Markus Lohi, Antti Siika-aho, Antti Kaikkonen, Hilkka Kemppi, and Tuomas Kettunen celebrate the results of the municipal election forecast at the Centre Party’s municipal and regional election watch party on election day in Helsinki, April 13, 2025. / Lehtikuva
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Support for the Finns Party fell sharply in Finland’s 2025 municipal and regional elections.
The party received less than 8 percent of votes in both contests. In 2021 municipal elections, the figure was 14.5 percent.
Riikka Purra, chair of the Finns Party, described the outcome as “ugly numbers”. She said the results represented an “unprecedented red shift” in Finnish politics.
“The opposition succeeded in harnessing public dissatisfaction without offering alternatives, while blaming the government for the economic downturn,” Purra told party members.
The Social Democratic Party made significant gains, winning 23 percent of the municipal vote and 22.5 percent in regional elections. In the previous municipal elections, the party received under 18 percent.
“It’s been 20 years since our last win, but now we’ve done it. This is a historic rise,” Antti Lindtman, SDP chair, said to supporters on Sunday evening.
The election was the first major success under Lindtman, whose leadership had faced pressure following poor results in the presidential and European Parliament elections.
Voter turnout was low. In the municipal election, participation reached 54.2 percent. In the regional vote, turnout was 51.7 percent.
Despite leading in early counts in Helsinki, SDP was eventually overtaken by the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus). However, SDP won in Vantaa, Tampere and Turku.
Kokoomus held its ground overall but saw its long winning streak end. The party had led six consecutive national elections under Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
“We promised to repair Finland, even if that requires tough decisions. We’ve kept that promise, and despite criticism, our support remains,” Orpo said.
Other parties showed mixed results. The Centre Party increased its vote share by 1.6 percentage points, while the Left Alliance rose by 1.3 points. The Green League’s municipal support remained unchanged at around 10 percent but improved in the regional vote.
Among smaller parties, the Christian Democrats gained nearly 5 percent in the regional vote. Movement Now saw its support fall to around 0.5 percent in both contests.
The most symbolic result of the night came in Turku, where SDP ended Kokoomus control for the first time since 1992.
SDP received more votes than Kokoomus in the city. The result triggered celebrations among supporters, including local chair Mari Lahti and regional leader Niina Alho.
“Turku is red,” Lahti told the crowd. “This is an unbelievable moment.”
Kokoomus first became Turku’s largest party in 1976. Since then, SDP only held the top position once, in 1992. Kokoomus returned to power after that and maintained control until this election.
Current deputy mayor for education Piia Elo served as SDP’s mayoral candidate. She is expected to begin negotiations for the mayoral agreement.
“I didn’t expect to win,” Elo said. “I thought we would do well based on polls and public response, but this is something else.”
If negotiations succeed, Elo will become Turku’s new mayor. She said leading her hometown and place of birth would be an important responsibility.
“I will make sure people in Turku are doing well,” she said.
SDP veteran Mika Maaskola, current chair of the city council, called the result a real and deserved win. Former party secretary Ari Korhonen credited the result to government budget cuts, particularly those led by finance minister Riikka Purra.
Aki Lindén, SDP’s top vote-getter in Turku, was not present at the celebrations. Lindén received more votes than Prime Minister Orpo in the city.
In the surrounding areas, support for SDP also grew. In Raisio, the party’s local chair Aleksi Suro, 23, and supporter Samuli Sundell, 22, joined the Turku victory party.
“Raisio is red too,” Suro said, as maps confirmed the party’s spread across the region.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
