1919 Finnish parliamentary election

General election Finland state-1918 parliamentary 1917 Finnish parliamentary election 1917 1922 Finnish parliamentary election 1922 All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland 101 1–3 March 1919 130x130px Väinö Tanner in 1931 (cropped).jpg Väinö Tanner Social Democratic Party of Finland 44.79%, 92 seats 80 365,046 37.98% 6.81pp Santeri Alkio2.jpg Santeri Alkio Agrarian League (Finland) 12.38%, 26 seats 42 189,297 19.70% 16 7.32pp HugoSuolahti (cropped).jpg Hugo Suolahti National Coalition Party – 26 151,018 15.71% New New Oskari Mantere circa 1925.jpg Oskari Mantere National Progressive Party (Finland) – 26 123,090 12.81% new new 12 Eric von Rettig Swedish People's Party of Finland 10.90%, 21 seats 22 1 116,582 12.13% 1.23pp Lauri Ingman Prime Minister National Coalition Party Prime Minister after election Kaarlo Castrén National Progressive Party (Finland) thumb|Ballot paper Parliamentary elections were held in Finland between 1 and 3 March 1919.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 978-3-8329-5609-7 It marked the first parliamentary election in a newly independent Finland. The Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest in Parliament with 80 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 67%.Nohlen & Stöver, p613 Background In 1919, Finland was still reeling from the violent and traumatic effects of its Civil War. Many Whites (rightists and centrists) felt that a strong national government was necessary to prevent a new civil war. Some conservatives, especially monarchists, even wondered if Finland should keep its democracy and universal right to vote. For example, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, in the White Army's victory parade in Helsinki in May 1918, called for giving the leadership of Finland's to a strong leader, free from partisan wrangling. Liberals, such as the first President Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, believed that discontent with Finland's political, social and economic order would be removed by making reforms. Monarchists had elected the German Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse as the Finnish king in October 1918, but he had renounced the throne in December 1918, conscious of the problems that Finland would have in its relations with the winners World War I if it had a citizen of the defeated Germany as its king. The republican parties (the Social Democrats, Agrarians and Progressives) disagreed on how much power the president should have. The monarchist parties (the National Coalition Party and the Swedish People's Party of Finland) wanted a strong presidency if there was going to be a republic at all. In the end, enough Finnish voters sided with the republican parties, which also promised significant social reforms, such as the freeing of tenant farmers and the distribution of excess farmland to them.Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of Finnish History, Helsinki: WSOY, 2003, pages 610-612Pentti Virrankoski, A History of Finland 1&2, Helsinki: Finnish Literary Society, 2009, pages 756-758, 766-767Jonathan Clements, Mannerheim: President, Soldier, Spy, London, UK: Haus Publishing Ltd, 2009 Results File:1919 Eduskunta.svg Social Democratic Party 365046 80 –12 Agrarian League 189297 42 +16 National Coalition Party 151018 28 New National Progressive Party 123090 26 New Swedish People's Party 116582 22 +1 Christian Workers' Union 14718 2 +2 Others 1350 0 – 0 4771 1438709 Nohlen & Stöver Aftermath On 25 July 1919 Ståhlberg defeated Mannerheim in the presidential elections. See also List of members of the Parliament of Finland, 1919–1922 References Category:Parliamentary elections in Finland Parliament Finland