National Coalition Party (Finland)

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National Coalition
Image:Kokoomus logo.gif
Name in Finnish Kansallinen Kokoomus
Name in Swedish Samlingspartiet
Leader Jyrki Katainen
Founded 1918
Headquarters Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21 B
00100 HELSINKI
Political Ideology Liberal conservatism
Political Position Center-right
European Affiliation European People's Party and European Democrat Union
International Affiliation Christian Democrat and People's Parties International and International Democrat Union
Colours Blue
Website www.kokoomus.fi
See also Finnish Politics

Finnish Parliament
Finnish Government
Finnish President
Political parties
Elections

The National Coalition Party (in Finnish Kansallinen Kokoomus, Kok.) is a political party in Finland. The party was founded on December 9, 1918, chiefly on the basis of the fennoman "Old-Finnish party". Today, the party is strongly Europhile.

The Coalition Party is one of the three biggest parties in Finland, along with the Social Democrats and the Centre Party. Its vote share has been around 20% in the Parliamentary elections in the 1990s and in 2003. At latest polls at Autumn 2006 the party has got support between 20,5-22,5 % depending of poll and it currently holds 42 out of the 200 seats.

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[edit] Ideology

Although the party is clearly rightist, it harbours several different political currents, including social reformism (mainly in the Turku area), conservatism (mainly in northern Finland and Lapland), and classical liberalism (mainly in Helsinki). It believes on free market & enterpreunership with limited government intervention, people's working as safeguard for welfare society, responsible individuality, equality of chances in the society, limited privatization of healthcare services and strong education & technology development. The party also supports active membership in the European Union and is clearly supportive for membership in Nato. As regards traditional morality and established family institutions, it has had trouble reconciling staunch support for traditional family values and the liberal views of some of its members.

[edit] History

Up to the Bolshevist revolution in Russia, November 7th 1917, and the German Empire's dissolution, November 9th 1918, there existed two fennoman factions: one leaning towards Imperial Russia, and one leaning towards Imperial Germany. After 1917 most of them could unite in the National Coalition Party, and further tensions hovered around the degree of scepticism towards the Entente, the League of Nations, Democracy, multi party systems and Parliamentarism. Kokoomus was the party having the closest ties with the emerging Lapua Movement.

The party suffered division in the 1930s, in connection with the domestic Lapua Movement and the international fascism, when the Patriotic People's Movement (IKL) was formed of members disapproving Paasikivi's outspoken pro-democratic line. IKL was later banned. Paasikivi's democracy-line was taken up again by the party leader Edwin Linkomies, Prime Minister 1943-1944 during the Continuation War, who however lost the party-group's confidence and wasn't re-elected as chairman.

A minor division in the 1950s led to the formation of the Christian Democrats.

The current party chairman is Jyrki Katainen, who was elected as for the post in 2004. He is seen as dynamic and reforming person by many party members although there have been some doubts in the Finnish media about his lack of experience and relative young age (35 years at 2006).

Former party chairman is Ville Itälä, who in the general elections in 2003 obtained the second highest count of individual votes (21,422) of all candidates. After his term in office as party chairman he was a candidate in the European Parliament election. He was also elected as an Member of the European Parliament.

In March 2005, Sauli Niinistö announced his candidature for the Finnish Presidency. He challenged the incumbent President Tarja Halonen. He qualified for the second round runoff (as one of the top two candidates in the first round), held on 29 January 2006, but was defeated by the sitting President Tarja Halonen with 51.8 % against 48.2 %. Niinistö has said he has no plans to take any high-ranking political job like the prime ministership in the future. [1]

[edit] Parliamentary elections 2007

National Coalition has been in the opposition at parliament since Spring 2003 when new centrist-left government led by Prime Minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki and since June 2003 Matti Vanhanen of the Centre Party was formed after the parliament elections in which National Coalition suffered heavy defeat, getting only 18,6 % from the votes and losing 6 seats, getting total 40 representatives to the parliament. At 2007 elections the party is looking to get the position of biggest party with 22,5 % of the votes and Prime Ministership. The party has announced that its main theme in the coming elections will be employment issues and to challenge the policies of the Social Democrats led by Minister of Treasure Eero Heinäluoma. Both government coalition choices, SDP-National Coalition and the Centre-National Coalition are open for the party leadership.

[edit] List of party Chairmen

[edit] Prominent party leaders

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ YLE
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