Constitutional Right Party

Defunct Finnish political party

Constitutional Right Party

Perustuslaillinen oikeistopuolue
Konstitutionella högerpartiet

Founded| 1973
Dissolved| 1993
Headquarters| Helsinki
Ideology| Anti-communism

* Politics of Finland
* Political parties
* Elections

The Constitutional Right Party (Finnish: Perustuslaillinen Oikeistopuolue, Swedish: Konstitutionella högerpartiet, from 1973 to 1980 Constitutional People's Party (Finnish: Perustuslaillinen Kansanpuolue, Swedish: Konstitutionella Folkpartiet). ) was an anticommunist political party in Finland. The party was founded in 1973 by the parliamentarian Master in Law Georg C. Ehrnrooth as an anticommunist split from the Swedish People's Party (SFP).

The party had around 4,000 members.[1] The party was founded as a response to SFP and the only major right-wing party, National Coalition, backing the re-election of President Urho Kekkonen by emergency law, simply for convenience and despite the lack of any national emergency. Ehrnrooth saw this as a sign of Finlandization, and held that the constitution was being circumvented and the people left out of the process.

## History

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The party contested the 1975 parliament election, obtaining 1.6% of the national vote and winning one seat. In the 1979 parliament election the party won 1.2% of the votes but no seat.[1] The most seats the party ever held were two (1973–75 and 1986–87), although in both cases, one seat was gained by a defection.

At the 1978 Finnish presidential election, the party supported Ahti Salonen, a social democrat critical of Kekkonen and SDP's support of Kekkonen. At the 1982 election, however, the party supported Mauno Koivisto, in order to ensure Ahti Karjalainen, whom they regarded as too Soviet-friendly, would not succeed as a 'dark horse'.

Constitutional Right Party rallied every 17 July in a big numbers, as Finland got its Republican-based governmental basic rule in that date in 1919.

## Ideology

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Constitutional Right Party was the only Finnish political party which openly rallied Finland for joining the European Economic Community in 1988.

## Leaders

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### Chairmen

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* Ilpo Järvinen 1973–1974[2]
* Georg C. Ehrnrooth 1974–1992[2][3]
* Erkki Enberg 1992–1993[3]
* Tapio Väisänen 1993–?[4]

### Party secretaries

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* Peter Kankkonen
* Panu Toivonen 1982–1990[5][6]
* Ulla Bogdanoff 1990–?[5]

### Vice chairmen

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* Kullervo Rainio 1978–1980[7]
* Markku Pietikäinen (1.) 1986–?[8]
* Tuula Heiman (2.) 1986–?[8]
* Matti Järviharju 1988–?[5]
* Pentti Taavitsainen 1990–?[5]

## Elections

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Results

Parliament
Year  | MPs  | Votes
1975 | 1  | 45 402  | 1.65%
1979 | 0  | 34 958  | 1.21%
1983 | 1  | 11 104  | 0.37%
1987 | 0  | 3 096  | 0.11%
1991 | 0  | 7 599  | 0.28%
Municipal
Year  | Councillors  | Votes
1976 | 14  | 23 076  | 0.86%
1980 | 8  | 13 478  | 0.49%
1984 | 5  | 9 858  | 0.37%
1988 | 1  | 4 672  | 0.18%
1992 | 1  | 4 233  | 0.16%
Presidential
Year  | Electoral votes  | Popular vote
1978 | 6  | 82 478  | 3,4 %

## References

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1. ^ a b Wende, Frank. Lexikon zur Geschichte der Parteien in Europa. Stuttgart: Kröner, 1981. p. 156
2. ^ a b Eero Ojanen: "Koivisto Need Not Be Criticized in Finland" (Helsingin Sanomat 20 October 1983) in JPRS West Europe Report 21.11.1983 U.S. Foreign Broadcast Information Service
3. ^ a b "Pop ei ole enää piikki porvareiden lihassa" Helsingin Sanomat 10 May 1992
4. ^ "Perustuslaillisille uusi johtaja" Helsingin Sanomat 23 April 1993
5. ^ a b c d "Perustuslaillisten puoluesihteeri vaihtui" Helsingin Sanomat 8 May 1990
6. ^ "Metsänhoitaja Panu Toivonen" Helsingin Sanomat 8 September 2006
7. ^ "Kullervo Rainio" Archived 2012-05-25 at archive.today Jyväskylän kaupunginkirjasto
8. ^ a b Marit Ingves: "Ehrnrooth: 'Resolutions Do Not Control Terrorism'" (Hufvudstadsbladet 27\. April 1986) in JPRS West Europe Report 25.6.1986 U.S. Foreign Broadcast Information Service