Home > Statistics > Municipal elections > 2008 > Preliminary data. Coalition Party the largest political party, True Finns the biggest winners in Municipal elections 2008

Published: 27 October 2008

Preliminary data. Coalition Party the largest political party, True Finns the biggest winners in Municipal elections 2008

These were the first Municipal elections in which the Coalition Party rose to the position of the largest party in Finland. In the four preceding Municipal elections the Coalition Party has been in third place. The Coalition Party took 23.4 per cent of the votes cast and increased its share of votes cast by 1.6 percentage points. The total number of votes for the Coalition Party was 598,000, which is good 76,000 votes more than in the preceding Municipal elections in 2004.

The Social Democratic Party took the second most votes and lost the position of the largest party which it had assumed in the previous elections. It took 21.2 per cent of all votes cast and lost 2.9 percentage points of support. The total number of votes cast for the Social Democratic Party fell by some 35,000 from the preceding elections.

The Centre Party fell back from its second position and is now the third largest party in Finland. Support for the Centre Party was 20.1 per cent and it lost 2.7 percentage points of support when compared to the preceding elections. The Centre Party took a total of some 512,700 votes, which was 31,200 votes less than in 2004.

Of all the parties the True Finns increased their support the most. Support for the True Finns now stood at 5.4 per cent, which was 4.5 percentage points more than in the preceding Municipal elections. The good 137,000 votes taken by the True Finns indicated an increase of as much as 116,000 votes from 2004.

The Green League was also among the winners of the elections as it rose to the fourth largest party in Finland. It took 8.9 per cent of the votes cast and increased its share of votes cast by 1.5 percentage points.

Voting turnout was higher in these elections than four years previously. The voting percentage stood at 61.3 per cent, having been 58.6 in 2004. The number of advance votes cast also increased in these elections, by some 82,000 votes. A total of 40 per cent of all voters cast their vote in advance.

Proportion of votes cast for the parties in the Municipal elections in 2008 and 2004, (%)

Other parties 2008; SKP, IP, KTP, STP, SSP, KA,
Other parties 2004; LIB, EKA, SKP, YVP, KA, SKS, VSL, SI, VEV, KTP

Source: Election Statistics, Municipal elections 2008. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Mr Kimmo Moisio, +358 9 1734 3239, vaalit.tilastokeskus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mr Jari Tarkoma

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Last updated 27.10.2008