1958 Finnish parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 6 and 7 July 1958.[1] The communist Finnish People's Democratic League emerged as the largest party, but was unable to form a government.

1958 Finnish parliamentary election

← 1954 6–7 July 1958 1962 →

All 200 seats in Parliament
101 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Kusti Kulo Väinö Tanner V. J. Sukselainen
Party SKDL SDP Agrarian
Last election 21.57%, 43 seats 26.25%, 54 seats 24.10%, 53 seats
Seats won 50 48 48
Seat change Increase 7 Decrease 6 Decrease 5
Popular vote 450,220 449,536 448,364
Percentage 23.16% 23.12% 23.06%
Swing Increase 1.59pp Decrease 3.13pp Increase 1.04pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Jussi Saukkonen Lars Erik Taxell Eino Saari
Party National Coalition RKP People's
Last election 12.80%, 24 seats 6.76%, 12 seats 7.88%, 13 seats
Seats won 29 13 8
Seat change Increase 5 Increase 1 Decrease 5
Popular vote 297,094 126,365 114,617
Percentage 15.28% 6.50% 5.90%
Swing Increase 2.48pp Decrease 0.26pp Decrease 1.98pp

  Seventh party Eighth party
 
Leader Emil Skog
Party TPSL ÅS
Last election 0.23%, 1 seat
Seats won 3 1
Seat change New Steady
Popular vote 33,947 5,487
Percentage 1.75% 0.28%
Swing New Increase 0.05pp

Prime Minister before election

Reino Kuuskoski
Independent

Prime Minister after election

Karl-August Fagerholm
SDP

Background

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Between March 1956, when Urho Kekkonen (Agrarian League) became president, and the 1958 elections, Finland had had four governments; Karl-August Fagerholm's Social Democratic Party majority government, V. J. Sukselainen's Agrarian minority government, and two civil-service caretaker governments, led by the Governor of the Bank of Finland, Rainer von Fieandt and the Chief Justice of Finland's Supreme Administrative Court, Reino Kuuskoski. The Social Democrats and Agrarians found it difficult to work together in the government, which significantly reduced Finland's chances of having a stable government, because the two other large or fairly large parties, the Finnish People's Democratic League and National Coalition Party, were excluded from the government.

The Social Democrats had been split into two parties since Väinö Tanner, a veteran Social Democrat and a former political prisoner (one of the eight "war culprits" after World War II), had very narrowly been elected the Social Democratic leader over Fagerholm in July 1957. The Social Democrats were among Kekkonen's chief opponents and wanted to defeat him in the 1962 presidential elections. After becoming president, Kekkonen wanted to defeat the Social Democrats politically, and thus their split into the majority and the minority, the so-called Skogists (after former Defence Minister Emil Skog) helped him move closer towards that goal.

In addition, Finland was suffering from a recession and, by that time's standards, a high unemployment rate, which helped the Finnish People's Democratic League to increase their support. After these elections, Fagerholm formed his third government, which included the Social Democrats, Agrarians, National Coalitioners, Swedish People's Party and the People's Party of Finland, in August 1958. Already when he appointed Fagerholm's government, President Kekkonen indicated that he would not help if it encountered problems. Soon the government ran into difficulties: the Soviet Union interrupted its trade negotiations with Finland, and in November or December 1958, the Soviet ambassador to Finland returned to the Soviet Union. These "night frosts," along with President Kekkonen's and the other Agrarians' opposition (Foreign Minister Virolainen resigned from the government at the beginning of December 1958, and former Assistant Finance Minister Karjalainen wrote that it was time for the wise people to leave the government), caused Fagerholm to tender his resignation in December 1958. Sukselainen formed another centrist minority government in January 1959, while Kekkonen visited the Soviet Union where the Soviet leader Khrushchev assured him that all was again well in the Finnish-Soviet relations.[2][3]

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Finnish People's Democratic League450,22023.1650+7
Social Democratic Party449,53623.1248–6
Agrarian League448,36423.0648–5
National Coalition Party297,09415.2829+5
Swedish People's Party126,3656.5013+1
People's Party114,6175.908–5
Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders33,9471.753New
Liberal League6,4240.3300
Åland Coalition5,4870.2810
Agrarian League Opposition5,0570.260New
Finnish Christian League3,3580.170New
Free Citizens and Centre List3,0330.160New
Free Economy List3310.020New
People's Co-operation League1600.010New
Others2420.010
Total1,944,235100.002000
Valid votes1,944,23599.48
Invalid/blank votes10,1620.52
Total votes1,954,397100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,606,25874.99
Source: Tilastokeskus 2004,[4] Suomen virallinen tilasto[5]

By electoral district

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Electoral district Total
seats
Seats won
SKDL SDP ML Kok RKP SK TPSL ÅS
Åland 1 1
Central Finland 12 3 3 4 1 1
Häme 14 3 4 2 3 1 1
Helsinki 19 4 4 5 3 2 1
Kymi 15 2 5 4 3 1
Lapland 9 4 1 3 1
North Karelia 11 2 4 4 1
North Savo 12 4 2 5 1
North Vaasa 8 1 1 3 1 2
Oulu 18 7 2 7 1 1
Pirkanmaa 13 5 3 1 3 1
Satakunta 14 4 4 3 3
South Savo 12 1 5 5 1
South Vaasa 10 2 1 2 2 3
Uusima 16 3 5 2 1 4 1
Varsinais-Suomi 16 5 4 3 2 1 1
Total 200 50 48 48 29 13 8 3 1
Source: Statistics Finland[6]

References

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  1. ^ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds. (2003) A Small Giant of the Finnish History, WSOY, 2003, p786, 811, 817–821
  3. ^ Johannes Virolainen (1991) The Last Electoral Term, Otava
  4. ^ 595. Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 (Tilastokeskus 2004)
  5. ^ Suomen virallinen tilasto 29 A, Kansanedustajain vaalit XXVI(?)
  6. ^ Suomen virallinen tilasto XXIX A:26: Eduskuntavaalit 1958. Statistics Finland. 1959.