Vihreä vaihtoehtoisusu ja vasemmisto-oikeisto-ulottuvuus

Authors

• Anneli Levo-Kivirikko

Abstract

The article examines the position occupied by the Greens within the traditional left/right dimension. According to the Greens themselves, they have broken through the classical division of political parties. But just which parties do the Greens come from, and what is their place in the preference structure of the supporters of different political parties? To answer these questions the students of political science at the University of Helsinki were asked to arrange nine political parties and the Greens according to their priorities. The study showed that the Greens have formerly been identified quite evenly with both the socialist and the non-socialist parties. Of all voters, those who identify with the left and liberal parties have the most favourable attitudes towards the Greens. Among those identifying with non-socialist parties the Greens are the least preferred, especially by those with generally more conservative attitudes. The supporters of most political parties within the left/right dimension place the Greens near the Social Democrats in the spectrum of political parties. It does not necessarily mean, however, that they classify the Greens as being a socialist group. One can only suppose that the alternative rationality of the Greens seems more alien to some of the non-socialists than it does to those identifying with socialist parties.