This article gives an overview of liberalism and centrism in Finland. It is limited to liberal and centrist parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it is not necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.

Liberalism was a major force in Finland since 1894. After independence the current gradually decreased. A major other force, agrarianism, choose in 1965 to develop itself into a more centrist current. The liberal character of the Finnish Center (Suomen Keskusta), member of LI and ELDR, is based on liberal ideas like decentralization, peasant-like freedom and progressivism.[1] The Swedish minority party Swedish People's Party (Svenska Folkpartiet i Finland) is also a member of LI, ELDR. The original liberal current is now organized in the Liberals (Liberaalit), a very small extra-parliamentary party. At the autonomous island of Åland the Liberals for Åland (Liberalerna på Åland) are a dominant force.

The timeline

Liberal Club / Liberal Party

  • 1877: Liberals formed the Liberal Club (Liberaalinen Klubi), renamed in 1880 Liberal Party (Liberaalinen Puolue)[2]
  • 1882: The Liberal Party disappeared

From Young Finnish Party to Liberals

  • 1894: Constitutionalist fennomans organized into the Young Finnish faction within the Finnish Party (Nuorsuomalainen Puolue)
  • 1905: The Young Finnish Party secedes from the Finnish Party.
  • 1918: The Republican factions of the two Finnish parties reorganise into the Progressive Party (Kansallinen Edistyspuolue)
  • 1951: The Progressive Party falls apart into the Finnish People's Party (Suomen Kansanpuolue) and the ⇒ Free-minded League (Vapaamielisten liitto)
  • 1965: The People's Party and the ⇒ Free-minded League reunite into the Liberal People's Party (Liberaalinen Kansanpuolue)
  • 1982: The Liberal People's Party associated itself with the ⇒ Centre Party, whilst some liberal youth activists join the Greens.
  • 1983: The Liberal People's Party loses all of seats in the Parliament for the first time.
  • 1986: The Liberal People's Party disassociated itself from the ⇒ Centre Party
  • 1991: The Liberal People's Party returns to parliament with one MP.
  • 1995: The Liberal People's Party loses its only MP.
  • 2000: The Liberal People's Party renames itself Liberals (Liberaalit)
  • 2007: Removed from the party registry after failing to get a seat in two consecutive parliamentary elections

Swedish People's Party

People's Party

  • 1917: Progressive liberals formed the People's Party (Kansanpuolue)
  • 1918: The People's Party merged into the ⇒ National Progressive Party

Free-minded League

  • 1951: The ⇒ National Progressive Party fell apart and the Free-minded League (Vapaamielisten Liitto) is formed
  • 1965: The League merged with the ⇒ Finnish People's Party into the ⇒ Liberal People's Party

Centre Party / Finnish Centre

Centrists

Åland

Liberals for Åland

  • 1967: Liberals organised itself into the Centrist Liberals (Mittenliberalerna)
  • 1971: The Centrist Liberals are renamed Electoral Union Liberal Assembly (Valforbundet Liberal Samling)
  • 1978: VLS and ⇒ LoS–Liberals merged into the Liberals for Åland (Liberalerna på Åland)

Centre Party

  • 1967: The Rural and Archipelago Electoral Union (Landsbygdens och Skargardens Valforbund) was founded
  • 1975: The LoS–Liberals (LoS–Liberalerna) seceded from the Rural and Archipelago Electoral Union
  • 1976: The Rural and Archipelago Electoral Union is renamed Åland Centre (Åländska Centern)
  • 1978: VLS and ⇒ LoS–Liberals merged into the ⇒ Liberals for Åland

Liberal and centrist leaders

Liberal thinkers

In the Contributions to liberal theory the following Finnish thinker is included:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mylly, Juhani. Maalaisliitto-Keskustan historia II".
  2. ↑ "Pohtiva - Liberaalisen puolueen ohjelma". www.fsd.uta.fi.
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