Finnish parliamentary election, 1939

Finland

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Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 1 and 2 July 1939.^[1] Following the elections, the National Progressive Party-led government of Aimo Cajander continued in office. However, he was replaced by Risto Ryti's Progressive-led war government in December 1939.

Background

The leading issues were the distribution of the growing prosperity's benefits, the prospects for the centre-left coalition government's continuation, the right-wing opposition's criticism of the government's numerous and allegedly poorly prepared legislative proposals, and the Finnish national security under the threat of World War II. Prime Minister Cajander opposed the notable increase of defence spending before the elections, because that would require raising taxes. Finance Minister Väinö Tanner and Governor of the Bank of Finland, Risto Ryti, opposed the taking of a foreign loan to buy modern military equipment for the Finnish army, although the Finnish national debt in 1939 was among the lowest in the Western world. Most Finnish voters were apparently satisfied with the centre-left Cajander government's performance, because it received almost three-quarters of the seats. The voter turnout was the highest of the Finnish parliamentary elections of the 1920s and 1930s.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Social Democratic Party of Finland	515,980	39.77	85	+2
Agrarian League	296,529	22.86	56	+3
National Coalition Party	176.215	13.58	25	+5
Swedish People's Party	124,720	9.61	18	–3
Patriotic People's Movement	86,219	6.65	8	–6
National Progressive Party	62,387	4.81	6	–1
Party of Smallholders and Rural People	27,783	2.14	2	0
Swedish Left	5,980	0.46	0	0
Others	1,506	0.12	0	0
Total	1,297,319	100	200	0
Source: Tilastokeskus 2004^[5]

Popular vote

SDP			39.77%
ML			22.86%
KOK			13.58%
RKP			9.61%
IKL			6.65%
ED			4.81%
PMP			2.14%
Others			0.58%

Parliament seats

SDP			42.50%
ML			28.00%
KOK			12.50%
RKP			9.00%
IKL			4.00%
ED			3.00%
PMP			1.00%

References

↑ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
↑ Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History / Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen, Helsinki: WSOY, 2003
↑ Sakari Virkkunen, Finland's Presidents I / Suomen presidentit I, Helsinki: WSOY, 1994
↑ Martti Turtola, Risto Ryti: A Life for the Fatherland / Elämä isänmaan puolesta, Helsinki: Otava, 1994
↑ Tiedosto "595. Eduskuntavaalit 1927–2003 (Tilastokeskus 2004)

Elections and referendums in Finland

Parliamentary elections	1863 1867 1872 1877 1882 1885 1888 1891 1894 1900 1901 1905 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1913 1916 1917 1919 1922 1924 1927 1929 1930 1933 1936 1939 1945 1948 1951 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1972 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019

Municipal elections	1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1928 1930 1933 1936 1945 1947 1950 1953 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2017

Presidential elections	1919 1925 1931 1937 1940 1943 1944 1946 1950 1956 1962 1968 1973 1978 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018

European elections	1996 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019

Referendums	1931 1994

Elections in brackets were not public elections

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