Social Democratic Party of Finland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids <div style="padding-top:0.3em; padding-bottom:0.3em; border-top:2px solid Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value).; border-bottom:2px solid Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value).; line-height: 1;"> Social Democratic Party of Finland Sosialidemokraatit  (Finnish) Socialdemokraterna  (Swedish)
Abbreviation	SDP Sd.
Chairperson	Antti Lindtman
Secretary	Mikkel Näkkäläjärvi
Parliamentary group leader	Tytti Tuppurainen
First deputy chair	Nasima Razmyar
Chair of the party council	Piia Elo [fi]
Founded	20 July 1899; 126 years ago (1899-07-20)
Headquarters	Siltasaarenkatu 18–20C, 00530 Helsinki
Newspaper	Demokraatti
Think tank	Kalevi Sorsa Foundation [fi]
Student wing	Social Democratic Students
Youth wing	Social Democratic Youth
Women's wing	Social Democratic Women in Finland [fi]
Children's wing	Nuoret Kotkat [fi]
Swedish-speaking wing	Finlands Svenska Socialdemokrater [fi]
Membership (2021)	29,450
Ideology	Social democracy Pro-Europeanism
Political position	Centre-left
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance Socialist International
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Nordic affiliation	SAMAK The Social Democratic Group
Union affiliate	Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions
Colours	Red
Anthem	Työväen marssi [fi]
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European Parliament	Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value).
Municipalities	1,699 / 8,586
County seats	321 / 1,379
Website
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Elections

The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) is a major political party in Finland. It is often called demarit in Finnish. This party believes in social democracy, which means they support a fair society where everyone has equal chances and the government helps people.

The SDP is the oldest active political party in Finland, started in 1899. It works closely with trade unions, which are groups that protect workers' rights. The party is also part of bigger European and international political groups.

In December 2019, Sanna Marin became Finland's Prime Minister. She led a government with several other parties, and the SDP had many important roles. In September 2023, Antti Lindtman was chosen as the new leader of the party.

History of the SDP

The SDP's party conference in Oulu, 1906.

The Social Democratic Party of Finland started in 1899. It was first called the Workers' Party of Finland. Their first big meeting was in Turku. In the early 1900s, the party pushed for important changes. They wanted better conditions for farmers, more jobs, and improved rights for workers. They also fought for freedom of speech and an 8-hour workday.

In 1903, the party changed its name to the Social Democratic Party of Finland. At the same time, they created the "Forssa Programme." This plan included goals like an 8-hour workday, a minimum wage, and education for everyone. It also called for a ban on alcohol, though this goal was later dropped.

The SDP was very connected to the Finnish Trade Union Federation. This meant that many union members were also part of the party. In 1906, when everyone in Finland got the right to vote, the SDP became very popular. In the 1916 election, they even won more than half the seats in the Finnish Parliament. This was the only time one party has had such a big majority in Finland's history.

After the Finnish Civil War in 1918, the party faced many challenges. Many of its leaders were lost. However, the party quickly rebuilt itself under Väinö Tanner. In 1918, some former SDP members started the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) in Moscow. For a long time, the working class in Finland was divided between supporting the SDP and the SKP.

The SDP, led by Väinö Tanner, worked hard to become a strong and respected party again. They became more focused on Finland's own interests. During World War II, the party played a key role in uniting the country against threats. After the war, the SDP focused on protecting Finland's independence and democracy. They sometimes received support from international groups to help them in their work.

In 1958, some members left the SDP to form a new group called the Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders (TPSL). This happened because of disagreements about how the party should work and who it should cooperate with. However, the TPSL eventually faded, and most of its members returned to the SDP.

Since 1966, the SDP has been part of most Finnish governments. They often work with the Centre Party, but sometimes also with the National Coalition Party. From 1991 to 1995, the SDP was in the opposition, meaning they were not part of the government.

In the 1995 election, the SDP won a lot of support. Their leader, Paavo Lipponen, became Prime Minister and led the government for eight years. During this time, the party strongly supported Finland joining the European Union in 1995.

In the 2003 election, the SDP came in second place. Paavo Lipponen became the Speaker of Parliament. The SDP was part of the government again, but the Centre Party leader became Prime Minister.

In the 2007 election, the SDP came in third and went into opposition. They faced some tough elections in the following years. However, in the 2011 election, they became the second-largest party. They then joined a six-party government.

In 2014, Antti Rinne became the new leader of the SDP. In the 2015 election, the party lost some seats and became the fourth-largest party. They were in opposition again and often criticized the government's decisions.

In the 2019 election, the SDP became the largest party in Parliament. Antti Rinne became Prime Minister and formed a government with several other parties. However, he resigned in December 2019. Sanna Marin then took over as Prime Minister.

What the SDP Believes In

The SDP is a centre-left party that believes in social democracy. This means they want a society where everyone is treated fairly and has opportunities.

In their 2020 statement, the party listed its main goals:

• Sustainable development: Protecting the environment for the future.
• Equality: Making sure everyone has the same chances, no matter who they are.
• Peace and solidarity: Working together for a peaceful world.
• Freedom and cooperation: Allowing people to make their own choices and encouraging teamwork.
• A clean environment: Protecting nature.
• Democratic socialism: A system where people have a say in how society is run, and the government helps ensure fairness.

The SDP also supports the values of humanism and the achievements of the Nordic model, which is a way of organizing society common in Nordic countries, focusing on welfare and equality.

Historically, the party started by focusing on issues for workers and people without land. For a long time, it was the main political party for these groups in Finland.

The SDP used to prefer that Finland not join NATO, but instead work with the Partnership for Peace. However, this position changed after recent events in Europe.

The SDP supports:

• LGBT rights: Making sure all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, have equal rights.
• Building nuclear power plants: To help produce energy.
• Keeping Swedish as one of Finland's two official languages.
• The separation of church and state: Meaning the government and religious institutions are separate.
• Increasing money for public schools and universities.

The party wants Finland to stop using coal for energy by 2030. They also support more work-based immigration to Finland. This is to help with the country's need for more workers and to address the low birth rate. The SDP believes it should be easier for people from outside the European Union to get work permits in Finland.

The SDP has a strong connection with trade unions. They have often opposed economic changes that would reduce benefits for unemployed people.

Who Votes for the SDP

The average age of someone who is a member of the SDP is about 61.5 years old. More than half of all people who vote for the SDP are actively working.

Party Organization

Symbols, Logos, and Posters

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  Logo from 2020 to the present day.

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  Logo from 2010–2015.

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  Logo from 2009–2010.

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  Historical logo.

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  Original logo.

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  TYÖ Poster used in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election and the 2012 Finnish municipal elections.

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  A Social Democratic Party poster for the 1972 Finnish parliamentary election.

Party Leaders

Antti Rinne, the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from May 2014 to August 2020.

Important Members

Election Results

Aaro Heikkilä election advertisement from 1970.

The SDP takes part in different elections in Finland. These include elections for the Finnish Parliament, local city councils, county councils, and the European Parliament. They also have candidates in presidential elections.

Parliament of Finland

Parliament of Finland
Election	Popular vote				Number of seats			Status
	Votes	%	± pp	Rank	Seats	+/–	Rank
1907	329,946	37.03	37.03	1st	80 / 200	80	1st	Opposition
1908	310,826	38.40	1.37	1st	83 / 200	3	1st	Opposition
1909	337,685	39.89	1.49	1st	84 / 200	1	1st	Opposition
1910	316,951	40.04	0.15	1st	86 / 200	2	1st	Opposition
1911	321,201	40.03	0.01	1st	86 / 200	0	1st	Opposition
1913	312,214	43.11	3.08	1st	90 / 200	4	1st	Opposition
1916	376,030	47.29	4.18	1st	103 / 200	13	1st	Opposition
1917	444,670	44.79	2.50	1st	92 / 200	11	1st	Opposition
1919	365,046	37.98	7.51	1st	80 / 200	12	1st	Opposition
1922	216,861	25.06	12.22	1st	53 / 200	27	1st	Opposition
1924	255,068	29.02	3.96	1st	60 / 200	7	1st	Opposition (1924–1926)
								Coalition (1926–1927)
1927	257,572	28.30	0.72	1st	60 / 200	0	1st	Opposition
1929	260,254	27.36	0.94	1st	59 / 200	1	2nd	Opposition
1930	386,026	34.16	6.80	1st	66 / 200	7	1st	Opposition
1933	413,551	37.33	3.17	1st	78 / 200	12	1st	Opposition
1936	452,751	38.59	1.26	1st	83 / 200	5	1st	Opposition (1936–1937)
								Coalition (1937–1939)
1939	515,980	39.77	1.18	1st	85 / 200	2	1st	Coalition
1945	425,948	25.08	14.69	1st	50 / 200	35	1st	Coalition
1948	494,719	26.32	1.24	1st	54 / 200	4	2nd	Coalition (1948–1950)
								Opposition (1950–1951)
								Coalition (1951)
1951	480,754	26.52	0.20	1st	53 / 200	1	1st	Coalition (1951–1953)
								Opposition (1953–1954)
								Coalition (1954)
1954	527,094	26.25	0.27	1st	54 / 200	1	1st	Coalition (1954–1957)
								Opposition (1957–1958)
1958	449,536	23.12	3.13	2nd	48 / 200	6	2nd	Coalition (1958–1959)
								Opposition (1959–1962)
1962	448,930	19.50	3.62	3rd	38 / 200	10	3rd	Opposition
1966	645,339	27.23	7.73	1st	55 / 200	17	1st	Coalition
1970	594,185	23.43	3.80	1st	52 / 200	3	1st	Coalition
1972	664,724	25.78	2.35	1st	55 / 200	3	1st	Coalition
1975	683,590	24.86	0.92	1st	54 / 200	1	1st	Coalition (1975–1976)
								Opposition (1976–1977)
								Coalition (1977–1979)
1979	691,512	23.89	0.97	1st	52 / 200	2	1st	Coalition
1983	795,953	26.71	2.82	1st	57 / 200	5	1st	Coalition
1987	695,331	24.14	2.57	1st	56 / 200	1	1st	Coalition
1991	603,080	22.12	2.02	2nd	48 / 200	8	2nd	Opposition
1995	785,637	28.25	6.13	1st	63 / 200	15	1st	Coalition
1999	612,963	22.86	5.39	1st	51 / 200	12	1st	Coalition
2003	683,223	24.47	1.61	2nd	53 / 200	2	2nd	Coalition
2007	594,194	21.44	3.03	3rd	45 / 200	8	3rd	Opposition
2011	561,558	19.10	2.34	2nd	42 / 200	3	2nd	Coalition
2015	490,102	16.51	2.59	4th	34 / 200	8	4th	Opposition
2019	546,471	17.73	1.22	1st	40 / 200	6	1st	Coalition
2023	617,552	19.95	2.22	3rd	43 / 200	3	3rd	Opposition

Municipal Elections

County Elections

European Parliament Elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	EP Group
1996	482,577	21.45 (#2)	4 / 16	New	PES
1999	221,836	17.86 (#3)	3 / 16	1
2004	350,525	21.16 (#3)	3 / 14	0
2009	292,051	17.54 (#3)	2 / 13	1	S&D
2014	212,211	12.31 (#4)	2 / 13	0
2019	267,342	14.62 (#3)	2 / 13	0
2024	272,034	14.87 (#3)	2 / 15	0

Presidential Elections

Indirect Elections

Direct Elections

Presidency of the Republic of Finland
Year	Candidate	1st round				2nd round				Results
		Votes	%	± pp	Rank	Votes	%	± pp	Rank
1994	Martti Ahtisaari	828,038	25.91	22.99	1st	1,723,485	53.85	5.85	1st	Won
2000	Tarja Halonen	1,224,431	40.03	14.12	1st	1,644,532	51.63	2.22	1st	Won
2006	Tarja Halonen	1,397,030	46.31	6.28	1st	1,630,980	51.79	0.16	1st	Won
2012	Paavo Lipponen	205,020	6.70	39.61	5th					Lost
2018	Tuula Haatainen	97,294	3.25	3.45	6th					Lost
2024	Jutta Urpilainen	140,802	4.34	1.09	6th					Lost

Images for kids

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  Sanna Marin, the party's leader from August 2020 to September 2023.

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  Support for the Social Democrats by municipality in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election which saw the party faring strongest in southern and eastern parts of the country.

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  SDP municipal election poster from 1933 ("Municipal power to those who work").