Nomination of candidates in European Parliament elections 2004

Elections of the Members of the European Parliament will be held in 25 European Union countries between 10 and 13 June 2004. In Finland the election day is 13 June 2004. A total of 732 members will be selected for five years for the electoral period 2004 to 2009, 14 of whom are Finnish members.

Registered parties and voter's associations set up by eligible voters can nominate candidates for the European Parliament elections in Finland. Parties may establish electoral alliances and voter's associations can form joint lists. Each party or electoral alliance may nominate not more than 20 candidates and all the candidates are nominated nationwide in the whole country. No voter's associations were set up for these elections.

Fourteen parties nominated candidates for the European Parliament elections, altogether 227. Of the candidates 140 were men and 87 women. Of the present 16 Finnish Members of the European Parliament, 11 are still candidates in the coming elections, while 14 of the candidates are Members of Parliament. The maximum number of candidates (20) allowed by law was nominated by the Green League, Left Alliance, Centre Party of Finland, Finnish Social Democratic Party, Swedish People's Party, National Coalition Party, Communist Party Of Finland, For the Poor and the electoral alliance of Christian Democrats in Finland and True Finns. In addition to these parties, Liberals, Pensioners for the People, Finland - Fatherland and Finnish People's Blue-whites also nominated candidates. KA (For the Poor), SI (Finland-Fatherland) and SKS (Finnish People's Blue-whites) take part in the elections for the first time as new parties, while Liberals were last involved in the 1996 elections.

The age structure of the candidates did not differ much from that in the previous European Parliament elections. The majority of the candidates were aged 40 or older. In these elections the average age of the candidates was 45.6 years, around one year less than in the previous European Parliament elections.

The number of candidates by sex and party in the European Parliament elections in 2004

Candidates by sex and party in the European Parliament elections 2004 (%)

Last updated 1.6.2004