Christian Democrats (Finland)
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Christian Democrats
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| Finnish name | Kristillisdemokraatit |
| Swedish name | Kristdemokraterna |
| Leader | Sari Essayah |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Headquarters | Karjalankatu 2 C 7 krs. FIN - 00520 HELSINKI |
| Newspaper | KD-lehti |
| Membership (2011) | 13,000 |
| Ideology |
Christian democracy Social conservatism |
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| European affiliation | European People's Party (observer) |
| International affiliation | Centrist Democrat International |
| Colours | Blue and orange |
| Parliament |
5 / 200
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| European Parliament |
0 / 13
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| Municipalities |
300 / 9,674
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| Website | |
| www.kristillisdemokraatit.fi | |
The Christian Democrats (Finnish: Kristillisdemokraatit, KD; Swedish: Kristdemokraterna) is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. The Christian Democrats have five seats in the Finnish Parliament. The party was represented in the Finnish government by Minister of Interior Päivi Räsänen from June 22, 2011 until May 29, 2015.
The party was founded in 1958, chiefly by the Christian faction of the National Coalition Party, as the Finnish Christian League (Suomen Kristillinen Liitto, SKL; Finlands Kristliga Förbund.) The party adopted its current name in 2001.
The party describes itself as following the tenets of Christian Democracy. It emphasizes "respect of human dignity, the importance of family and close communities, defending the weak, encouraging resourcefulness and individual and collective responsibility, not just for themselves but also for their neighbours and the rest of creation". Membership is open to everyone who agrees with these values and aims. The party also claims to be committed to environmental protection.
The party has lost many of its members to bigger centre-right parties after 1990s, mainly to the National Coalition and Centre Party. KD MP Lyly Rajala and MEP Eija-Riitta Korhola defected to the National Coalition in 2003, and the former party secretary Annika Kokko moved to the National Coalition in 2007.
English-speaking members of the party founded their own chapter in Helsinki in 2004. Its monthly meetings attract immigrants to participate in societal matters and the issues that are particularly important to them. In 2005, a Russian-speaking chapter was also founded in Helsinki.
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Wikipedia