1922 Finnish parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland between 1 and 3 July 1922.^[1] The Social Democratic Party remained the largest in Parliament with 53 of the 200 seats. The caretaker government of Professor Aimo Cajander (Progressive), that President Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg had appointed in June 1922, following the resignation of Prime Minister Juho Vennola (Progressive), remained in office until Kyösti Kallio formed an Agrarian-Progressive minority government in November 1922. Voter turnout was 58.5%.^[2]

1922 Finnish parliamentary election

← 1919 1–3 July 1922 1924 →
All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland 101 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Väinö Tanner Pekka Heikkinen Antti Tulenheimo Party SDP Agrarian National Coalition Last election 37.98%, 80 seats 19.70%, 42 seats 15.71%, 26 seats Seats won 53 45 35 Seat change 27 3 9 Popular vote 216,861 175,401 157,116 Percentage 25.06% 20.27% 18.15% Swing 12.92pp 0.57pp 2.44pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Niilo Wälläri Eric von Rettig Oskari Mantere Party Socialist Workers' RKP National Progressive Last election – 12.13%, 22 seats 12.81%, 26 seats Seats won 27 25 15 Seat change new 3 11 Popular vote 128,181 107,414 79,676 Percentage 14.81% 12.41% 9.21% Swing new 0.28pp 3.60pp
Prime Minister before election Aimo Cajander Independent Prime Minister after election Kyösti Kallio Agrarian

Background

By 1922, the Finnish society, economy and politics had begun to stabilize. The Progressive (liberal) President Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg had pardoned many Red (socialist) prisoners of the Finnish Civil War, the worst poverty caused by World War I and the Civil War was over, and the Agrarian leader, Kyösti Kallio, was preparing a law (Lex Kallio) that would distribute the excess farmlands of wealthy landowners to the former tenant farmers and other landless rural people. The Social Democrats, led by Väinö Tanner, had committed themselves to the peaceful and democratic pursuit of socialist reform goals. The mostly Agrarian-Progressive minority governments pursued moderate and conciliatory policies. Compulsory schooling of Finnish children was enacted in 1921. The Communists dared to organize the Socialist Workers' Party before the elections, so they preferred open political activity to underground political activity. Shortly before the election campaign officially started, the Finnish Parliament rejected a five-year defence treaty between Finland, Poland, Latvia and Estonia. Enough deputies doubted the ability of Poland and the Baltic countries to defend Finland during a real war.^[3][4]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	216,861	25.06	53	–27
	Agrarian League	175,401	20.27	45	+3
	National Coalition Party	157,116	18.15	35	+7
	Socialist Workers' Party	128,181	14.81	27	New
	Swedish People's Party	107,414	12.41	25	+3
	National Progressive Party	79,676	9.21	15	–11
	Others	772	0.09	0	–
Total		865,421	100.00	200	0
Valid votes		865,421	99.38
Invalid/blank votes		5,404	0.62
Total votes		870,825	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,489,022	58.48
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

See also

• List of members of the Parliament of Finland, 1922–1924

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p613
3. Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History / Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen, Helsinki: WSOY, 2003, pages 619–620, 629–630, 672
4. Pentti Virrankoski, A History of Finland 1&2 / Suomen historia 1&2, Helsinki: Finnish Literary Society / Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura, 2009, pages 786–787, 791, 797–800