Finnish parliamentary election, 2011

Finnish parliamentary election, 2011

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All 200 seats to the Parliament 101 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	70.5%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Jyrki Katainen Jutta Urpilainen Timo Soini Party National Coalition Social Democratic Finns Leader since 2004 2008 1997 Last election 50 seats, 22.26% 45 seats, 21.44% 5 seats, 4.05% Seats won 44 42 39 Seat change 6 3 34 Popular vote 599,138 561,558 560,075 Percentage 20.4% 19.1% 19.1% Swing 1.9% 2.3% 15.0%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Mari Kiviniemi Paavo Arhinmäki Anni Sinnemäki Party Centre Left Alliance Green League Leader since 2010 2009 2009 Last election 51 seats, 23.11% 17 seats, 8.82% 15 seats, 8.46% Seats won 35 14 10 Seat change 16 3 5 Popular vote 463,266 239,039 213,172 Percentage 15.8% 8.1% 7.3% Swing 7.3% 0.7% 1.2%   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Stefan Wallin Päivi Räsänen Party Swedish People's Christian Democrat Leader since 2006 2004 Last election 9 seats, 4.57% 7 seats, 4.86% Seats won 9 6 Seat change 0 1 Popular vote 125,785 118,453 Percentage 4.3% 4.0% Swing 0.3% 0.9%
Prime Minister before election Mari Kiviniemi Centre Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen National Coalition

Mari Kiviniemi
Centre

Jyrki Katainen
National Coalition

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%.

The importance of the election was magnified due to Finland's capacity to influence the European Union's decision in regard to affecting a bailout for Portugal via the European Financial Stability Facility, as part of financial support systems for debt-laden European countries, and the fall of the Portuguese government. Small differences in the opinion polls for the traditional three big parties (the National Coalition Party, the Centre Party and the Social Democratic Party) and the surprising rise in support for the True Finns also electrified the atmosphere ahead of the election.

The election resulted in a breakthrough for the populist True Finns, which came head-to-head with the three big parties, while every other parliamentary party in mainland Finland, excluding Åland, lost popularity. The National Coalition Party (NCP) also ended up as the biggest party for the first time in its history. The total turnout rose to 70.5% from 67.9% in the previous election; and corruption scandals also resulted in an anti-incumbency vote. The incumbent, Centre Party-led coalition, which included the NCP, Green League and Swedish People's Party (SPP), lost its majority by two seats and their Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi of the Centre Party signaled that her party would then sit in opposition.

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