Finnish Parliamentary Elections

March 15, 2003 5:25 PM

Finnish Parliamentary Elections are held this sunday. Deutsche Welle and NY Times sum things up pretty well, but I've added some links you might find interesting. [more inside]
posted by lazy-ville (9 comments total)

It's mostly a fight between the Social Democratic Party and the Centre Party, the chairman of the biggest party will probably be the new prime minister, so most Finnish people are deciding whether they want to keep current(since 1995) PM Paavo Lipponen, or choose the female candidate Anneli Jäätteenmäki. The 1999 elections were very close. Here's a list of all parties, including the kooky ones. I will keep this thread informed of the results.

Internet might be the most influential media in Finnish elections due to the invention of the "election machine", which is basicly a questionnaire about current issues that all the candidates fill. You can then fill the same questionnaire and the computer then compares your opinions to the candidates'. Kinda like "Which aspiring parliamentarist are you most like?".
posted by lazy-ville at 5:26 PM on March 15, 2003

If I were Finnish, and I had no clue about whom to pick, I'd pick either True Finns, or Alternative People. But since Ville's told me a bit about the elections, I'd go for the Social Democratic Party.
posted by riffola at 5:31 PM on March 15, 2003

I welcome our new Finnish overlords. Well I would if I could work up any enthusiasm about this little tiff among friends in what appears to be a beauty contest rather than an election.

Who gots the maple syrup?
posted by billsaysthis at 6:35 PM on March 15, 2003

i blew my chance to vote in the advance polls (i'm in new york) after i couldn't find out any specific information on any of 75 candidates in my home province.

here's the parliamentary election system in a nutshell which you can find in the finnish embassy in washington. my leaning is SDP, but choosing from 12 candidates proved difficult.
posted by myopicman at 9:05 AM on March 16, 2003

The advance polls results have been announced. (The polls closed half an hour ago) and...

Ohmygod. Eli voi vitun vittu. A former wrestler, Tony Halme is gonna make it to the parliament.

There goes my faith in democratic elections.
posted by hoskala at 10:23 AM on March 16, 2003

Also Mikko Alatalo, a singer mostly known for his blue goggles.
posted by hoskala at 10:38 AM on March 16, 2003

There goes my faith in democratic elections.

Given that other countries have already elected wrestlers, singers, and even porn stars to public office, why'd you have faith left to lose?
posted by kindall at 11:13 AM on March 16, 2003

I have to admit that he has opinions, and he isn't afraid to say them aloud. Can't say that for the majority of the candidates.
posted by hoskala at 11:30 AM on March 16, 2003

The centre party won with 55 seats, social democrats came in second at 53 votes. In two weeks Finland will probably have a female PM.
posted by lazy-ville at 1:40 PM on March 16, 2003