamentary election

General election Finland state parliamentary 1983 Finnish parliamentary election 1983 1991 Finnish parliamentary election 1991 All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland 101 15–16 March 1987 130x130px Ministeri Kalevi Sorsa (cropped).jpg Kalevi Sorsa Social Democratic Party of Finland 26.71%, 57 seats 56 695,331 24.14% 1 2.57pp Ilkka Suominen MEP portrait 1999.jpg Ilkka Suominen National Coalition Party 22.12%, 44 seats 53 666,236 23.13% 9 1.01pp Ulkoministeri_Paavo_Väyrynen_1982_(cropped).jpg Paavo Väyrynen Centre Party (Finland) 17.63%, 38 seats 40 507,460 17.62% 2 0.01pp Esko Helle SKDL 13.46%, 26 seats 16 270,433 9.39% 10 4.07pp Christoffer Taxell.jpg Christoffer Taxell Swedish People's Party of Finland 4.61%, 10 seats 12 2 152,597 5.30% 0.69pp Pekka Vennamo smaller crop.jpg Pekka Vennamo Finnish Rural Party 9.69%, 17 seats 9 8 181,938 6.32% 3.37pp Esko-Almgren-1987 (cropped).jpg Esko Almgren Finnish Christian League 3.03%, 3 seats 5 2 74,209 2.58% 0.45pp Kristiina Halkola.jpg Kristiina Halkola Democratic Alternative – 4 New 122,181 4.24% New Kalle Könkkölä.jpg Kalle Könkkölä Green League 1.47%, 2 seats 4 2 115,988 4.03% 2.56pp Kalevi Sorsa Prime Minister Social Democratic Party of Finland Prime Minister after election Harri Holkeri National Coalition Party Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1987.Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 978-3-8329-5609-7Berglund Sten 1987-12-01 The Finnish general election of 1987 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0261379487900382 Electoral Studies 6 3 271–273 10.1016/0261-3794(87)90038-2 0261-3794 subscription The results saw a rightwards shift in Finnish politics, although it was uncertain how far, because the voter turnout — at a comparatively low 75% — hurt the left more than the right and had a variable impact. The centre-right National Coalition Party (KOK) increased its vote share by only 1% yet gained nine seats in the Eduskunta, almost overtaking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the largest party. The SDP vote share dropped by 3%, with 100,000 fewer votes, yet they lost only one seat due to the way their votes were distributed across the country. The Centre Party's vote share remained stable and it gained two new seats. The Greens, who had registered a significant gain in the 1984 municipal elections gained two seats, far fewer than expected. Weakened perhaps from its membership in the long-lived government, the Finnish Rural Party (SMP) lost more than one-third of its support and almost half of its seats. Results File:1987 Eduskunta.svg Social Democratic Party 695331 56 –1 National Coalition Party 666236 53 +9 Centre Party 507460 40 +2 Finnish People's Democratic League 270433 16 –10 Finnish Rural Party 181938 9 –8 Swedish People's Party 152597 12 +2 Democratic Alternative 122181 4 New Greens 115988 4 +2 Finnish Christian League 74209 5 +2 Pensioners' Party 35100 0 New Liberal People's Party 27824 0 – Liberals for Åland–Social Democrats 7019 1 0 Constitutional Right Party 3096 0 –1 Åland Centre–Freeminded Cooperation 1843 0 0 Free Åland 539 0 0 Others 18299 0 – 15395 0 4017039 Tilastokeskus,Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 Tilastokeskus 2004 ASUB By electoral district Electoral districtTotalseatsSeats wonSDPKokKeskSKDLRKPSMPSKLDVVihrL–SÅland11Central Finland10322111Häme156621Helsinki20671312Kymi1464211Lapland811411North Karelia7313North Savo1022411Oulu18238311Pirkanmaa13451111Satakunta1243221South Savo8323Uusimaa2999224111Vaasa183351411Varsinais-Suomi1745221111Total200565340161295441Source: Statistics FinlandSuomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:38: Kansanedustajain vaalit 1987 Statistics Finland 1987 Aftermath Faced with these inconclusive results, negotiations about the shape of the new government began. After six weeks of talks and attempts to put together a completely non-socialist government, a pathbreaking combination was formed that included conservatives and socialists in the Council of State, joined by the dependable and successful Swedish People's Party and the battered and desperate SMP. The new government, consisting of nine centrist and conservative and eight socialist ministers and headed by the KOK's Harri Holkeri, surprised some observers because a non-socialist government was possible and seemed appropriate given the election results. The outcome angered others, who contended that Koivisto had misused presidential powers when he brokered a government that had his former party as a member despite its considerable electoral losses. Koivisto countered that he had behaved properly and had let the parties themselves argue out a workable combination. One explanation for the unusual government was that animosity against the Centre Party (Kesk) leader, Paavo Väyrynen, was so common in both the SDP and the KOK that neither party was willing to form a government with him. Thus, Kesk was deprived of its traditional "hinge" role. Another consideration was that the SDP and the KOK were not so much at odds with each another as socialist and conservative parties elsewhere might have been. Both parties had moved toward the centre, and they were in agreement about most issues, especially about the need to reduce the agricultural subsidies that had always been defended by Kesk. The resulting "red-blue" government had as program objective the preservation of the social welfare system, the improvement of Finland's competitive position in international trade, a fundamental reform of the tax system, and adherence to the Paasikivi-Kekkonen Line in foreign affairs. The SFP fitted in easily with this program. The formerly rightist, but now moderate, SMP was included because it strengthened the government slightly and because it was likely to be dependable, because it had no other place to go. Koivisto informed the new government that it would not have to resign after the presidential election of 1988, and observers expected the cabinet to serve its full term until the 1991 parliamentary elections.Text from PD source: US Library of Congress: A Country Study: Finland, Library of Congress Call Number DL1012 .A74 1990. References 1987 Parliament Finland