The 2007 Finnish parliamentary election was held on March 18, 2007.^[1] Early voting was possible from 7th to 13th of March. Two hundred MPs were elected from 15 constituencies. The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. ... Tarja Kaarina Halonen (IPA: ) (born December 24, 1943, in Helsinki, Finland) is the President of Finland. ... The Prime Minister (Finnish Pääministeri, Swedish: Statsminister) is the head of government in Finland. ... Matti Taneli Vanhanen ( ) (born November 4, 1955, in Jyväskylä) is the current Prime Minister of Finland, as well as Chairman of the Centre Party. ... The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland (in Finnish Ulkoasiainministeri, in Swedish Utrikesminister) handles Finlands Foreign affairs. ... Ilkka Armas Mikael Kanerva (born 28 January 1948) is the current Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland (since 2007). ... The Eduskunta (in Finnish), or the Riksdag (in Swedish), is the Parliament of Finland. ... The Council of State (Finnish: Valtioneuvosto, Swedish: StatsrÃ¥det) is Finlands cabinet; it directs the Government of Finland. ... Politics of Finland See also [[List of political parties in Åland|political parties in Åland]]. Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Finland | Finnish politics ... The 2003 Finnish parliamentary election was held on Sunday, 16 March 2003, with the aim of determining the composition of the Finnish parliament, or Eduskunta, for the parliamentary period between 2003 and 2007. ... The 2006 Finnish Presidential election saw the reelection of Tarja Halonen as President of Finland for a second six-year term. ... Political parties in Finland lists political parties in Finland. ... Finland consists of 6 provinces (Finnish: läänit, Swedish: län). ... The municipalities (kunta in Finnish, kommun in Swedish) represent the local level of administration in Finland and act as the fundamental administrative units of the country. ... Finland’s basic foreign policy goal, from the end of the Continuation War with the U.S.S.R. in 1944 until 1991, was to avoid great-power conflicts and to build mutual confidence with the Soviet Union. ... Human rights in Finland are protected by extensive domestic safeguards, in addition to the countrys active membership in most international human rights treaties. ... The European Union or EU is a supranational and international organization of 27 member states. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Early voting, or vote banking, not to be confused with absentee voting, allows a voter to cast a ballot in front of an elections official before the official poll date. ...

Election themes included a reduction of income tax and VAT on food. A proposal for a guaranteed minimum income has been introduced by some parties.^[2] The election debates were characterized by the high economic growth in Finland in recent years, which means that the government will probably have extra money to use on welfare services and transfer payments. Value added tax (VAT) is tax on exchanges. ... A guaranteed minimum income is a proposed system of income redistribution that would give each citizen a certain sum of money independent of whether they work or not. ... In political science and economics, a transfer payment is a payment of money from a government or any other organization to an individual, a group or another order of government for which no good or service is directly required in return. ...

Altogether, 2,004 candidates were nominated, 799 of whom were women. About three quarters of the candidates were nominated by parties currently represented in Parliament. The number of female MPs rose as 84 women were elected (formerly 75), now representing a record 42% of the 200 MPs. The Eduskunta (in Finnish), or the Riksdag (in Swedish), is the Parliament of Finland. ...

According to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, the number of advance voters rose by comparison with the previous election in 2003. After the Tuesday before the Sunday election, when the advance voting ended, the voter turnout had already reached 29.2%, which is more than at the same point in the 2003 elections. Total voter turnout, at 67.8%, fell short of the 2003 figure, 69.7%, reaching a new low since the 1939 elections. Helsingin Sanomat is the biggest subscription newspaper in Finland. ... The 2003 Finnish parliamentary election was held on Sunday, 16 March 2003, with the aim of determining the composition of the Finnish parliament, or Eduskunta, for the parliamentary period between 2003 and 2007. ... Categories: | ...

Many prominent MPs decided not to stand in the election. Former Prime Minister (1995—2003) and Speaker of the outgoing Parliament, Paavo Lipponen left his seat, as did the fifth-longest serving minister of all time, Jan-Erik Enestam, and former Left Alliance party leader Suvi-Anne Siimes, who had harshly criticized her party after her resignation as chairman in 2006. Some former MPs made a comeback, former Finance Minister and presidential candidate Sauli Niinistö and the first European Green minister, Pekka Haavisto being the most famous examples. Niinistö also set a record for the highest number of personal votes, 60,498, which is almost twice as high as the previous record, and with the application of the d'Hondt method used in Finland, as many as four other National Coalition candidates were elected to Parliament by the effect of these votes. Paavo Lipponen Paavo Tapio Lipponen (b. ... Jan-Erik Enestam (born 12 March 1947 in Västanfjärd) is a Finnish politician. ... The Left Alliance (in Finnish: Vasemmistoliitto, ; in Swedish: Vänsterförbundet) is a political party in Finland. ... Image:Suvi-Anne Siimes. ... The 2006 Finnish Presidential election saw the reelection of Tarja Halonen as President of Finland for a second six-year term. ... Sauli Niinistö Sauli Väinämö Niinistö (born August 24, 1948, Salo, Finland) is a Director at the European Investment Bank, a lawyer, former Finnish finance minister and was the Kokoomus candidate in the 2006 presidential election. ... Green parties around the world are formally organized political parties based on the principles of Green politics. ... Pekka Haavisto is a Finnish politician representing the Green League. ... The DHondt method (equivalent to Jeffersons method) is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. ...

The date of the election was near to the 100th anniversary of the first Finnish parliamentary elections, which were held on the 15th and 16th of March, 1907, and were the first elections held under universal suffrage in Europe. Categories: | ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, intelligence, or economic or social status. ...

Some constituencies elect only 6 or 7 MPs, resulting in a high election threshold for a given party,^[3] favoring large parties and reducing the proportionality of the result. Because of this, the party leader of the Greens, Tarja Cronberg, lost her seat in the district of Northern Karelia, the party's only one, despite their getting 11.7 % of the vote there. Her case, made seemingly even more unfair by her impressive personal total of 7,802 votes, greater than that of most of those elected, has been held up in the media as a symbol of the flaws in the present system. The Finnish government has not yet redistricted the constituencies to compensate.^[4] In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ... Tarja Cronberg Tarja Cronberg (b. ... Finland is a republic with a representative democracy governed according to the principles of Parliamentarism. ... The process known as redistricting in the United States and redistribution in many Commonwealth countries is the changing of political borders (in many countries, specifically the electoral district/constituency boundaries) usually in response to periodic census results. ...

Results

After the Finnish Parliamentary elections on March 18, 2007, the seats were divided among eight parties as follows:^[5] March 18 is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

*Province of Åland representative. The Centre Party (in Finnish: Suomen Keskusta, ) is a centrist political party in Finland. ... Image File history File links Red_Arrow_Down. ... The National Coalition Party (Kansallinen Kokoomus or Samlingspartiet) is a political party in Finland. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) is one of the most influential political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the Coalition Party. ... Image File history File links Red_Arrow_Down. ... The Left Alliance (in Finnish: Vasemmistoliitto, ; in Swedish: Vänsterförbundet) is a political party in Finland. ... Image File history File links Red_Arrow_Down. ... The Green League (Finnish: Vihreä liitto, Swedish: Gröna förbundet), is a green political party in Finland. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Christian Democrats (Kristillisdemokraatit or Kristdemokraterna) is a political party in Finland. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... The Swedish Peoples Party (Swedish: ; Finnish: ) is a Swedish speaking minority and mainly liberal party in Finland. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... True Finns (Perussuomalaiset in Finnish or Sannfinländarna in Swedish) is a small party in Finland, founded in 1995 on the ruins of The Finnish Rural Party. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Communist Party of Finland (Finnish: Suomen kommunistinen puolue, Swedish: Finlands kommunistiska parti, abbreviated SKP) is a former political party endorsing communism in Finland. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... The Finnish Peoples Blue-whites (Finnish: Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset; Swedish: Finlands Folkets BlÃ¥vita) is a Finnish political party with a far-right nationalist agenda, led by the controvesial political figure Olavi Mäenpää. The party was founded in 1993, but it didnt become a registered political party... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... Liberals (Liberaalit) is a free market liberal party in Finland. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... For Peace and Socialism - Communist Workers Party (KTP) is a political party in Finland. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... Workers Party of Finland (Finnish: , Swedish: ) is a political party in Finland. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... Image File history File links Straight_Line_Steady. ... Motto: none Anthem: Ã…länningens sÃ¥ng Capital Mariehamn Official languages Swedish Government Autonomous province  - Governor Peter Lindbäck1  - Premier Roger Nordlund Autonomy    - Declared 1920   - Recognized 19212  Accession to EU January 1, 19953 Area  - Total 13,517 km² (n/a) 5,267 sq mi   - Water (%) 89 Population  - 2005 estimate 26...

The elections were a major victory for the opposition National Coalition Party under Jyrki Katainen. It gained 10 seats and took over the position of the second-largest party in Finland. The main government partners, the Centre Party and the Social Democrats, both lost ground. With the Left Alliance also losing seats, the labor parties received the worst result in the 100 year history of Finnish democracy; for the Social Democrats, the result is the worst since 1962, while the Left Alliance has lost seats in every election since 1999. The Centre Party, despite the loss, maintained its position as the biggest party in Parliament, with one seat more than the National Coalition. It is also the only time, except for the parliamentary election of 1930, that the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party together have an absolute majority in Parliament. The outcome could lead to the formation of a new center-right government and leave out the left-leaning Social Democrats in opposition for the first time since 1995.^[6] Jyrki Katainen Jyrki Katainen (b. ... The Centre Party (in Finnish: Suomen Keskusta, ) is a centrist political party in Finland. ... The Left Alliance (in Finnish: Vasemmistoliitto, ; in Swedish: Vänsterförbundet) is a political party in Finland. ... The name Labour Party or Labor Party is used by several political parties around the world. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Categories: | ... The National Coalition Party (Kansallinen Kokoomus or Samlingspartiet) is a political party in Finland. ...

Winners also include the True Finns, who gained two seats. Party leader Timo Soini in particular took in a massive personal total of almost 20,000 votes, the third greatest in the country. The Green League gained one seat with its best ever showing in parliamentary elections, but party leader Tarja Cronberg lost her seat in the small district of Northern Karelia. The Swedish People's Party gained one seat as well, although losing votes compared to the 2003 elections. True Finns (Perussuomalaiset in Finnish or Sannfinländarna in Swedish) is a small party in Finland, founded in 1995 on the ruins of The Finnish Rural Party. ... Timo Juhani Soini (born 30 May 1962 Rauma, Finland) is the leader of the True Finns party and, since 2003, a member of the Parliament of Finland. ... The Green League (Finnish: Vihreä liitto, Swedish: Gröna förbundet), is a green political party in Finland. ... Tarja Cronberg Tarja Cronberg (b. ... Swedish Peoples Party can mean: Swedish Peoples Party - a political party in Finland Liberal Peoples Party - a political party in Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Incumbent Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, as party leader of the Centre Party, will start formal coalition negotiations on April 11. He announced on April 4 that the formal negotiations will begin with his Centre Party, National Coalition, the Greens and Swedish People's Party. This means that the new government coalition will likely be centre-right and include those parties. If everything goes as planned, the lawmakers will choose the new Prime Minister on April 17. The Centre Party (in Finnish: Suomen Keskusta, ) is a centrist political party in Finland. ... The National Coalition Party (Kansallinen Kokoomus or Samlingspartiet) is a political party in Finland. ... The Green League (Finnish: Vihreä liitto, Swedish: Gröna förbundet), is a green political party in Finland. ... The Swedish Peoples Party (Swedish: ; Finnish: ) is a Swedish speaking minority and mainly liberal party in Finland. ...

As much as eight very small parties were removed from the registry of political parties as a result of their repeated failure to gain seats in the 2003 and 2007 elections: Suomen työväenpuolue, Itsenäisyyspuolue, Liberaalit, Muutosvoimat Suomi, Köyhien Asialla, Yhteisvastuu puolue, Suomen Isänmaallinen kansanliike, Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset. Currently, there are three parties in the registry that failed to gain seats in the 2007 elections: Communist Party of Finland, Suomen Senioripuolue (a pensioners' party) and For Peace and Socialism - Communist Workers Party. This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Liberal parties | Finnish political parties ... The Communist Party of Finland (Finnish: Suomen kommunistinen puolue, Swedish: Finlands kommunistiska parti, abbreviated SKP) is a former political party endorsing communism in Finland. ... For Peace and Socialism - Communist Workers Party (in Finnish: Rauhan ja Sosialismin Puolesta - Kommunistinen Työväenpuolue, in Swedish: För Fred och Socialism - Kommunistiska Arbetarpartiet), a political party in Finland. ...

Conjecture

It has been conjectured that the change in political support of parties has been affected by Finnish worker union SAK's (connected closely to left-wing parties) famous TV commercials, which show a capitalist devouring and laughing how "workers do not vote".^[7] This was seen as a black-and-white picture of the world. The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK (Finnish: Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö) is the biggest trade union confederation in Finland. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ...

References

YLE (Yleisradio Oy) is Finlands National Broadcasting Company, founded in 1926. ...

External links

• Ministry of Justice election site (in English)
• History of Finnish Parliament (in English)
• Centenary of women's full political rights in Finland (in English)
• Election site of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) (in English)
• Finland getting centre-right government with a shade of green -Helsingin Sanomat
• Would you vote for someone with a face like yours? -Reuters
• Political campaigning to continue on election day -Helsingin Sanomat
• Advance voting for Parliamentary Elections begins today -Helsingin Sanomat
• Poll: Centre Party leads in advance of Sunday election -Helsingin Sanomat
• Poll: Centre-SDP government overwhelming favourite -Helsingin Sanomat
• Finnish MP seeks votes in Klingon -Reuters