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.
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 parties 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.
Political parties work in parliamentary groups (eduskuntaryhmät) which usually vote with non-absolute party discipline.
Parties are composed of local chapters based in municipalities. In municipalities, which are fundamental administrative units in the country, parties hold seats in the municipal councils, but often have to compete for them with local non-party groups (independents).
Finnish law states that a political association which fulfills certain conditions is eligible to become a political party free of charge. Among these conditions are: that the primary purpose of the association is to affect governmental affairs, that it has received at least 5,000 votes in any parliamentary, municipal, county, or European Parliament election, that the association's rules secure the following of democratic principles in its decision making and activities, and that it has a general program based on these rules which expresses the association's principles and goals regarding its actions in governmental affairs.
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 its 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.
Parliamentary parties Party Ideology MPs MEPs CCs Leader Founded National Coalition Party () Liberal conservatism 1918 Finns Party () 1995 Social Democratic Party () SDP Social democracy 1899 Centre Party () 1906 Green League () Vihr Green politics 1987 Left Alliance () 1990 Swedish People's Party () 1906 Christian Democrats() KD 1958 Movement Now() Economic liberalism 2018
Extra-parliamentary parties
Registered The parties that haven't received a seat in the Parliament of Finland or in the European Parliament, but which are registered political parties, are listed below.
Party Ideology CCs Leader Founded Animal Justice PartyEläinoikeuspuolue(Djurrättspartiet)Animal rights0Tatu Chanth2015 Power Belongs to the People Valta kuuluu kansalleFinnish ultranationalismRussophiliaVaccine hesitancy 0Antti Asikainen2021 Crystal PartyKristallipuolue(Kristall Parti) SpiritualityAnti-lockdown 0 Sanna Seesvalo2013 Communist Party of FinlandSuomen Kommunistinen Puolue(Finlands Kommunistiska Parti)CommunismMarxism–Leninism0 Liisa Taskinen1994 The Open PartyAvoin Puolue LiberalismOpen government 0 Thierry Botty van den Bruele2020 Freedom AllianceVapauden liitto Right-wing populismNational conservatism0 Ossi Tiihonen2022 Truth PartyTotuuspuolue National conservatism Russophilia0 Jaana Kavonius2023Liberal Party – Freedom to ChooseLiberaalipuolue - Vapaus valita(Liberalpartiet - Frihet att välja)Classical liberalismEconomic liberalism1Lassi Kivinen2015 Blue-and-Black MovementSinimusta LiikeSMLNeo-fascism0Tuukka Kuru2021Hemp PartyHamppupuolue(Hampapartiet) HPSingle-issue (cannabis)02022
De-registered The parties listed below have previously been registered, but have since been de-registered.
Party Ideology Leader Founded KansalaisliittoKansalaisliitto(Medborgarförbundet)Direct democracyEconomic democracyPäivi Järnfors1994 Pirate PartyPiraattipuolue(Piratpartiet)Pirate politicsSocial liberalismMarek Nečada2008 Feminist PartyFeministinen puolue(Feministiska partiet)Feminism Lauri Alhojärvi2016 Communist Workers' PartyKommunistinen Työväenpuolue(Kommunistiska Arbetarpartiet)CommunismMarxism–LeninismSanni Riihiaho1988 Change 2011Muutos 2011(Förändring 2011) Direct democracyPopulism 2009
Historical parties
Parliamentary historical parties Party Founded DissolvedFinnish Party18631918Young Finnish Party18941918Christian Workers' Union of Finland, KTL1906192219171918Communist Party of Finland, SKP, FKP19181992National Progressive Party19181951Liberal Swedish Party19191951Patriotic People's Movement19321944People's Party19321936Finnish People's Democratic League, SKDL, DFFF19451990Liberal League19511965Liberals19652011Finnish People's Unity Party, SKYP, EFF19721983Constitutional Right Party, POP19731992Democratic Alternative, Deva, DA19861990Kirjava ”Puolue” – Elonkehän Puolesta19882003People's Party of Finland19511965Reform Group19982001Finnish Rural Party, SMP, FLP19591995Small Farmers Party19361954Small Farmers' Party of Finland19291936Socialist Electoral Organisation of Workers and Smallholders, STPV19241930Socialist Workers' Party of Finland, SSTP19201923Socialist Unity Party, SYP19461955Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders, TPSL, ASSF19591973Young Finns19941999
Extra-parliamentary historical parties
(Ruotsalainen puolue) 1870–1906 (Liberaalinen puolue) 1880–1885 (Suomen aktiivinen vastustuspuolue) 1904–1908 National Workers' Party (Kansallinen Työväenpuolue) 1917–? (Sosialistinen Työpuolue) 1917–1919 (Talonpoikaiskansan puolue) 1924–1933 (Maanviljelijäin Puolue) 1927–1929 United Front (Yhteisrintama) 193?–1940 New Finnish Party (Uusi Suomalainen Puolue) 1932–1945 Finnish Socialist Party (Suomalaissosialistinen Puolue) 1932–1937 Patriotic People's Party (Isänmaallinen Kansanpuolue) 1932–1933 Finnish People's Organisation (Suomen Kansan Järjestö) 1933–1936 Finnish-Socialist Workers' Party (Suomalaissosialistinen Työväen Puolue) 1934–1944 Finnish Labor Front (Suomen Työrintama) 1936–1939 Party of Finnish National Work (Suomalais-Kansallisen Työn Puolue) 1939–? Finnish National Socialist Labor Organisation (Suomen Kansallissosialistinen Työväenpuolue) 1940–1943 Neo-Socialist Party (Uus-sosialistinen puolue) 1940–1945 Organisation of National Socialists (Kansallissosialistien Järjestö) 1940–1944 National Socialists of Finland (Suomen Kansallissosialistit) 1941–1944 Radical People's Party (Radikaalinen Kansanpuolue) 1944–1951 (Itsenäinen keskiluokka) 1949–1951 Finnish People's Party (Suomalainen kansanpuolue) 1950s (Itsenäisyyspuolue) 1960s (Suomen Yksityisyrittäjäin Puoluejärjestö) 1972–1979 Socialist Workers' Party (Sosialistinen Työväenpuolue) 1973–1990 (Suomen Eläkeläisten Puolue) 1985–1999 (Yhteisvastuu puolue) 1987–2007 (Suomen Senioripuolue) 1990–2014 (Naisten puolue) 1990–1995 (Ihmisyydenpuolue) 1991–1995 Finnish People's Blue-Whites (Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset, SKS) 1993–2010 Finland – Fatherland (Suomi - Isänmaa) 1993–2007 Natural Law Party (Luonnonlain puolue) 1994–2001 Workers' Party of Finland (Suomen Työväenpuolue) 1999–2018 Forces for Change in Finland (Muutosvoimat Suomi) 2002–2007 For the Poor (Köyhien Asialla) 2002–2015 Blue and White Front (Sinivalkoinen Rintama) 2009–2015 Citizens' Party (Kansalaispuolue) 2016–2022 Finnish Reform Movement (Korjausliike) 2017–2023 Seven Star Movement (Seitsemän tähden liike) 2017–2024 Finnish People First (Suomen Kansa Ensin) 2018–2023
See also Parliament of Finland Government of Finland President of Finland Elections in Finland Politics of Finland List of political parties in Åland List of ruling political parties by country
References
External links NSD: European Election Database - Political parties of Finland