1988 Finnish presidential election

none August 2023 1988 Finnish presidential election Finland presidential no 1982 Finnish presidential election 1982 1994 Finnish presidential election 1994 31 January – 1 February 1988 x150px|Mauno Koivisto Mauno Koivisto Social Democratic Party of Finland 189 1,513,234 (Pres. President)1,391,399 (EC Electoral College) x150px|Paavo Väyrynen Paavo Väyrynen Centre Party (Finland) 68 636,375 (Pres. President)647,769 (EC Electoral College) x150px|Harri Holkeri Harri Holkeri National Coalition Party 18 570,340 (Pres. President)603,180 (EC Electoral College) x150px|Kalevi Kivistö Kalevi Kivistö Movement 88 F00A64 26 330,072 (Pres. President)286,833 (EC Electoral College) 1988 Finnish Presidential Election (electoral college).svg 200px Presidential electors chosen by constituency President Mauno Koivisto Social Democratic Party of Finland Mauno Koivisto Social Democratic Party of Finland Presidential elections were held in Finland in 1988.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 978-3-8329-5609-7 They were the first elections held under a new system. Previously, the public had elected an electoral college that in turn elected the President. For this election, the public directly elected the President on 31 January and 1 February, but also elected an electoral college that would elect the President if no candidate won over 50% of the popular vote.Nohlen & Stöver, p598Berglund Sten 1988 The Finnish presidential election of 1988 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0261379488900066 Electoral Studies 7 3 279–281 10.1016/0261-3794(88)90006-6 0261-3794 subscription The college was increased in size from 300 to 301 seats to make a tie less likely, though this was still technically possible, as electors could abstain from voting. The contest's outcome, the re-election of Mauno Koivisto, surprised no one, yet he captured a smaller portion of the direct popular vote than expected—only 48.9 percent,Presidentin vaalit 1988. Suomen virallinen tilasto (Tilastokeskus 1988), s. 30–33. rather than the 60 to 70 percent forecast by opinion polls during 1987. His failure to win more than half of the direct, or popular, vote with an 84 percent turnout meant that Koivisto could claim victory only after he had the support of a majority of the 301-member electoral college. This he achieved on the body's second ballot, when the votes of 45 of the 63 electors pledged to the National Coalition Party (KOK) candidate, Prime Minister Harri Holkeri, were added to those of the 144 electors he had won on his own. Koivisto's inability to win the presidency directly was caused by an upsurge of support in the final weeks of the campaign for his stronger rivals, Centre Party's Paavo Väyrynen and the KOK's Holkeri—who got 20.1 and 18.1 percent of the vote respectively, and Kalevi Kivistö, the candidate of voters linked to the Finnish People's Democratic League (SKDL) and the Greens, who got 10.4 percent. The strong finish of Väyrynen and Kivistö was regarded by some as a vote against the KOK-SDP coalition formed after the March 1987 parliamentary election. Campaign The campaign did not center, to any significant degree, on issues, but on the candidates themselves; Väyrynen and Holkeri both clearly wanted to position themselves well for the presidential election of 1994. Neither had any hope of defeating the ever-popular Koivisto in 1988, and it was widely assumed that he would not seek re-election again in 1994. Väyrynen was seen as the winner of this race for position, in that he had come from far behind in the polls, had easily beaten Koivisto in the northern provinces, had found good support elsewhere—except in the Helsinki area, and had cemented his leadership role in his own party. His strong party base and his ability to attract conservatives dissatisfied with their party's alliance with the socialists, combined with his extensive ministerial experience, made the relatively young Väyrynen Finland's foremost opposition politician. His strong finish, and the lack of any SDP politician of Koivisto's personal stature and popularity, guaranteed the Centre Party's continued significance in the country's political life even when in opposition, and were perhaps signs that the dominance of postindustrial southern Finland over the country as a whole might only be temporary.Text from PD source: US Library of Congress: A Country Study: Finland, Library of Congress Call Number DL1012 .A74 1990. Results Popular vote President thumb|250px|After the Finnish presidential election in the same year President Mauno Koivisto and President Ronald Reagan meeting in Helsinki Mauno Koivisto Social Democratic Party 1513234 Paavo Väyrynen Centre Party 636375 Harri Holkeri National Coalition Party 570340 Kalevi Kivistö Movement 88 330072 Jouko Kajanoja Democratic Alternative 44428 63641 4036169 Nohlen & Stöver Electoral college Supporters of Mauno Koivisto 5 Social Democratic Party 1175209 128 Social Democratic Party of Finland Finnish Rural Party 120043 7 Pro Koivisto 88663 8 Åland Coalition 7484 1 1391399 144 Centre Party 647769 68 National Coalition Party 603180 63 Movement 88 286833 26 Democratic Alternative 56528 0 155651 4036169 Nohlen & Stöver, TilastokeskusPresidentin vaalit Presidentvalet Presidential election 1988 https://www.doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/117955/xpvaa_198800_1988_dig.pdf#page=10 doria.fi fi 6 August 2023 Electoral college vote Mauno Koivisto Social Democratic Party 144 189 Paavo Väyrynen Centre Party 68 68 Harri Holkeri National Coalition Party 63 18 Kalevi Kivistö Movement 88 26 26 Jouko Kajanoja Democratic Alternative 0 Nohlen & Stöver References Category:Presidential elections in Finland Finland President Finland Finland