True Finns
Encyclopedia
True Finns or The Finns is a populist
and nationalist
political party in Finland
, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party
. The head of the movement is Timo Soini
. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party in the Finnish Parliament. They are currently the largest opposition party in the parliament.
The party combines left-wing economic policies with strongly conservative social values
. In the parliament seating order, it has been placed in the centre-left. However, central aspects of their manifesto have gained support from right-wing voters as well. The party has been compared by international media to the Tea Party movement
in the United States
and other similar nationalist and right-wing populist movements in Europe
that are critical of globalism
, whilst the party also supports the welfare state
.
(Suomen maaseudun puolue, SMP), founded by Centre Party
dissident Veikko Vennamo
in 1959. Vennamo ran into serious disagreement particularly with Arvo Korsimo, then party secretary of the Agrarian League, and was excluded from the parliamentary group. As a result, Vennamo immediately started building his own organization and founded a new party, the Finnish Rural Party. Vennamo was a populist and became a critic of President Kekkonen
and of the political corruption
within the "old parties", particularly the Centre Party. The Rural Party achieved its two major victories in the elections of 1970
and 1983
, winning 18 and 17 seats respectively. In the 1970s the party was highly personalized in Veikko Vennamo and his style of leadership alienated some in the party, which led to a split in the parliamentary group in 1972. After the Rural Party's new rise in 1983 under Vennamo's son Pekka Vennamo the party became a partner in two coalition cabinets. However, after this the party's support declined steadily. In 1995
the party won only one seat in the parliament and soon after filed for bankruptcy.
, Urpo Leppänen and Kari Bärlund. Soini had been the Rural Party's last party secretary and Vistbacka its last chairman and MP. The five thousand signatures needed for the registration of the party were collected by October 1995 and the party was added to the official party register on 13 October 1995. The first party congress was held in November. Raimo Vistbacka was elected chairman of the party and Timo Soini the party secretary.
After its founding in 1995, it took some time before the True Finns started to win credible ground in the Finnish elections. At the time of its founding the party had one MP, Raimo Vistbacka (who had been the last MP of the Rural Party), who was reelected in the 1999 election. In the 2003 parliamentary election
the party won three seats: besides Vistbacka also Soini and Tony Halme
were elected. In the 2007 parliamentary election
the party gained two further seats for a total of five. In the 2008 municipal election the party was most successful in those districts where the Social Democrats
and the Left Alliance
lost most. In the 2011 parliamentary election (see below) the Centre Party
suffered the largest blow from the True Finns' success.
According to a 2008–2009 study the party's supporters view themselves as centrist: on a scale where 1 is extreme left and 10 is extreme right the average True Finns supporter placed him/herself at 5.4. According to the same study the party's supporters are united by patriotism
and social conservatism
.
According to a 2011 study True Finns are the most popular party among voters with an annual income of 35,000–50,000 euros, while over a quarter of the party's voters earn over 50,000 per year. The same study also indicates that the party's voters include a higher percentage of blue collar
workers than those of the Social Democratic Party
.
, making them the third largest party, narrowly behind the National Coalition
(44) and the Social Democrats
(42). Soini received 43,212 personal votes, the highest number of all candidates, leaving behind the Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb
and the Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen
in their Uusimaa electoral district. The popularity of the party rose from 4.1% to 19.1% in just four years. Helsingin Sanomat
said in an editorial that True Finns and Soini had "rewritten the electoral history books". According to the BBC
, behind the success of True Finns was Soini's "brain, wit and charisma". According to political analyst Jan Sundberg
, Soini has the ability to appeal to common people and make complicated things look easy. The election result was also referred to as "shocking" and "exceptional".
After the election the National Coalition Party (NCP) began negotiations aiming to form a cabinet between the NCP, the Social Democrats
(SDP) and True Finns. However, when it became clear that the NCP and the SDP would continue to support EU bailouts, which the True Finns vehemently opposed during the electoral campaign, the True Finns voluntarily broke from the negotiations in order to become the leading opposition party. Soini said that the party would not compromise its core principles just to get in the government. According to an opinion poll most of the party's supporters accepted this decision.
In the opinion polls the party's popularity has risen after the election as well: in June one opinion poll recorded the True Finns a popularity of 23 per cent. The party's membership has risen too: as of summer 2011 the party has some 5,500 members (significantly up from 1,000 in 2005). After the parliamentary election the number of members of the party's Youth Organisation has risen from 800 to over 1,300.
, and was elected to the European Parliament
in 2009
with the highest personal vote share in the country. He served as an MEP for two years, returning to the Finnish parliament in the 2011 election. Soini is an enthusiastic football fan, a publicly devoted Catholic
in almost-entirely-Lutheran Finland, and a supporter of the state of Israel
. He also is a supporter of the English football team Millwall FC. Soini is staunchly pro-life
. During the latest electoral campaign the popularity of Soini raised some global concerns about the future and stability of the European Union
and increased international media interest in the election.
True Finns have proposed more progressivity to taxes in order to avoid the establishment of flat taxation. The party has called for the raising of the capital gains tax
and the re-institution of the wealth tax
. According to the party, the willingness to pay taxes is best guaranteed by a society unified by right social policies — the electoral program warns against individualist policies, which weaken the solidarity between citizens. "The willingness to pay taxes is guaranteed by having a unified people", the program reads (p. 46).
Some observers have compared True Finns' fiscal policies to the old national Social Democratic taxation policy, which has given the left-wing brand to the True Finns. During the electoral campaign in 2011 Soini stated that he preferred the Social Democrats
over the center-right National Coalition Party as a possible coalition partner in a future cabinet. Soini has stated that the True Finns are a "workers' party without socialism". A researcher for the opinion polling company Taloustutkimus agreed, describing the True Finns as a "non-socialist workers' party".
True Finns' rural policy program suggests state subsidies to relieve the effect of structural changes on the rural areas. This policy is shared by the Centre Party in Finland
and originates from the agrarian and rural policies of both parties.
True Finns favour state investments in infrastructure and industry as well. A tendency towards favouring old industrial policies have led some political analysts to label True Finns as a center-left party.
The cultural program of True Finns, preferring "traditional art" over what the party calls postmodernism in state subsidies, started a debate. There was some debate on the issue inside the party as well.
The party underlines the role of national sovereignty in immigration issues:
Liberals, Social Democrats and the BBC
have accused the party of xenophobia
. These accusations have been denied by both True Finns and numerous other Finnish politicians: for example the Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb
(NCP) wrote on his blog after the 2011 election that the international media had misrepresented True Finns chairman Timo Soini: "[Soini] is a fair and responsible guy", he wrote, adding that he had known Soini for eight years and that he should not be demonized.
Timo Soini signed a pan-European charter against racism in 1998. However, in 2009, before the European Parliament election, Soini refused to sign an anti-racism appeal, saying that the appeal was an attempt to influence the party's choice of candidates (the appeal was drawn up by another political party). In May 2011, following controversies surrounding the remarks of True Finns MP Teuvo Hakkarainen
, the True Finns' parliamentary group issued a statement condemning all racism and discrimination, including affirmative action
. The party invited other parties to sign the statement as well, but no other party did so.
Timo Soini
is an outspoken critic of both the EU and NATO, but has stated that if a choice had to be made, NATO is a lesser evil than the EU. True Finns favour non-alliance or neutrality, as international activities abroad for the Defence Forces
would undermine the defence budget's funds for sustaining a large conscript army of war-time personnel (which is currently at 350,000) to guarantee the defence of all of Finland. When the Finnish Parliament voted to ratify the Ottawa Treaty
, banning anti-personnel mines, in November 2011, the True Finns were the only party unified in opposing the treaty.
The party strongly believes in national sovereignty:
Raimo Vistbacka chaired the True Finns from 1995 to 1997. After him the party secretary Timo Soini became the chairman in 1997. Rolf Sormo was the next party secretary, from 1997 to 1999. The third party secretary, Hannu Purho, served the longest time so far, from 1999 to 2007. After him, Timo Soini's parliamentary assistant, Ossi Sandvik
, was elected party secretary in 2007.
is the current chairwoman of the parliamentary group. The chairmanships of the committees (valiokunnat, singular valiokunta) are shared between the parties in such a way that True Finns chair the Foreign Affairs Committee, Administration Committee, and Defence Committee.
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
and nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
political party in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party
Finnish Rural Party
The Finnish Rural Party was a Finnish populist party. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen...
. The head of the movement is Timo Soini
Timo Soini
Timo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city...
. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party in the Finnish Parliament. They are currently the largest opposition party in the parliament.
The party combines left-wing economic policies with strongly conservative social values
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
. In the parliament seating order, it has been placed in the centre-left. However, central aspects of their manifesto have gained support from right-wing voters as well. The party has been compared by international media to the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other similar nationalist and right-wing populist movements in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
that are critical of globalism
Globalism
Globalism can have at least two different and opposing meanings. One meaning is the attitude or policy of placing the interests of the entire world above those of individual nations...
, whilst the party also supports the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
.
Finnish Rural Party
The predecessor of the True Finns was the Finnish Rural PartyFinnish Rural Party
The Finnish Rural Party was a Finnish populist party. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen...
(Suomen maaseudun puolue, SMP), founded by Centre Party
Centre Party (Finland)
The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
dissident Veikko Vennamo
Veikko Vennamo
Veikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo was a Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party , which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League...
in 1959. Vennamo ran into serious disagreement particularly with Arvo Korsimo, then party secretary of the Agrarian League, and was excluded from the parliamentary group. As a result, Vennamo immediately started building his own organization and founded a new party, the Finnish Rural Party. Vennamo was a populist and became a critic of President Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
and of the political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
within the "old parties", particularly the Centre Party. The Rural Party achieved its two major victories in the elections of 1970
Finnish parliamentary election, 1970
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1970.-Background:Social Democrat Mauno Koivisto had replaced his party leader Rafael Paasio as Prime Minister in March 1968. His government was very broad-based, including the Social Democrats, Centrists, Communists, Swedish People's...
and 1983
Finnish parliamentary election, 1983
The Finnish parliamentary election in 1983 was held after the victory of Mauno Koivisto in the presidential election of 1982. As was customary in Finland after a presidential election, the government resigned after Koivisto's victory in January 1982...
, winning 18 and 17 seats respectively. In the 1970s the party was highly personalized in Veikko Vennamo and his style of leadership alienated some in the party, which led to a split in the parliamentary group in 1972. After the Rural Party's new rise in 1983 under Vennamo's son Pekka Vennamo the party became a partner in two coalition cabinets. However, after this the party's support declined steadily. In 1995
Finnish parliamentary election, 1995
The 32nd elections to the Finnish parliament were held on March 19, 1995. The previous centre-right cabinet fell, as the Social Democrats made strong gains and achieved the best result of any party after the Second World War...
the party won only one seat in the parliament and soon after filed for bankruptcy.
Founding of the True Finns and rising popularity
Following the collapse of the Finnish Rural Party, the decision to found True Finns was made in the summer of 1995 by Timo Soini, Raimo VistbackaRaimo Vistbacka
Raimo Viljam Vistbacka is a Finnish politician and former member of the Finnish Parliament. He was first elected to the parliament in 1987, representing the True Finns' predecessor, the Finnish Rural Party. When the True Finns were founded in 1995 Vistbacka became the party's first MP. He retired...
, Urpo Leppänen and Kari Bärlund. Soini had been the Rural Party's last party secretary and Vistbacka its last chairman and MP. The five thousand signatures needed for the registration of the party were collected by October 1995 and the party was added to the official party register on 13 October 1995. The first party congress was held in November. Raimo Vistbacka was elected chairman of the party and Timo Soini the party secretary.
After its founding in 1995, it took some time before the True Finns started to win credible ground in the Finnish elections. At the time of its founding the party had one MP, Raimo Vistbacka (who had been the last MP of the Rural Party), who was reelected in the 1999 election. In the 2003 parliamentary election
Finnish parliamentary election, 2003
The Finnish parliamentary election of 2003 was the 34th election to the Eduskunta , held on 16 March 2003 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term...
the party won three seats: besides Vistbacka also Soini and Tony Halme
Tony Halme
Tony Christian Halme was a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns party. He was also known by the pseudonym Viikinki he used while appearing in the Finnish version of the TV game show Gladiators in the 1990s...
were elected. In the 2007 parliamentary election
Finnish parliamentary election, 2007
The Finnish parliamentary election of 2007 was the 35th election to the Eduskunta , held on 18 March 2007 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting was possible from the 7–13 March. Two hundred MPs were elected from 15 constituencies.Election themes included a reduction...
the party gained two further seats for a total of five. In the 2008 municipal election the party was most successful in those districts where the Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
and the Left Alliance
Left Alliance (Finland)
The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990....
lost most. In the 2011 parliamentary election (see below) the Centre Party
Centre Party (Finland)
The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
suffered the largest blow from the True Finns' success.
According to a 2008–2009 study the party's supporters view themselves as centrist: on a scale where 1 is extreme left and 10 is extreme right the average True Finns supporter placed him/herself at 5.4. According to the same study the party's supporters are united by patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
and social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
.
According to a 2011 study True Finns are the most popular party among voters with an annual income of 35,000–50,000 euros, while over a quarter of the party's voters earn over 50,000 per year. The same study also indicates that the party's voters include a higher percentage of blue collar
Blue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
workers than those of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by a large number of political parties in various countries around the world...
.
Parliamentary election 2011
True Finns obtained 39 seats in the 2011 electionFinnish parliamentary election, 2011
An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
, making them the third largest party, narrowly behind the National Coalition
National Coalition Party (Finland)
The National Coalition Party is a liberal conservative political party in Finland founded in 1918.The National Coalition Party is one of the four largest parties in Finland, along with the Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the True Finns...
(44) and the Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
(42). Soini received 43,212 personal votes, the highest number of all candidates, leaving behind the Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb
Alexander Stubb
Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb is a Finnish politician and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 4 April 2008 to 22 June 2011...
and the Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen
Jyrki Katainen
Jyrki Tapani Katainen is the Prime Minister of Finland and chairman of the country's largest party, the National Coalition Party.-Career:...
in their Uusimaa electoral district. The popularity of the party rose from 4.1% to 19.1% in just four years. Helsingin Sanomat
Helsingin Sanomat
Helsingin Sanomat is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. In 2008, its daily circulation was 412,421 on weekdays and 468,505 on Sundays...
said in an editorial that True Finns and Soini had "rewritten the electoral history books". According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, behind the success of True Finns was Soini's "brain, wit and charisma". According to political analyst Jan Sundberg
Jan Sundberg
Jan Sundberg is a professor of the department of the political science in the University of Helsinki. He has published many studies concerning the party system of Finland both in English and Swedish languages...
, Soini has the ability to appeal to common people and make complicated things look easy. The election result was also referred to as "shocking" and "exceptional".
After the election the National Coalition Party (NCP) began negotiations aiming to form a cabinet between the NCP, the Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
(SDP) and True Finns. However, when it became clear that the NCP and the SDP would continue to support EU bailouts, which the True Finns vehemently opposed during the electoral campaign, the True Finns voluntarily broke from the negotiations in order to become the leading opposition party. Soini said that the party would not compromise its core principles just to get in the government. According to an opinion poll most of the party's supporters accepted this decision.
In the opinion polls the party's popularity has risen after the election as well: in June one opinion poll recorded the True Finns a popularity of 23 per cent. The party's membership has risen too: as of summer 2011 the party has some 5,500 members (significantly up from 1,000 in 2005). After the parliamentary election the number of members of the party's Youth Organisation has risen from 800 to over 1,300.
Timo Soini
The head of the movement is Timo Soini, who has been the party's leader since 1997. Soini was the True Finns' candidate in the 2006 Presidential electionFinnish presidential election, 2006
The Finnish Presidential election of 2006 saw the re-election of Tarja Halonen as President of Finland for a second six-year term.The first round of voting in Finnish presidential elections always takes place on the third Sunday of January, in this case 15 January 2006...
, and was elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in 2009
European Parliament election, 2009 (Finland)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Finland was the election of the delegation from Finland to the European Parliament in 2009.Finland uses the open list d'Hondt method, where voters vote for an individual, but the individual's vote is counted primarily for the party and secondarily for the...
with the highest personal vote share in the country. He served as an MEP for two years, returning to the Finnish parliament in the 2011 election. Soini is an enthusiastic football fan, a publicly devoted Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
in almost-entirely-Lutheran Finland, and a supporter of the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He also is a supporter of the English football team Millwall FC. Soini is staunchly pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
. During the latest electoral campaign the popularity of Soini raised some global concerns about the future and stability of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and increased international media interest in the election.
Policies
Policies of the party include the following, as outlined in the electoral program for the 2011 election:Fiscal
- Progressive taxation and the welfare state
True Finns have proposed more progressivity to taxes in order to avoid the establishment of flat taxation. The party has called for the raising of the capital gains tax
Capital gains tax
A capital gains tax is a tax charged on capital gains, the profit realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a lower price. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals and property...
and the re-institution of the wealth tax
Wealth tax
A wealth tax is generally conceived of as a levy based on the aggregate value of all household holdings actually accumulated as purchasing power stock , including owner-occupied housing; cash, bank deposits, money funds, and savings in insurance and pension plans; investment in real estate and...
. According to the party, the willingness to pay taxes is best guaranteed by a society unified by right social policies — the electoral program warns against individualist policies, which weaken the solidarity between citizens. "The willingness to pay taxes is guaranteed by having a unified people", the program reads (p. 46).
Some observers have compared True Finns' fiscal policies to the old national Social Democratic taxation policy, which has given the left-wing brand to the True Finns. During the electoral campaign in 2011 Soini stated that he preferred the Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
over the center-right National Coalition Party as a possible coalition partner in a future cabinet. Soini has stated that the True Finns are a "workers' party without socialism". A researcher for the opinion polling company Taloustutkimus agreed, describing the True Finns as a "non-socialist workers' party".
- State support for rural regions, including support for agricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
True Finns' rural policy program suggests state subsidies to relieve the effect of structural changes on the rural areas. This policy is shared by the Centre Party in Finland
Centre Party (Finland)
The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
and originates from the agrarian and rural policies of both parties.
- Increased state investment in infrastructure and industry
True Finns favour state investments in infrastructure and industry as well. A tendency towards favouring old industrial policies have led some political analysts to label True Finns as a center-left party.
Energy
- Aspiration to energy self-reliance and support to nuclear energy
- Pro-industry environmental policy — opposition to green tax reform and to taxpayers' involvement in emission trading funds
Cultural
- Abolition of the obligatory character of the second national languageMandatory SwedishIn Finland, Swedish is a mandatory school subject for Finnish-speaking pupils in the last three years of the primary education . It is also mandatory in high schools, vocational schools, and vocational universities. Furthermore, all Finnish-speaking university graduates must demonstrate a certain...
(Swedish in Finnish-language schools and vice versa) in curriculums on all levels of education, freeing up time for the learning of other foreign languages such as English, German, French, Spanish and Russian (especially in the eastern part of the country)
- Support for those cultural activities that "promote the Finnish identity"
The cultural program of True Finns, preferring "traditional art" over what the party calls postmodernism in state subsidies, started a debate. There was some debate on the issue inside the party as well.
Social
- Opposition to same-sex marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, same-sex adoption and in vitroIn vitroIn vitro refers to studies in experimental biology that are conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological context in order to permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms. Colloquially, these experiments...
fertilization given to same-sex couples and single women
Immigration
- Limiting humanitarian immigration strictly to refugee quotas (which should be adapted to correspond with the economic situation),
- Limiting family unification to proven direct relatives only, and requiring means of subsistence from the immigrant,
- Deporting those immigrants guilty of serious or recurrent crimes,
- Welcoming work-based immigration, provided the immigrants pay taxes and abide by Finnish labour laws,
- Granting Finnish nationality after five years' residence in Finland, provided the immigrant masters Finnish, has no criminal record, and has means of subsistence
The party underlines the role of national sovereignty in immigration issues:
Liberals, Social Democrats and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
have accused the party of xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
. These accusations have been denied by both True Finns and numerous other Finnish politicians: for example the Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb
Alexander Stubb
Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb is a Finnish politician and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 4 April 2008 to 22 June 2011...
(NCP) wrote on his blog after the 2011 election that the international media had misrepresented True Finns chairman Timo Soini: "[Soini] is a fair and responsible guy", he wrote, adding that he had known Soini for eight years and that he should not be demonized.
Timo Soini signed a pan-European charter against racism in 1998. However, in 2009, before the European Parliament election, Soini refused to sign an anti-racism appeal, saying that the appeal was an attempt to influence the party's choice of candidates (the appeal was drawn up by another political party). In May 2011, following controversies surrounding the remarks of True Finns MP Teuvo Hakkarainen
Teuvo Hakkarainen
Teuvo Hakkarainen is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. He was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2011. He is a co-owner and of Haka Wood Oy saw mill.-Sources:...
, the True Finns' parliamentary group issued a statement condemning all racism and discrimination, including affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
. The party invited other parties to sign the statement as well, but no other party did so.
Foreign and defence
- Reductions in foreign aid
- Opposition to the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and to admission to NATO
Timo Soini
Timo Soini
Timo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city...
is an outspoken critic of both the EU and NATO, but has stated that if a choice had to be made, NATO is a lesser evil than the EU. True Finns favour non-alliance or neutrality, as international activities abroad for the Defence Forces
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...
would undermine the defence budget's funds for sustaining a large conscript army of war-time personnel (which is currently at 350,000) to guarantee the defence of all of Finland. When the Finnish Parliament voted to ratify the Ottawa Treaty
Ottawa Treaty
The Ottawa Treaty or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, officially known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, aims at eliminating anti-personnel landmines around the world. , there were 158...
, banning anti-personnel mines, in November 2011, the True Finns were the only party unified in opposing the treaty.
The party strongly believes in national sovereignty:
Judicial
- Tougher punishments for crime
- More powers for police and prosecutors
- Opposition to any incorporation of Sharia law in judicial practices
Parliamentary elections
| Election year | # of total votes | % of overall vote | # of seats won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Finnish parliamentary election, 1999 The 1999 Finnish parliamentary election was held on March 21, 1999. Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen's Social Democrats remained the largest party of the Eduskunta, despite significant losses... |
26,440 | 0.99% | 1 |
| 2003 Finnish parliamentary election, 2003 The Finnish parliamentary election of 2003 was the 34th election to the Eduskunta , held on 16 March 2003 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term... |
43,816 | 1.57% | 3 |
| 2007 Finnish parliamentary election, 2007 The Finnish parliamentary election of 2007 was the 35th election to the Eduskunta , held on 18 March 2007 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting was possible from the 7–13 March. Two hundred MPs were elected from 15 constituencies.Election themes included a reduction... |
112,256 | 4.05% | 5 |
| 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%.... |
560,075 | 19.05% | 39 |
Presidential elections
| Election year | Candidate | # of total votes | % of overall vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Finnish presidential election, 2000 Presidential elections were held in Finland on 16 January 2000, with a second round on 6 February. The result was a victory for Tarja Halonen of the Social Democratic Party, who became the country's first female President. During the elections Halonen was the incumbent Minister for Foreign... |
Ilkka Hakalehto | 31,405 | 1.03% |
| 2006 Finnish presidential election, 2006 The Finnish Presidential election of 2006 saw the re-election of Tarja Halonen as President of Finland for a second six-year term.The first round of voting in Finnish presidential elections always takes place on the third Sunday of January, in this case 15 January 2006... |
Timo Soini Timo Soini Timo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city... |
103,368 | 3.43% |
European Parliament elections
| Election year | # of total votes | % of overall vote | # of seats won | # MEP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 European Parliament election, 1996 (Finland) The European Parliament election of 1996 in Finland was the first election of the Finnish delegation to the European Parliament.-Background:In 1996, Finland had a population of 5.1 million . The government was a broad coalition led by the social democrat Paavo Lipponen... |
15,004 | 0.67% | 0 | |
| 1999 European Parliament election, 1999 (Finland) The European Parliament election of 1999 in Finland was the election of the delegation from Finland to the European Parliament in 1999.-Results:-References:... |
9,854 | 0.79% | 0 | |
| 2004 European Parliament election, 2004 (Finland) The European Parliament election of 2004 in Finland was the election of MEP representing Finland constituency for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. The vote took place on June 13... |
8,900 | 0.54% | 0 | |
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (Finland) The European Parliament election of 2009 in Finland was the election of the delegation from Finland to the European Parliament in 2009.Finland uses the open list d'Hondt method, where voters vote for an individual, but the individual's vote is counted primarily for the party and secondarily for the... |
162,930 | 9.79% | 1 | Timo Soini Timo Soini Timo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city... 2009–2011 Sampo Terho Sampo Terho Sampo Terho is the chairman of Suomalaisuuden Liitto , and Member of the European Parliament . He is a Master of Arts, having studied the history of Finland, and has worked as a researcher in the Finnish National Defence University. Terho has also served as a peace-keeper in Kosovo... 2011– |
Municipal elections
| Election year | # of total votes | % of overall vote | # of seats won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 21,999 | 0.93% | 138 |
| 2000 | 14,712 | 0.66% | 109 |
| 2004 | 21,417 | 0.90% | 106 |
| 2008 | 137,497 | 5.39% | 443 |
Chairmanship and party secretaries
The party chairmanship is divided between four persons, elected at party congress biannually. Timo Soini has been chairman since 1997. The first deputy chairwoman is Hanna Mäntylä, the second deputy chairman is Juho Eerola and the third deputy chairman is Reijo Ojennus.Raimo Vistbacka chaired the True Finns from 1995 to 1997. After him the party secretary Timo Soini became the chairman in 1997. Rolf Sormo was the next party secretary, from 1997 to 1999. The third party secretary, Hannu Purho, served the longest time so far, from 1999 to 2007. After him, Timo Soini's parliamentary assistant, Ossi Sandvik
Ossi Sandvik
Ossi Sandvik is the party secretary of the True Finns. He has earlier worked as a parliamentary assistant for the member of the parliament Raimo Vistbacka and he has also been the district secretary of the True Finns in the South Ostrobothnian district of the True Finns...
, was elected party secretary in 2007.
Board members
The board of True Finns has eight members: Seppo Huhta, Vuokko Lahti, Pekka Leskinen, Pirita Nenonen, Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner, Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, Seppo Toriseva and Raimo Vistbacka. The party's chairmen and the party secretary take part in the meetings as well.Parliament of Finland
Pirkko Ruohonen-LernerPirkko Ruohonen-Lerner
Pirkko Anneli Ruohonen-Lerner is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. She was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2007...
is the current chairwoman of the parliamentary group. The chairmanships of the committees (valiokunnat, singular valiokunta) are shared between the parties in such a way that True Finns chair the Foreign Affairs Committee, Administration Committee, and Defence Committee.
- Juho Eerola (Kymi, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Kike ElomaaKike ElomaaRitva Tuulikki "Kike" Elomaa is a retired professional female bodybuilding champion and pop singer from Finland....
(Finland Proper, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Teuvo HakkarainenTeuvo HakkarainenTeuvo Hakkarainen is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. He was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2011. He is a co-owner and of Haka Wood Oy saw mill.-Sources:...
(Central, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Jussi Halla-ahoJussi Halla-ahoJussi Kristian Halla-aho is a Finnish Slavic linguist, blogger and a politician for the True Finns party who has become well known for his essays criticising the humanitarian immigration and multiculturalism policies adopted in Finland.According to the newspaper Aamulehti, he is the best-known...
(Helsinki, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–), chairman of the Administration Committee - Lauri HeikkiläLauri HeikkiläLauri Heikkilä is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. He was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2011. He is a lecturer of micro electronics in the university of Turku, but also keeps farming.-Sources:...
(Finland Proper, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - James HirvisaariJames HirvisaariJames Hirvisaari is a Finnish member of parliament, elected in the 2011 general election held on April 17 on the electoral list of the True Finns party. He is a former train driver, educated at the Helsinki Pasila engine drivers' school in 1980–1982...
(Tavastia, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Reijo Hongisto (Vaasa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Olli Immonen (Oulu, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Ari Jalonen (Satakunta, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Anssi JoutsenlahtiAnssi JoutsenlahtiAnssi Joutsenlahti is a pensioned vicar and a member of the parliament of Finland. He became elected a MP on 17 April 2011.-Background:He had been a MP earlier time 1979-1983 and 1983–1987, when some of the supporters of the True Finns were the supporters of the Rural Party of Finland , the...
(Satakunta, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–; RuralFinnish Rural PartyThe Finnish Rural Party was a Finnish populist party. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen...
MP 1979–87), 2nd deputy speaker of the Parliament - Johanna Jurva (Uusimaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Arja Juvonen (Uusimaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Pietari JääskeläinenPietari JääskeläinenPietari Osmo Jääskeläinen is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. He has been a member of Finnish Parliament since 2009.-External links:*...
(Uusimaa, 2009–11Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Pentti Kettunen (Oulu, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–; RuralFinnish Rural PartyThe Finnish Rural Party was a Finnish populist party. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen...
MP 1983–87, 1989–91) - Kimmo Kivelä (Northern Savonia, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Osmo Kokko (North Karelia, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Laila Koskela (Pirkanmaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Jari Lindström (Kymi, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Maria Lohela (Finland Proper, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Anne LouhelainenAnne LouhelainenAnne Louhelainen is a member of the parliament of Finland, elected 17 April 2011. She is the second chairman of the municipal council of Hollola, secretary and the treasurer of the Tavastia district of the True Finns....
(Tavastia, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–)
- Pirkko MattilaPirkko MattilaPirkko Mattila is an anaesthecia nurse from the municipality of Muhos. She became elected a member of the parliament of Finland on 17th April, 2011 in the general elections. She became a nurse imn 1988 and specialised nurse in 1988 and Master of Science in 2005 from the university of Oulu. She has...
(Oulu, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Lea Mäkipää (Pirkanmaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–; RuralFinnish Rural PartyThe Finnish Rural Party was a Finnish populist party. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen...
MP 1983–95) - Hanna Mäntylä (Lapland, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Martti Mölsä (Pirkanmaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Mika NiikkoMika NiikkoMika Niikko is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. He was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2011. He is the managing director of Takaisin elämään registered society , which is working with the youth. His first profession was electrician...
(Uusimaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Jussi NiinistöJussi NiinistöJussi Niinistö is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. He was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2011...
(Uusimaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–), chairman of the Defence Committee - Pentti OinonenPentti OinonenPentti Juhani Oinonen is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. He was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2007.-External links:*...
(Northern Savonia, 2007Finnish parliamentary election, 2007The Finnish parliamentary election of 2007 was the 35th election to the Eduskunta , held on 18 March 2007 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting was possible from the 7–13 March. Two hundred MPs were elected from 15 constituencies.Election themes included a reduction...
–11Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Tom Packalén (Helsinki, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Pirkko Ruohonen-LernerPirkko Ruohonen-LernerPirkko Anneli Ruohonen-Lerner is a Finnish politician and member of Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns. She was elected to Finnish Parliament in 2007...
(Uusimaa, 2007Finnish parliamentary election, 2007The Finnish parliamentary election of 2007 was the 35th election to the Eduskunta , held on 18 March 2007 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting was possible from the 7–13 March. Two hundred MPs were elected from 15 constituencies.Election themes included a reduction...
–11Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–), chairwoman of the parliamentary group - Vesa-Matti SaarakkalaVesa-Matti Saarakkala-Sources:...
(Vaasa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Timo SoiniTimo SoiniTimo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city...
(Uusimaa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–; 2003Finnish parliamentary election, 2003The Finnish parliamentary election of 2003 was the 34th election to the Eduskunta , held on 16 March 2003 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term...
–09), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee - Ismo Soukola (Tavastia, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Maria Tolppanen (Vaasa, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Reijo TossavainenReijo TossavainenReijo Tossavainen is a Finnish politician and a member of the True Finns.He represented the constituency of Kymi in the Parliament of Finland for the 2011 parliamentary election.- Work and life :...
(Kymi, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Kaj Turunen (Southern Savonia, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Kauko Tuupainen (Central, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Veltto VirtanenVeltto VirtanenPertti Olavi "Veltto" Virtanen is a rock personality, presidential candidate, and a member of the Finnish Parliament from Tampere, Finland....
(Pirkanmaa, 2007Finnish parliamentary election, 2007The Finnish parliamentary election of 2007 was the 35th election to the Eduskunta , held on 18 March 2007 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting was possible from the 7–13 March. Two hundred MPs were elected from 15 constituencies.Election themes included a reduction...
–11Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Ville Vähämäki (Oulu, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–) - Juha VäätäinenJuha VäätäinenJuha Väätäinen is a former Finnish athlete. He is the winner of the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter gold medals at the 1971 European Championships held in Helsinki. He was the eldest of the successful Finnish runners Lasse Virén, Pekka Vasala, Tapio Kantanen, Martti Vainio, and Kaarlo Maaninka who...
(Helsinki, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
–)
Former Members of Parliament
- Raimo VistbackaRaimo VistbackaRaimo Viljam Vistbacka is a Finnish politician and former member of the Finnish Parliament. He was first elected to the parliament in 1987, representing the True Finns' predecessor, the Finnish Rural Party. When the True Finns were founded in 1995 Vistbacka became the party's first MP. He retired...
(1995—2011; Rural MP 1987—95) - Tony HalmeTony HalmeTony Christian Halme was a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns party. He was also known by the pseudonym Viikinki he used while appearing in the Finnish version of the TV game show Gladiators in the 1990s...
(2003—07) - Markku UusipaavalniemiMarkku UusipaavalniemiMarkku Uusipaavalniemi is a Finnish curler and politician.-Personal life:Uusipaavalniemi lives in Hyvinkää with his wife and three children. His older brother Jussi taught him how to curl.-Curling career:...
(2010—11; Centre MP 2007—10)
Party secretaries
- Ossi SandvikOssi SandvikOssi Sandvik is the party secretary of the True Finns. He has earlier worked as a parliamentary assistant for the member of the parliament Raimo Vistbacka and he has also been the district secretary of the True Finns in the South Ostrobothnian district of the True Finns...
(2007—) - Hannu Purho (1999—2007)
- Rolf Sormo (1997—1999)
- Timo SoiniTimo SoiniTimo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city...
(1995—1997)