This article is a list of political parties in Finland, which includes Finland's national-level political parties and excludes local and provincial parties (such as the parties of Åland). A party is defined as a political association whose existence is recorded in the Ministry of Justice's party register.[1]
Finland has a multi-party system. Coalition governments which comprise a majority of seats in the Parliament of Finland are the norm. Those parties which are not in government are called the opposition. Due to the lack of an electoral threshold, many parties are usually represented in Parliament. As a result, it is all but impossible for one party to win a majority. Additionally, the socialist and non-socialist blocs usually cannot win enough seats between them to form a governing coalition on their own. Most Finnish governments, particularly since World War II, have thus been grand coalitions comprising parties stretching across the political spectrum.
Parties work in parliamentary groups (eduskuntaryhmät), usually voting with party discipline, which is however not absolute.
Parties are composed of local chapters based in municipalities. In municipalities, which are fundamental administrative units of the country, parties hold seats in the municipal councils, but often have to compete for them with local non-party groups.
Finnish law states that a political association which fulfills certain conditions is eligible to become a political party free of charge.[1] Among these conditions are:
A registered party may nominate candidates in any national and local elections, and a party that is represented in parliament is entitled to a government subsidy relative to its number of seats. To qualify as a registered party, an association must have bylaws guaranteeing democratic internal organization and must be able to present 5,000 signatures from supporters who are eligible to vote. A party that fails to win a single seat in two consecutive parliamentary elections is stricken from the register but may apply again. (In contrast, a voluntary association has a requirement of 20,000 supporters and is not eligible for party subsidy.)
Party | Ideology | MPs | MEPs | CCs | Leader | Founded | Ref | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Social Democratic Party Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen puolue |
Social Democratic | Social democracy | 40 / 200
|
2 / 14
|
1,451 / 8,859
|
Sanna Marin | 1899 | [2][3][4] | ||
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Finns Party Perussuomalaiset |
Finns | National conservatism, Right-wing populism |
38 / 200
|
2 / 14
|
1,350 / 8,859
|
Riikka Purra | 1995 | [2][3][4] | |
National Coalition Party Kansallinen Kokoomus |
National Coalition | Liberal conservatism, Conservative liberalism |
38 / 200
|
3 / 14
|
1,552 / 8,859
|
Petteri Orpo | 1918 | [2][3][4] | ||
Centre Party Suomen Keskusta |
Centre | Agrarianism, Liberalism |
31 / 200
|
2 / 14
|
2,444 / 8,859
|
Annika Saarikko[5] | 1906 | [2][3][4] | ||
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Green League Vihreä liitto |
Green League | Green politics, Green liberalism |
20 / 200
|
3 / 14
|
433 / 8,859
|
Maria Ohisalo | 1987 | [2][3][4] | |
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Left Alliance Vasemmistoliitto |
Left Alliance | Democratic socialism, Eco-socialism |
16 / 200
|
1 / 14
|
508 / 8,859
|
Li Andersson | 1990 | [2][3][4] | |
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Swedish People's Party Ruotsalainen kansanpuolue |
Swedish People's | Liberalism, Swedo-Finnish interests |
9 / 200
|
1 / 14
|
463 / 8,859
|
Anna-Maja Henriksson | 1906 | [2][3][4] | |
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Christian Democrats Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit |
Christian Democrats | Christian democracy, Social conservatism |
5 / 200
|
0 / 14
|
311 / 8,859
|
Sari Essayah | 1958 | [2][3][4] | |
Movement Now Liike Nyt |
Movement Now | Economic liberalism | 1 / 200
|
0 / 14
|
49 / 8,859
|
Harry Harkimo | 2018 | [6][7][8][9] | ||
Power Belongs to the People Valta kuuluu kansalle |
VKK | Anti-immigration, Russophilia |
1 / 200
|
0 / 14
|
2 / 8,859
|
Ano Turtiainen | 2021 | [2][4][10] |
Those parties that have received neither a seat in the Parliament of Finland nor in the European Parliament, but which are registered political parties, are listed below.
Party | Ideology | CCs | Leader | Founded | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Animal Justice Party Eläinoikeuspuolue Djurrättspartiet |
Animal Justice Party of Finland | Animal rights | 0 | Santeri Pienimäki | 2016 | [2][3][4] | |
Blue Reform Sininen tulevaisuus Blå framtid |
Blue Reform | Conservatism Soft Euroscepticism |
60 | Kari Kulmala | 2017 | [2][3][4] | |
Citizens' Party Kansalaispuolue Medborgarpartiet |
Citizens' Party | Centrism Euroscepticism |
1 | Sami Kilpeläinen | 2016 | [2][3][4] | |
Crystal Party Kristallipuolue Kristallpartiet |
Crystal Party | Alternative medicine Spirituality Euroscepticism Anti-lockdown |
1 | Taru Vuorela | 2013 | [2][3][4][11] | |
Feminist Party Feministinen puolue Feministiska partiet |
Feminist Party | Feminism | 1 | Katju Aro | 2016 | [2][3][4] | |
Communist Party of Finland Suomen Kommunistinen Puolue Finlands Kommunistiska Parti |
Communist Party of Finland | Communism | 2 | Juha-Pekka Väisänen | 1994 | [2][3][4] | |
Finnish People First Suomen Kansa Ensin |
Finnish People First | Nationalism | 0 | Riikka Salmi | 2018 | [12][13] | |
Independence Party Itsenäisyyspuolue Självständighetspartiet |
Independence Party (Finland) | Euroscepticism Economic democracy |
2 | Henri Aitakari | 1994 | [2][3][4] | |
Liberal Party Liberaalipuolue Liberalpartiet |
Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose | Classical liberalism Economic liberalism |
5 | Harri Kreus | 2016 | [2][3][4] | |
The Open Party Avoin Puolue Öppna Partiet |
AP | Liberalism Open government Direct democracy |
1 | Petrus Pennanen | 2020 | [2][3][4][14] | |
Pirate Party Piraattipuolue Piratpartiet |
Pirate Party (Finland) | Pirate politics Social liberalism |
2 | Pekka Mustonen | 2008 | [2][3][4] | |
Seven Star Movement Seitsemän tähden liike Sjustjärnerörelsen |
Seven Star Movement | Political independence Non-alignment Anti-immigration |
0 | Seppo Hauta-aho | 2018 | [15][16][17] | |
Blue-and-Black Movement Sinimusta Liike Blåsvarta rörelsen |
Blue-and-Black Movement | Finnish nationalism Traditionalism Anti-immigration |
0 | Tuukka Kuru | 2021 | [18][19][20] | |
Freedom Alliance Vapauden Liitto Frihetsalliansen |
VL | Right-wing populism National conservatism Christian right |
0 | Ossi Tiihonen | 2022 |
Party | Ideology | CCs | Leader | Founded | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Communist Workers' Party Kommunistinen Työväenpuolue Kommunistiska Arbetarpartiet |
Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism | Communism Marxism–Leninism |
0 | Mikko Vartiainen | 1988 | [2][3][4] | |
Change 2011 Muutos 2011 Förändring 2011 |
Change 2011 | Direct democracy | 0 | Anita Saarinen | 2009 | [4][21][22] | |
Finnish Islamic Party Suomen islamilainen puolue Finska Islamiska Partiet |
Finnish Islamic Party | Islamism | 0 | Abdullah Tammi | 2007 | [23] |
Party | Founded | Dissolved | |
---|---|---|---|
Finnish Party Suomalainen Puolue Finska Partiet |
1863 | 1918 | |
Young Finnish Party Nuorsuomalainen Puolue Ungfinska Partiet |
1894 | 1918 | |
Christian Workers' Union of Finland Suomen Kristillisen Työväen Liitto, KTL Kristliga Arbetarförbundet |
1906 | 1922 | |
People's Party Kansanpuolue Folkpartiet |
1917 | 1918 | |
Communist Party of Finland Suomen Kommunistinen Puolue, SKP Finlands Kommunistiska Parti, FKP |
1918 | 1992 | |
National Progressive Party Kansallinen Edistyspuolue Framstegspartiet |
1918 | 1951 | |
Liberal Swedish Party Svenska frisinnade partiet Ruotsalainen vapaamielinen puolue |
1919 | 1951 | |
Patriotic People's Movement Isänmaallinen kansanliike Fosterländska folkrörelsen |
1932 | 1944 | |
People's Party Kansanpuolue Folkpartiet |
1932 | 1936 | |
Finnish People's Democratic League Suomen Kansan Demokraattinen Liitto, SKDL Demokratiska Förbundet för Finlands Folk, DFFF |
1945 | 1990 | |
Liberal League Vapaamielisten liitto De Frisinnades Förbund |
1951 | 1965 | |
Liberals Liberaalit Liberalerna |
1965 | 2011 | |
Finnish People's Unity Party Suomen Kansan Yhtenäisyyden Puolue, SKYP Enhetspartiet för Finlands Folk, EFF |
1972 | 1983 | |
Constitutional Right Party Perustuslaillinen Oikeistopuolue, POP Konstitutionella högerpartiet |
1973 | 1992 | |
Democratic Alternative Demokraattinen Vaihtoehto, Deva Demokratiskt Alternativ, DA |
1986 | 1990 | |
Kirjava ”Puolue” – Elonkehän Puolesta Det Eko-Brokiga Partiet |
1988 | 2003 | |
People's Party of Finland Suomen Kansanpuolue Finska folkpartiet |
1951 | 1965 | |
Reform Group Remonttiryhmä Reformgruppen |
1998 | 2001 | |
Finnish Rural Party Suomen Maaseudun Puolue, SMP Finlands landsbygdsparti, FLP |
1959 | 1995 | |
Small Farmers Party Pienviljelijäin Puolue Småbrukarpartiet |
1936 | 1954 | |
Small Farmers' Party of Finland Suomen Pienviljelijäin Puolue Småbrukarpartiet |
1929 | 1936 | |
Socialist Electoral Organisation of Workers and Smallholders Sosialistinen työväen ja pienviljelijöiden vaalijärjestö, STPV Finlands socialistiska arbetarparti |
1924 | 1930 | |
Socialist Workers' Party of Finland Suomen Sosialistinen Työväenpuolue, SSTP Finlands socialistiska arbetarparti |
1920 | 1923 | |
Socialist Unity Party Sosialistinen yhtenäisyyspuolue, SYP Socialistiska enhetspartiet |
1946 | 1955 | |
Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders Työväen ja Pienviljelijöiden Sosialidemokraattinen Liitto, TPSL Arbetarnas och Småbrukarnas Socialdemokratiska Förbund, ASSF |
1959 | 1973 | |
Young Finns Nuorsuomalaiset Ungfinnarna |
1994 | 1999 |