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The Centre Party, ( , Kesk; , C) officially the Centre Party of Finland, is an agrarian-centrist
political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...
in
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. Ideologically, the Centre Party is positioned in the
centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
of the political spectrum. It has been described as being
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
,
social-liberal Social liberalism is a political philosophy and variety of liberalism that endorses social justice, social services, a mixed economy, and the expansion of civil and political rights, as opposed to classical liberalism which favors limited ...
,
liberal-conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...
, and conservative-liberal. The party’s leader is
Antti Kaikkonen Antti Samuli Kaikkonen (born 14 February 1974 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish politician who has served as chair of the Centre Party since June 2024. He has been a member of the Finnish Parliament from Uusimaa since 2003. He served as Minister ...
, who was elected in June 2024 to succeed former minister Annika Saarikko. As of June 2023, the party has been a part of the parliamentary opposition. Founded in 1906 as the Agrarian League (; ), the party represented rural communities and supported the
decentralisation Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those related to planning and decision-making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group and gi ...
of political power from
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
. In the 1920s, the party emerged as the main rival to the SDP.
Kyösti Kallio Kyösti Kallio (, 10 April 1873 – 19 December 1940) was a Finnish politician who served as the fourth president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War; while he relinquished the post ...
, the party's first prime minister, held the office for four times between 1922 and 1937. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the party settled as one of the four major political parties in Finland, alongside the SDP, the
National Coalition Party The National Coalition Party (NCP; , Kok; , Saml) is a liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative List of political parties in Finland, political party in Finland. It is the current governing political party of Finland. Founded in 1918, the ...
and the
Finnish People's Democratic League Finnish People's Democratic League (, SKDL; , DFFF) was a Finnish political organisation with the aim of uniting those left of the Finnish Social Democratic Party. It was founded in 1944 as the anti-communist laws in Finland were repealed due ...
until the 1980s.
Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...
served as
President of Finland The president of the Republic of Finland (; ) is the head of state of Finland. The incumbent president is Alexander Stubb, since 1 March 2024. He was elected president for the first time in 2024 Finnish presidential election, 2024. The presi ...
from 1956 to 1982, by far the longest period of any president. The name Centre Party was adopted in 1965 and Centre of Finland in 1988. The Centre Party was the largest party in Parliament from 2003 to 2011, during which time
Matti Vanhanen Matti Taneli Vanhanen (; born 4 November 1955) is a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2003 to 2010. He was also Chairman of the Centre Party (Finland), Centre Party in 2006. In his earlier career, he was a journali ...
was prime minister for seven years. By
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, the party was reduced in parliamentary representation from the largest party to the fourth largest, but it reclaimed its status as the largest party in
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
. In
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, it suffered a considerable defeat, losing 18 of 49 seats. As a Nordic agrarian party, the Centre Party's political influence is greatest in small and rural municipalities, where it often holds a majority of the seats in the municipal councils. Decentralisation is the policy that is most characteristic of the Centre Party which has been the ruling party in Finland a number of times since
Finnish independence Finland declared its independence on 6 December 1917. The formal Declaration of Independence was only part of the long process leading to the independence of Finland. History Proclamation of Empress Elizabeth (1742) The subject of an independe ...
. Twelve of the
Prime Ministers of Finland The prime minister of Finland (; ) is the leader of the Finnish Government. The prime minister and his or her cabinet exercise executive authority in the state. The prime minister is formally ranked third in the protocol after the president o ...
, three of the
Presidents President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *''Præsidenten ...
and a former
European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs The European Commissioner for Economy is a member of the European Commission. The current Economy Commissioner is Valdis Dombrovskis. From 2014 to 2019 the post was named ''Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs' ...
have been from the party. The Centre Party is the mother organisation of the
Finnish Centre Students Finnish Centre Students is one of the oldest political student organizations in Finland and the student wing of the Centre Party (Finland), Centre Party. Famous ex-members include Chairman of Shell Jorma Ollila and one of the most well known Fi ...
, the
Finnish Centre Youth Finnish Centre Youth is the biggest political youth organisation in Finland with 17 000 members. It is the youth wing of the Centre Party (Finland), Centre Party. It is formed by 19 regional organisations and approximately 400 local associations. ...
and the .


History


Founding

The party was founded in 1906 as a movement of citizens in the Finnish countryside. Before Finnish independence, political power in Finland was centralised in the capital and to the
estates of the realm The estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the Middle Ages to early modern Europe. Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed a ...
. The centralisation gave space for a new political movement. In 1906, two agrarian movements were founded. They merged in 1908 to become one political party known as the Agrarian League or ''Maalaisliitto''. An older, related movement was the
temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
which had overlapping membership and gave future to Agrarian League activists experience in working in an organisation.


Santeri Alkio's ideology

Soon the ideas of humanity, education, the spirit of the land, peasant-like freedom,
decentralisation Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those related to planning and decision-making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group and gi ...
, "the issue of poor people",
progressivism Progressivism is a Left-right political spectrum, left-leaning political philosophy and Reformism, reform political movement, movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. Adherents hold that progressivism has unive ...
Mylly, Juhani. Maalaisliitto-Keskustan historia II. and later the "green wave" became the main political phrases used to describe the ideology of the party.
Santeri Alkio Santeri Alkio (born Aleksander Filander; 17 June 1862 – 24 July 1930) was a Finnish politician, author and journalist. He is also considered to be the ideological father of the Finnish Centre Party. History Alkio was born in Laihia; his p ...
was the most important ideological father of the party.


Defending the republic

At the dawn of Finnish independence,
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
social forces made an attempt to establish the Kingdom of Finland. The Agrarian League opposed
monarchism Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...
fiercely, even though monarchists claimed that a new king from the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
and
Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenburg, Prussia, the German Empire, and Romania. ...
would have safeguarded Finnish foreign relations. At this time, anti-
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
peasants threatened the existence of the party.Vares 2006, p. 113.Vares 2006, p. 108 Because around forty Social Democratic members of the
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
had escaped to Russia after the
Finnish Civil War The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...
and about fifty others had been arrested, the Agrarian League members of the Parliament became the only republicans in Parliament in 1918. Nevertheless, the news about the problems of the German Empire from German liberals encouraged the fight of Agrarian League in the Parliament.Vares 2006, p. 122-126 The Agrarian League managed to maintain the republican voices in the Parliament until the fall of the German Empire which ruined the dreams of the monarchists.Vares 1998, p. 288-289 The relentless opposition to the monarchy was rewarded in the
1919 Finnish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Finland between 1 and 3 March 1919.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p606 The Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest in Parliament with 80 of the 200 sea ...
and the party became the biggest non-
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
party in Finland with 19.7% of the votes.


Post-war period

After the 1919 Finnish parliamentary election, the centrist and progressive forces, including the Agrarian League, were constant members in Finnish governments. Their moderate attitude in restless post-war Finland secured a steady growth in following elections. The party formed many
centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...
minority governments with National Progressive Party and got its first Prime Ministers (
Kyösti Kallio Kyösti Kallio (, 10 April 1873 – 19 December 1940) was a Finnish politician who served as the fourth president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War; while he relinquished the post ...
in 1922 and
Juho Sunila Johan (Juho) Emil Sunila (16 August 1875 – 2 October 1936) was a Finnish politician from the Agrarian League, the managing director of the agrarian finance board, and Prime Minister of Finland in two cabinets. He was born in Liminka. After S ...
in 1927).


Conciliation between the left and the right

For the Agrarian League, the centrist governments were just a transitional period toward an era which would integrate the red and white sides of the Civil War into one nation. Nevertheless, not everyone was happy with the conciliatory politics of centrist governments. The
extreme right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
Lapua Movement The Lapua Movement (, ) was a radical Finnish nationalist, fascist, pro- German and anti-communist political movement founded in and named after the town of Lapua. Led by Vihtori Kosola, it turned towards far-right politics after its founding ...
grew bigger and bigger in the Agrarian League strongholds in the countryside. Many party members joined the new radical movement. The Lapua Movement organised assaults and kidnappings in Finland between 1929 and 1932. In 1930, after the kidnapping of progressive president
Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg ( , ; 28 January 1865 – 22 September 1952) was a Finnish jurist and academic who was one of the most important pioneers of republicanism in the country. He was the first president of Finland (1919–1925) and a liberal ...
, the Agrarian League broke off all its ties to the movement and got a new political enemy in the countryside, the
Patriotic People's Movement Patriotic People's Movement (, IKL, ) was a Finnish nationalist and anti-communist political party. IKL was the successor of the previously banned Lapua Movement. It existed from 1932 to 1944 and had an ideology similar to its predecessor, exce ...
(IKL) which was founded after the Lapua Movement was outlawed. In the
1933 Finnish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Finland between 1 and 3 July 1933.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p606 The Social Democratic Party remained the largest party in Parliament with 78 of the 200 s ...
, the main campaign issues were the differing attitudes toward democracy and the rule of law between the Patriotic Electoral Alliance (the
National Coalition Party The National Coalition Party (NCP; , Kok; , Saml) is a liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative List of political parties in Finland, political party in Finland. It is the current governing political party of Finland. Founded in 1918, the ...
and the Patriotic People's Movement) and the Legality Front (the
Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...
, the Agrarian League, the
Swedish People's Party The Swedish People's Party of Finland (SPP; , SFP; , RKP) is a Finnish political party founded in 1906. Its primary aim is to represent the interests of the minority Swedish-speaking population of Finland. The party is currently a participant in ...
and the
Progressives Progressivism is a left-leaning political philosophy and reform movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to human so ...
). The Patriotic Electoral Alliance favoured continuing the search for suspected communists, the Communist Party and its affiliated organisations in the spirit of the Lapua Movement. The Legality Front did not want to spend any significant time on searching suspected communists but rather wanted to concentrate on keeping the far-right in check. The Legality Front won the elections, but the Agrarian League lost a part of its support.


Cooperation with the Social Democrats

Because of fierce opposition of the president
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad (, 15 December 1861 – 29 February 1944) was the third president of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a lawyer, judge, and politician in the Grand Duchy of Finland, which was at that time an autonomous s ...
, the Social Democrats remained outside the government and the Agrarian League was part of the
centre-right Centre-right politics is the set of right-wing politics, right-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. It is commonly associated with conservatism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and conservative liberalis ...
governments until 1937. In the
1937 Finnish presidential election Two-stage presidential elections were held in Finland in 1937. The first stage was on 15 and 16 January 1937 as the public selected 300 presidential electors to an electoral college.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A d ...
, the Agrarian League candidate
Kyösti Kallio Kyösti Kallio (, 10 April 1873 – 19 December 1940) was a Finnish politician who served as the fourth president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War; while he relinquished the post ...
was elected president with the votes of centrist (Agrarian and Progressive) and social-democratic coalition which wanted to ensure that President Svinhufvud would not be re-elected. The new president allowed the first
centre-left Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...
government to be formed in Finland and a new era had begun.


World War II

With the outbreak of the Winter War, a government of national unity was formed. President Kallio died shortly after the war.


Kekkonen, the centrist statesman

In 1956,
Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...
, the candidate of the Agrarian League, was elected
President of Finland The president of the Republic of Finland (; ) is the head of state of Finland. The incumbent president is Alexander Stubb, since 1 March 2024. He was elected president for the first time in 2024 Finnish presidential election, 2024. The presi ...
after serving as prime minister several times and remained president until 1982. Kekkonen continued the active neutrality policy of his predecessor
Juho Kusti Paasikivi Juho Kusti Paasikivi (, 27 November 1870 – 14 December 1956) was a Finnish politician who served as the seventh president of Finland from 1946 to 1956. Representing the Finnish Party until its dissolution in 1918 and then the National Coaliti ...
, a doctrine which came to be known as the Paasikivi–Kekkonen line. Under it, Finland retained its independence while being able to trade with
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
members and those of the
Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
.


Pressure of populism

Veikko Vennamo Veikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo (originally ''Fennander'') (11 June 1913 – 12 June 1997) was a Finland, Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party (''Suomen Maaseudun Puolue''), which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. ...
, a vocal agrarian politician, ran into serious disagreement particularly with the then-Party Secretary of the Agrarian Party Arvo Korsimo, who was excluded from the parliamentary group. As a result, Vennamo immediately started building his own organisation in 1959 and founded a new party, the
Finnish Rural Party The Finnish Rural Party (, SMP; , FLP) was an agrarian and populist political party in Finland. Starting as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959 as the Small Peasants' Party of Finland (Suomen Pientalonpoikien Puolue), the party ...
(''Suomen maaseudun puolue'', SMP). Vennamo was a
populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
and became a critic of Kekkonen and
political corruption Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, influen ...
within the old parties, particularly the Agrarian League. Although this party had some success, it was essentially tied to Veikko Vennamo's person. His son Pekka Vennamo was able to raise the party to new success and into government in 1983, but after this the Rural Party's support declined steadily and eventually the party went bankrupt in 1995. Immediately after this, the
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right populism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establishm ...
Finns Party The Finns Party ( , PS; , Sannf), formerly known as the True Finns, is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The party achieved its electoral breakthro ...
(''Perussuomalaiset'') was founded by former members of SMP.


Transformation into the Centre Party

In 1965, the party changed its name to the Centre Party (''Keskustapuolue'') and in 1988 took its current Centre Party of Finland name (''Suomen Keskusta''). Despite urbanisation of Finland and a temporary nadir in support, the party managed to continue to attract voters. The Liberal People's Party (LKP) became a member party of the Centre Party in 1982. The two separated again after the success of the Liberal People's Party in the
1985 Swedish general election General elections were held in Sweden on 15 September 1985.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1858 The Swedish Social Democratic Party remained the largest party in the Riksdag, winning 159 of the 3 ...
.


Division over EU membership

The Centre Party was a key player in making the decision to apply for Finnish EU membership in 1992. As the leading governing party, its support for the application was crucial. The party itself, both leadership and supporters, was far from united on the issue. In the Parliament, 22 out of 55 Centre MPs voted against the application. In June 1994, the party congress decided to support EU membership (by 1607 votes to 834), but only after the Prime Minister and Party Chair
Esko Aho Esko Tapani Aho (born 20 May 1954) is a Finnish politician who was prime minister of Finland from 1991 to 1995. Early life and career Aho was born in Veteli, Finland. Prior to attending university, he began a career in politics. From 1974 to ...
threatened to resign if the party were to oppose the membership. The centrist tradition of defending equal political and economic rights for peripheral areas was reflected in the internal resistance that opposed chairperson Aho's ambitions to lead Finland into the EU. The Centre Party was in opposition from 1995 to 2003 and opposed adopting the
euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
as Finland's currency. The party accepted the euro after regaining power in 2003.


2012 and beyond

The party congress in June 2012 elected the newcomer
Juha Sipilä Juha Petri Sipilä (; born 25 April 1961) is a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2015 to 2019. A relative newcomer to politics, he has a successful background in business. He was the leader of the Centre Party fr ...
to replace Mari Kiviniemi as the party's chair. Sipilä defeated young deputy chairperson Tuomo Puumala and a well known veteran politician Paavo Väyrynen in the voting. The previous chairperson Mari Kiviniemi succeeded Matti Vanhanen as Prime Minister in 2010, serving in the office for one year. At the time, she was the Centre Party’s third
Prime Minister of Finland The prime minister of Finland (; ) is the leader of the Finnish Government. The prime minister and his or her cabinet exercise executive authority in the state. The prime minister is formally ranked third in the protocol after the president ...
in succession.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki (born 11 February 1955) is a Finnish politician who was the first female and 39th List of Prime Ministers of Finland, prime minister of Finland from 17 April 2003 to 24 June 2003. From 2004 until 2019, she served ...
preceded Vanhanen, she was also the first woman to be Prime Minister of Finland. She did not seek another term as party chair. Olli Rehn, a member of the party, served in the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
for ten years between 2004 and 2014 and was the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs and the Euro from 2010 to 2014. The Centre Party was the biggest loser of the
2011 Finnish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting, Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout o ...
, losing 16 seats and going from largest party to fourth place. Its support was lower than in any parliamentary election since
1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...
. It won the
2015 Finnish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 19 April 2015, with advance voting taking place from 8 to 14 April. The 200 members of the Parliament of Finland were elected with the proportional D'Hondt method. There were 4,463,333 people entit ...
and formed a coalition with the
Finns Party The Finns Party ( , PS; , Sannf), formerly known as the True Finns, is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The party achieved its electoral breakthro ...
and the
National Coalition Party The National Coalition Party (NCP; , Kok; , Saml) is a liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative List of political parties in Finland, political party in Finland. It is the current governing political party of Finland. Founded in 1918, the ...
. In March 2016, the Centre Party announced that its candidate for the
2018 Finnish presidential election Presidential elections were held in Finland on 28 January 2018. The incumbent Sauli Niinistö received 63% of the vote and was re-elected for a second term, avoiding a Two-round system, second round. He received a plurality of the vote in every M ...
would be the former Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, the first declared presidential candidate in the race. The Centre Party was again the biggest loser in the
2019 Finnish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 14 April 2019. For the first time, no party received more than 20% of the vote. The Centre Party, which had been the largest party following the 2015 Finnish parliamentary election, 2015 elections, ...
, losing 18 seats and going from largest party to fourth place. The party's support was even lower than in 2011. Due to the devastating defeat, Sipilä consequently announced that he would continue as the party chair only until the Centre Party's next convention in September 2019. The party congress in September 2019 elected the Minister of Economic Affairs Katri Kulmuni to replace Sipilä as the party's chair. On 5 September 2020, during a party congress, Annika Saarikko was elected as the leader of the Centre Party to replace Katri Kulmuni. During late 2022, The Centre Party was polling at its lowest record in support in polls with less than 10% support.


Ideology

The ideology of the party is unusual in the European context. Unlike many other large parties in Europe, its ideology is not primarily based on economic systems. Rather, the ideas of humanity, education, the spirit of the land, peasant-like freedom,
decentralisation Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those related to planning and decision-making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group and gi ...
, "the issue of poor people", environmentalism and progressivism play a key role in Centre Party politician speeches and writings. From the very beginning of its presence, the party has supported the idea of decentralisation. Despite belonging to the Liberal International, the Centre Party does not play quite the same role in Finnish politics as do liberal parties in other countries because the party evolved from agrarian roots. The party has a more
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
wing, and prominent conservatives within the party such as
Paavo Väyrynen Paavo Matti Väyrynen (; born 2 September 1946) is a Finland, Finnish Politics of Finland, politician who has served, among other things, as Minister for Foreign Affairs (Finland), Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1982, and again from 198 ...
have criticised overt
economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
and
cultural liberalism Cultural liberalism is a social philosophy which expresses the social dimension of liberalism and advocates the freedom of individuals to choose whether to conform to cultural norms. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, it is often expressed ...
. In addition, the 2010 party congress voted to oppose
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
. When the Finnish Parliament voted on same-sex marriage in 2014, 30 of the 36 Centre MPs voted against it. The party is also divided on the issue of deepening
European integration European integration is the process of political, legal, social, regional and economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe, or nearby. European integration has primarily but not exclusively come about through the European Union ...
and contains a notable
Eurosceptic Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies and seek refor ...
faction based on its more rural interests. The party expressly rejects a
federal Europe A federal Europe, also referred to as the United States of Europe (USE) or a European federation, is a hypothetical scenario of European integration leading to the formation of a sovereign superstate (similar to the United States of America), ...
. The Centre Party was originally opposed to Finland's membership in the
euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
currency, but the party later stated that it would not seek to withdraw from the
Economic and Monetary Union An economic and monetary union (EMU) is a type of trade bloc that features a combination of a common market, customs union, and monetary union. Established via a trade pact, an EMU constitutes the sixth of seven stages in the process of economi ...
once Finland had entered. In Finland, there is no large party that supports
liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...
''per se''. Instead, liberalism is found in most major parties including the Centre Party which supports decentralisation, free will, free and fair trade and small enterprise. The Centre Party characteristically supports
decentralisation Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those related to planning and decision-making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group and gi ...
, particularly the decrease of central power, increase of the power of municipalities and the even population of the country. During the party's premierships between 2003 and 2011, these policies were also manifested as transferrals of certain government agencies from the capital to smaller cities in the regions. Throughout the period of Finland's independence, the Centre Party has been the party most often represented in the government. The country's longest-serving President,
Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...
, was a member of the party as were two other Presidents. Today, only a small portion of the votes given to the party come from farmers. As such, the Centre Party draws support from a wide range of professions. Rural Finland and small towns still form the strongest base of support for the party, although it has also strived for a breakthrough in the major southern cities. In the
2011 Finnish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting, Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout o ...
, the party received 4.5% of the votes cast in the capital, Helsinki, compared to the 33.4% in the largely rural electoral district of
Oulu Oulu ( , ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Ostrobothnia. It is located on the northwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Oulujoki, River Oulu. The population of Oulu is approximately , while the Oulu sub-regio ...
.


Organisation


Structure

In the organisation of the Centre Party, local associations dominate the election of party leaders, the selection of local candidates and drafting of policy. The headquarters in Apollonkatu, Helsinki leads financing and organisation of elections. The party has 2,500 local associations which have 160,000 individual members. The local associations elect their representatives to the party congress which elects the party leadership and decide on policy. The local associations form also 21 regional organisations which have also their representatives in the party congress. The party congress is the highest decision-making body of the party. It elects the chairperson, three deputy chairs, the secretary-general and the party council. With 135 members, the party council is the main decision-making body between the party congresses. The party council elects the party government (excluding the leaders elected by the party congress) and the working committee. The party council, the party government and the Working Committee must have at least 40% representation of both sexes. The
Finnish Centre Students Finnish Centre Students is one of the oldest political student organizations in Finland and the student wing of the Centre Party (Finland), Centre Party. Famous ex-members include Chairman of Shell Jorma Ollila and one of the most well known Fi ...
, the and the
Finnish Centre Youth Finnish Centre Youth is the biggest political youth organisation in Finland with 17 000 members. It is the youth wing of the Centre Party (Finland), Centre Party. It is formed by 19 regional organisations and approximately 400 local associations. ...
have their own local and regional organisations which also name their representatives to the party congress.


People

File:Antti Kaikkonen 2019.jpg,
Antti Kaikkonen Antti Samuli Kaikkonen (born 14 February 1974 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish politician who has served as chair of the Centre Party since June 2024. He has been a member of the Finnish Parliament from Uusimaa since 2003. He served as Minister ...
, Chairperson of the Centre Party of Finland File:Hilkka Kemppi.jpg,
Hilkka Kemppi Hilkka Kemppi (born 19 May 1988 in Asikkala) is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral and Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme legislature of Fi ...
, Deputy Chair of the Centre Party of Finland File:Markus Lohi 2020.jpg,
Markus Lohi Markus Samuli Lohi (born 16 June 1972 in Haukipudas) is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral and Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme legislatu ...
, Deputy Chair of the Centre Party of Finland File:Antti_Kurvinen_2021_(cropped).jpg, Antti Kurvinen, Chair of the Centre Party of Finland’s Parliamentary Group


Chairperson

*
Antti Kaikkonen Antti Samuli Kaikkonen (born 14 February 1974 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish politician who has served as chair of the Centre Party since June 2024. He has been a member of the Finnish Parliament from Uusimaa since 2003. He served as Minister ...
(born 1974)


Deputy chairs

*
Tuomas Kettunen Tuomas Ilari Kettunen (born 9 January 1988) is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland for the Centre Party at the Oulu Oulu ( , ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Ostrobothnia. It is loca ...
(born 1988) *
Markus Lohi Markus Samuli Lohi (born 16 June 1972 in Haukipudas) is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral and Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme legislatu ...
(born 1972) *
Hilkka Kemppi Hilkka Kemppi (born 19 May 1988 in Asikkala) is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral and Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme legislature of Fi ...
(born 1988)


Secretary-general

* (born 1986)


Chair of the parliamentary group

* Antti Kurvinen (born 1986)


Deputy chairs of the parliamentary group

*
Eeva Kalli Eeva Kalli (born 10 January 1981 in Kiukainen) is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland for the Centre Party at the Satakunta Satakunta (in both Finnish language, Finnish and Swedish language, Swedish, ; histo ...
(born 1981) * Eerikki Viljanen (born 1975)


Other contemporary politicians

File:Olli_Rehn_by_Moritz_Kosinsky_2.jpg,
Olli Rehn Olli Ilmari Rehn (; born 31 March 1962) is a Finnish public official who has been serving as governor of the Bank of Finland since 2018. A member of the Centre Party, he previously served as the European Commissioner for Enlargement from 2004 ...
, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs and the Euro, ex-
Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...
and Centre Party
candidate A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group (sociology), group or election to an offic ...
in the
2024 Finnish presidential election Presidential elections were held in Finland on 28 January 2024, with a second round held on 11 February. Voters elected a President of Finland, president of the Republic for a six-year term. Incumbent president Sauli Niinistö was term-limited a ...
File:Hannu_Takkula_Remembrance_Forum.jpg,
Hannu Takkula Hannu Aapa Takkula (born 20 November 1963) is a Finnish politician and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. He is a member of the Centre Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. Early life Takku ...
, former Member of the European Parliament File:Simo Rundgren.jpg, Simo Rundgren, former Member of the Finnish Parliament File:Janne Seurujärvi.jpg,
Janne Seurujärvi Janne Antero Seurujärvi (born 15 May 1975 in Inari, Finland) is a Finnish Sami politician. He was the first Sami ever to be elected to the Finnish Parliament. Seurujärvi represents the Finnish Centre Party (''Keskusta''). Seurujärvi was a ...
, first
Sámi Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
in the
Finnish Parliament The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the unicameral and supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that power is vested in the Parliament. The P ...
File:Laura Kolbe.jpg, Laura Kolbe, Member of the
Helsinki City Council The City Council of Helsinki ( , ) is the main decision-making organ in the local politics of Helsinki, Finland. The City Council deals with issues such as city planning, schools, health care, and public transport. The 85-seat Council's members ...
File:Timo Kalli.jpg,
Timo Kalli Timo Juhani Kalli (born 22 February 1947 in Kiukainen, now Eura, Satakunta Satakunta (in both Finnish language, Finnish and Swedish language, Swedish, ; historically ''Satacundia'') is a Regions of Finland, region ( / ) of Finland, part of t ...
, former Member of the Finnish Parliament and ex-Speaker of the Finnish Parliament File:Sirkka-Liisa Anttila.jpg,
Sirkka-Liisa Anttila Sirkka-Liisa Anttila (born 20 December 1943, Marttila) is a Finnish politician and was the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet and Mari Kiviniemi's cabinet. She represents the Centre Party. Political career ...
, former Member of the Finnish Parliament and ex- Minister of Agriculture and Forestry File:Eskokiviranta1.JPG,
Esko Kiviranta Esko Emil Kiviranta (born 2 September 1950) was a Finnish politician representing the Finnish Centre Party (''Keskusta''). He was a member of the Finnish Parliament from 19 March 2003 to 4 April 2023. Kiviranta was born in Sauvo Sauvo (; ...
, former Member of the Finnish Parliament File:Jäätteenmäki Anneli 2014-02-06 1.jpg,
Anneli Jäätteenmäki Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki (born 11 February 1955) is a Finnish politician who was the first female and 39th List of Prime Ministers of Finland, prime minister of Finland from 17 April 2003 to 24 June 2003. From 2004 until 2019, she served ...
, former
Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...
and ex-Prime Minister of Finland File:Mikkoalatalo7.JPG, Mikko Alatalo, former Member of the Finnish Parliament File:Lasse Hautala Seinäjoki (cropped).jpg, Lasse Hautala, former Member of the Finnish Parliament File:Antti Kaikkonen in 2019.jpg,
Antti Kaikkonen Antti Samuli Kaikkonen (born 14 February 1974 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish politician who has served as chair of the Centre Party since June 2024. He has been a member of the Finnish Parliament from Uusimaa since 2003. He served as Minister ...
, former Member of the Finnish Parliament and ex-
Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
File:Seppokaariainenoffice.jpg,
Seppo Kääriäinen Seppo Arimo Kääriäinen (born 29 March 1948 in Iisalmen maalaiskunta) is a Finland, Finnish politician of the Centre Party (Finland), Centre Party and Doctor in Social Sciences. He served as the Minister of Defence (Finland), Minister of Defenc ...
, former Member of the Finnish Parliament, ex-Minister (many ministerial positions) and ex-Speaker of the Finnish Parliament File:Mauri Pekkarinen.jpg,
Mauri Pekkarinen Reijo Mauri Matias Pekkarinen (born 6 October 1947, in Kinnula, Finland) is a Finnish politician. He most recently served as a Member of European Parliament for Finland between 2019 and 2024. He is the Centre Party of Finland (''Suomen Keskusta ...
, former Member of the Finnish Parliament and ex-Minister (many ministerial positions) File:Paavo Väyrynen.jpg,
Paavo Väyrynen Paavo Matti Väyrynen (; born 2 September 1946) is a Finland, Finnish Politics of Finland, politician who has served, among other things, as Minister for Foreign Affairs (Finland), Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1982, and again from 198 ...
, three-time
Presidential Candidate A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group or election to an office, in which case a ...
, Honorary Chair of the Centre Party and ex-Minister (many ministerial positions)


International representation

The party is a member of the
Liberal International Liberal International (LI) is a worldwide organization of liberalism, liberal political parties. The political international was founded in Oxford in 1947 and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal and progressive democratic parties aim ...
and the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party) is a European political party composed of 76 national-level parties from across Europe, mainly active in the European Union. The ALDE Party is affiliated with Liberal Interna ...
and subscribes to the liberal manifestos of these organisations. The Centre Party has been a full member of the Liberal International since 1988, having first joined as an observer member in 1983. In the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
, the Center Party sits in the
Renew Europe group Renew Europe (or simply Renew) is a liberal, centrist to centre-right, pro-European political group of the European Parliament founded for the ninth European Parliament term. The group is the successor to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrat ...
with two MEPs. In the
European Committee of the Regions The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the European Union's (EU) assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities (i.e. regions, counties, provinces, municipalities and cities) with a direct voice w ...
, the Center Party sits in the Renew Europe CoR group with one full and two alternate members for the 2020-2025 mandate. Mirja Vehkapera is Coordinator in the COTER Commission.


Prominent leaders

File:Santeri Alkio2.jpg,
Santeri Alkio Santeri Alkio (born Aleksander Filander; 17 June 1862 – 24 July 1930) was a Finnish politician, author and journalist. He is also considered to be the ideological father of the Finnish Centre Party. History Alkio was born in Laihia; his p ...
, political ideologist File:Lauri Kristian Relander, 1920s.jpg,
Lauri Kristian Relander Lauri Kristian Relander ( , ; 31 May 1883 – 9 February 1942) was the second president of Finland (1925–1931). A prominent member of the Agrarian League, he served as a member of Parliament, and as Speaker, before his election as Preside ...
, President (1925–1931) File:Ky%C3%B6sti_Kallio.png,
Kyösti Kallio Kyösti Kallio (, 10 April 1873 – 19 December 1940) was a Finnish politician who served as the fourth president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War; while he relinquished the post ...
, four-time Prime Minister (1922–1937) and President (1937–1940) File:Urho-Kekkonen-1977-c.jpg,
Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...
, two-time Prime Minister (1950–1956) and President (1956–1981) File:JohannesVirolainen1975.jpg,
Johannes Virolainen Johannes Virolainen (; 31 January 1914 – 11 December 2000) was a Finnish politician and who served as 30th Prime Minister of Finland, helped inhabitants of Karelia, and opposed the use of alcohol. Virolainen was born near Viipuri. After the C ...
, Prime Minister (1964–1966) File:Esko Aho 2010-05-28.jpg,
Esko Aho Esko Tapani Aho (born 20 May 1954) is a Finnish politician who was prime minister of Finland from 1991 to 1995. Early life and career Aho was born in Veteli, Finland. Prior to attending university, he began a career in politics. From 1974 to ...
, Prime Minister of Finland (1991–1995) and Executive Vice President of Nokia (2008–2013) File:Jäätteenmäki Anneli 2014-02-06 1.jpg,
Anneli Jäätteenmäki Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki (born 11 February 1955) is a Finnish politician who was the first female and 39th List of Prime Ministers of Finland, prime minister of Finland from 17 April 2003 to 24 June 2003. From 2004 until 2019, she served ...
, first female Prime Minister (2003) File:Matti Vanhanen 2017 06.jpg,
Matti Vanhanen Matti Taneli Vanhanen (; born 4 November 1955) is a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2003 to 2010. He was also Chairman of the Centre Party (Finland), Centre Party in 2006. In his earlier career, he was a journali ...
, two-time Prime Minister (2003–2010) File:Mari Kiviniemi 2010-11-02 (2).jpg,
Mari Kiviniemi Mari Johanna Kiviniemi (born 27 September 1968) is a Finnish politician, who served as the 41st and second female Prime Minister of Finland from 2010 to 2011. Since 25 August 2014, she is Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD. Life and career ...
, Prime Minister (2010–2011) File:Tallinn Digital Summit. Handshake Juha Sipilä (2017).jpg,
Juha Sipilä Juha Petri Sipilä (; born 25 April 1961) is a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2015 to 2019. A relative newcomer to politics, he has a successful background in business. He was the leader of the Centre Party fr ...
, Prime Minister (2015–March 2019)


List of presidents


Election results


Parliament of Finland

ImageSize = width:1100 height:240 PlotArea = width:1000 height:160 left:50 bottom:60 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:30 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:0 Colors = id:SB value:rgb(0.01,0.58,0.29) legend:Sea_Battles PlotData = bar:% color:SB width:22 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:S bar:1907 from:start till:5.75 text:5.8 bar:1908 from:start till:6.39 text:6.4 bar:1909 from:start till:6.73 text:6.7 bar:1910 from:start till:7.60 text:7.6 bar:1911 from:start till:7.84 text:7.8 bar:1913 from:start till:7.87 text:7.9 bar:1916 from:start till:9.00 text:9.0 bar:1917 from:start till:12.38 text:12.4 bar:1919 from:start till:19.70 text:19.7 bar:1922 from:start till:20.27 text:20.3 bar:1924 from:start till:20.25 text:20.3 bar:1927 from:start till:22.56 text:22.6 bar:1929 from:start till:26.15 text:26.1 bar:1930 from:start till:27.28 text:27.3 bar:1933 from:start till:22.54 text:22.5 bar:1936 from:start till:22.41 text:22.4 bar:1939 from:start till:22.86 text:22.9 bar:1945 from:start till:21.35 text:21.4 bar:1948 from:start till:24.24 text:24.2 bar:1951 from:start till:23.26 text:23.3 bar:1954 from:start till:24.10 text:24.1 bar:1958 from:start till:23.06 text:23.1 bar:1962 from:start till:22.95 text:23.0 bar:1966 from:start till:21.23 text:21.2 bar:1970 from:start till:17.12 text:17.1 bar:1972 from:start till:16.41 text:16.4 bar:1975 from:start till:17.63 text:17.6 bar:1979 from:start till:17.29 text:17.3 bar:1983 from:start till:17.63 text:17.6 bar:1987 from:start till:17.62 text:17.6 bar:1991 from:start till:24.83 text:24.8 bar:1995 from:start till:19.85 text:19.9 bar:1999 from:start till:22.40 text:22.4 bar:2003 from:start till:24.69 text:24.7 bar:2007 from:start till:23.11 text:23.1 bar:2011 from:start till:15.82 text:15.8 bar:2015 from:start till:21.10 text:21.1 bar:2019 from:start till:13.80 text:13.8 bar:2023 from:start till:11.31 text:11.3


Municipal


European Parliament


Presidential elections


Indirect elections


Direct elections


See also

*
Liberalism and centrism in Finland 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 ...
*
Nordic agrarian parties The Nordic agrarian parties, also referred to as Scandinavian agrarian parties or agrarian liberal parties, are agrarian political parties that belong to a political tradition particular to the Nordic countries. Positioning themselves in the c ...


Notes


Sources

* *


References


External links


Official website

Centre Party: Swedish-speaking section

Website in English

Youth organisation’s official website
{{authority control Centre Party (Finland) 1906 establishments in the Russian Empire Political parties established in 1906 Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party member parties Parties represented in the European Parliament Registered political parties in Finland Centrist parties in Finland Liberal parties in Finland Agrarian parties in Finland