True Finns

Infobox_Finnish_Political_Party
party_name = True Finns
party_
party_wikicolourid = Dark Blue
name in Finnish = Perussuomalaiset
name in Swedish = Sannfinländarna
leader = Timo Soini
foundation = 1995
ideology = National conservatism,
Finnish Nationalism,
Populism [http://www.parties-and-elections.de/finland.html] ,
Agrarianism [http://www.parties-and-elections.de/finland.html]
position = Right-wing
international = n/a
european = n/a
colours = Yellow
president = Timo Soini
headquarters = Mannerheimintie 40 B 56
FI-00100 HELSINKI
website = [http://www.perussuomalaiset.fi www.perussuomalaiset.fi fi]

True Finns ("Perussuomalaiset" in Finnish or "Sannfinländarna" in Swedish) is a political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party.

The party is known for its anti-EU stance, and considered by most to be nationalistic. In the 2003 parliamentary elections, the party gained three seats. In the 2007 Parliamentary Election, the party more than doubled its share of the vote, gaining 2 further seats to give it a total of 5. The successes have often been attributed to the oratorical skills of party leader Timo Soini.

Soini was the True Finns candidate in the 2006 Presidential election. He finished fifth out of the eight candidates in the first round, with a vote share of 3.4%

Elections results

Presidential elections

European parliamentary elections

Leaders

* Raimo Vistbacka (1995-1997)
* Timo Soini (1997-)

Historical background as Agrarian party

The founder of the party was Veikko Vennamo, leader of a faction in the Agrarian League (which was renamed Centre Party in 1965). The relations of Veikko Vennamo and the Agrarian League's strong man Urho Kekkonen were icy at best, and after Kekkonen was elected president in 1956 Vennamo decided to start a party on his own.

The Finnish Rural Party (Finnish: Suomen maaseudun puolue; SMP) started as a protest movement, with support from small farmers and the unemployed. The main carrying force was Vennamo, who was charismatic, a good orator and a skilled negotiator. The Rural Party won in its best showing 18 seats in the Finnish parliament (which has 200 seats) and sometimes even managed to join the cabinet. Veikko Vennamo's son, Pekka Vennamo, became the party leader when his father retired in the 1980s. Vennamo Junior had neither the charisma nor the oratorical skills of his father. Other parties noticed this, and the Rural Party was taken again into the cabinet. As a protest movement without a charismatic leader, burdened with ministers participating in unpopular coalitions, the party gradually lost political support.

Agricultural changes proved hard for small farmers, who sold their farms and moved to the cities. The Social Democratic Party was a more credible alternative for the unemployed. Finally, the declining support of the Rural Party forced Vennamo Junior to resign. Some of its members of parliament joined the Centre Party and others retired with Vennamo.

"See also: Politics of Finland"