The Finnish parlamentary elections

[Meshugger]

The result are in and:

 

KESK (Center-party): 23,1%

KOK (Rightwing-party): 22,3%

SDK (Social democrats): 21,4%

VAS (Socialists): 8,8%

VIRH (Green party): 8,5%

KD (Christian coalition): 4,9%

RKP (Rightwing-centrist): 4,5%

PS (The politically incorrect angry male party) 4,1%

 

Total % of people caring to vote: 67,8%

Total % of people voting in 2003: 69,7%

 

Thus, the biggest winners where the Homers Simpsons staying at home, watching Formula 1 or Ski Jumping.

 

This means that the new coalition will most likely consist of KESK/KOK/RKP, a clear shift to the right. Just like in Sweden

 

Thank you for your interest.

Edited March 18, 2007 by Meshugger

[kirottu]

I forgot to vote. I totally thought this was still that pre-vote thingie.

[Pop]

Always found it kind of odd that America was the only developed democracy without a socialist element / party.

 

No wait, that makes perfect sense.

 

It's also odd that we seem to be the only country with overwhelming 2-party rule. What's your rate of incumbency?

Edited March 19, 2007 by Pop

[Guard Dog]

Does the terms "Conservative" and "Liberal" have the same meaning applied in Finlands politics and they do in the US and Canada? Also, since socialist, social democrat and green all amount to the same thing do the three factions pool to form one voting block? Or do they amount to the same thing there?

[Meshugger]

Always found it kind of odd that America was the only developed democracy without a socialist element / party.

 

No wait, that makes perfect sense.

 

It's also odd that we seem to be the only country with overwhelming 2-party rule. What's your rate of incumbency?

 

3 years for parliament, 4 years for president.

[Meshugger]

Does the terms "Conservative" and "Liberal" have the same meaning applied in Finlands politics and they do in the US and Canada? Also, since socialist, social democrat and green all amount to the same thing do the three factions pool to form one voting block? Or do they amount to the same thing there?

 

A "Conservative" is a noun only read in political science in Finland. Practically, it would mean that you are reactionary, and no one would take you seriously. There is a Liberal party in Finland, but it's nothing in the sense of american or canadian liberal. Liberals in Finland are for more personal freedom, dismantling the welfare system, reaganist economic policy and 100% secular. They usually get 0,1-1% of the vote. Also, even if parties like KOK and RKP are rightwing, they are no way as right as the democrats of republicans in USA.

 

The power usually shifts between the three big parties: KESK(center), SDK(left) and KOK(right), the who one gets most of the votes and is forced to have a coalition with the other big one and some of the smaller parties. E.g. KESK, SDK, VS, VIHR, RKP(left-center) or KESK, KOK, RKP(right-center). Sometimes, the social democrats and KOK can form coalition as well. RKP (The Swedish minority party, which is center-right) has practically been in each goverment since the start of parlamentarism, since their only demand is the rights of the swedish speaking minority, they usually go well with any of the big parties.

[Guard Dog]

Liberals in Finland are for more personal freedom, dismantling the welfare system, reaganist economic policy and 100% secular. They usually get 0,1-1% of the vote. Also, even if parties like KOK and RKP are rightwing, they are no way as right as the democrats of republicans in USA.

 

Totally opposite. In the US and Canada, Liberals are the biggest champions of welfare and socialism and usually care more about the "social contract" that about individual freedom.

 

So the RKP is something of a poltical wild card? They do not have the numbers to win enough seats to matter but can tip the balance in one factions favor or another? Also, with so many factions are majority governments rare?

Edited March 19, 2007 by Guard Dog

[Tale]

Needs more politically incorrect angry-male votes.

[Meshugger]

Needs more politically incorrect angry-male votes.

 

I maybe need to change the title of that one PS (perussuomalaiset) officially stands for "Finland first! Family! Tradition!". But by hearing their rhetoric ("Foreigners took our jooobs!", "Keep Finland finnish, foreigners destroy our culture!") and reading their boards ("Haha, no n*gger in this parliament, yippee!"), they are a group of finnish rednecks in disguise and people only vote for them because they are pissed with the current goverment.

Edited March 19, 2007 by Meshugger

[Oerwinde]

Retrosexual FTW

[Meshugger]

Liberals in Finland are for more personal freedom, dismantling the welfare system, reaganist economic policy and 100% secular. They usually get 0,1-1% of the vote. Also, even if parties like KOK and RKP are rightwing, they are no way as right as the democrats of republicans in USA.

 

Totally opposite. In the US and Canada, Liberals are the biggest champions of welfare and socialism and usually care more about the "social contract" that about individual freedom.

 

So the RKP is something of a poltical wild card? They do not have the numbers to win enough seats to matter but can tip the balance in one factions favor or another? Also, with so many factions are majority governments rare?

 

Not really. They're more like a bonus to an already existing majority. It's more like "As long as our minority rights are intact, we can compromise and be in your goverment". The major parties like having a coalition member that doesn't nag on the bigger issues

[Pop]

So your liberals are libertarians, eh? Wild.

 

btw, Guard Dog, the Social Contract is a conservative ideal, it doesn't tolerate a welfare state (those who don't keep their end of the contract are not privy to its benefits). Liberals by and large tend to be utilitarian.

[Meshugger]

So your liberals are libertarians, eh? Wild.

 

btw, Guard Dog, the Social Contract is a conservative ideal, it doesn't tolerate a welfare state (those who don't keep their end of the contract are not privy to its benefits). Liberals by and large tend to be utilitarian.

 

You should check Denmark. IIRC, the party being most on the right on the political scale is called "Venstre", which means "The left".

[Musopticon?]

I cast my vote for a Kotkan surgeon(VAS). That didn't realy amount to anything, but not a lot does when only a fifth of all population votes.

[Xard]

Porvarihallitus jyr

Edited March 19, 2007 by Xard

[kirottu]

Vihre

[Xard]

[Meshugger]

There was one from the Green Party(VIHR) that was running for this election. And her first name? Merikukka, which means something in the vein of "Seaflower" in english.

[astr0creep]

Merikukka

 

 

Hmm. Nice name.

[Aram]

Merikukka

 

 

Hmm. Nice name.

 

Nothing says trustworthy quite like three Ks.

[Xard]

Needs more politically incorrect angry-male votes.

 

I maybe need to change the title of that one PS (perussuomalaiset) officially stands for "Finland first! Family! Tradition!". But by hearing their rhetoric ("Foreigners took our jooobs!", "Keep Finland finnish, foreigners destroy our culture!") and reading their boards ("Haha, no n*gger in this parliament, yippee!"), they are a group of finnish rednecks in disguise and people only vote for them because they are pissed with the current goverment.

 

You forgot "Let's invade Karelia back from ruskies!" part

[Meshugger]

Needs more politically incorrect angry-male votes.

 

I maybe need to change the title of that one PS (perussuomalaiset) officially stands for "Finland first! Family! Tradition!". But by hearing their rhetoric ("Foreigners took our jooobs!", "Keep Finland finnish, foreigners destroy our culture!") and reading their boards ("Haha, no n*gger in this parliament, yippee!"), they are a group of finnish rednecks in disguise and people only vote for them because they are pissed with the current goverment.

 

You forgot "Let's invade Karelia back from ruskies!" part

 

Heh, yeah that one too

[Musopticon?]

Eh, I got my counts so wrong there, didn't I? So, 67% of all capable of voting amounts to what exactly?

 

 

I might be missing something, but isn't Finnish Communist Party rather active still? There was the odd generic "Finland out of EU! Say no to NATO! Freedom for people!"-poster here(Joutseno) at least.

 

I'd also like to cast out the opinion that Finland following the pan-European trend of slowly going more and more right isn't exactly a positive thing. Not that I'm all left(more like right-center, just without so much prejudice as PS), but I'm a bit concerned over stooges like Soini getting easily into Parliament and Katainen the Kokoomus Boy Wonder getting anywhere near tax budget, not to mention any kind of position of power. Call me static, but I liked the ponderousness of our last parliament. Nothing much happened, since it was a standstill between oppositions, but it didn't get any worse. And that's the function of democracy, right?

[Guard Dog]

Call me static, but I liked the ponderousness of our last parliament. Nothing much happened, since it was a standstill between oppositions, but it didn't get any worse. And that's the function of democracy, right?

I'd have to agree with you here. In the US the best possible scenario is when the two houses of congress are controlled by two different parties. The government can't hurt you when it can't do anything. I doubt anyone anywhere wants to see any one party take a super majority of the seats in any Parliament.

Edited March 20, 2007 by Guard Dog