Finnish parliamentary election, 1917

Finland

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The Finnish parliamentary election 1917 was a result of the constitutional crisis in Finland resulting from the Russian revolution. As the Russian tsar, head of state in Finland, had abdicated without there being a successor, the Finnish parliament stated that it would take the highest power in internal matters. The Russian Provisional Government did not accept this, but ordered premature parliamentary elections, which was thought illegal by the Socialists. Enough Finnish voters switched their allegiance from the Social Democrats to the bourgeois parties for the parliamentary majority to become again bourgeois (centre-right). The Social Democrats demanded the quick implementation of eight-hour work day and the quick freeing of tenant farmers. The bourgeois parties, on average, wanted first to ensure that Finland would become fully independent, and only then to implement such social and economic reforms (see, for example, Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History / Suomen historian pikkujattilainen, Helsinki: WSOY, 2003; Allan Tiitta and Seppo Zetterberg, eds., Finland Through the Ages / Suomi kautta aikojen, Helsinki: Reader´s Digest Ltd., 1992).

Results

Turnout	69.2%	+13.7	[1] & [2]

Party	Seats	%	Votes
Social Democratic Party of Finland	92	44.79%	444,670
Finnish Party/Young Finnish Party/People's Party	32/24/5	30.17%	299,516
Agrarian League	26	12.38%	122,900
Swedish People's Party	21	10.90%	108,190
Christian Workers' League		1.56%	15,489
Others		0.20%	1,997
Total	200	100%	992,762
Source: Suomen virallinen tilasto 29 A, 8 (Tilastollinen päätoimisto), p. 35.