Puolueuskollisten kunnallisvaalit 1988

Authors

• Heikki Paloheimo

Abstract

Town and city councils for the four next years were elected in Finland in October of 1988. Voting turnout declined to 69.9 per cent. This turnout is the smallest since the 1950’s. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Finnish society was seen to be highly politicized and as a result voting turnouts rose. Since the 1970’s, the social atmosphere has become more and more apolitical. The politics of consensus in the government in a sense depoliticizes politics. Young people, especially, are now interested in their own welfare and privacy. As a result, voting turnouts have been declining. Inter party changes were small. The Center Party was the biggest winner in the election. It won votes from the conservatives and from other centrist parties. Support for the Rural Party, the Greens and the Democratic Alternative (minority Communists) declined. The group of non voters grew even more than all the winning parties altogether. Those who voted were mainly loyal party voters