1939 Finnish parliamentary election

1939 Finnish parliamentary election

1–2 July 1939
All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland 101 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Kaarlo Harvala Pekka Heikkinen Pekka Pennanen Party SDP Agrarian National Coalition Last election 83 seats, 38.59% 53 seats, 22.41% 20 seats, 10.36% Seats won 85 56 25 Seat change 2 3 5 Popular vote 515,980 296,529 176,215 Percentage 39.77% 22.86% 13.58% Swing 1.18pp 0.45pp 3.22pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Ernst von Born Vilho Annala Aimo Cajander Party RKP IKL National Progressive Last election 21 seats, 11.20% 14 seats, 8.34% 7 seats, 6.28% Seats won 18 8 6 Seat change 3 6 1 Popular vote 124,720 86,219 62,387 Percentage 9.61% 6.68% 4.81% Swing 1.59pp 1.66pp 1.47pp   Seventh party   Party Party of Smallholders and Rural People Last election 2 seats, 2.60% Seats won 2 Seat change 0 Popular vote 27,783 Percentage 2.14% Swing 0.46pp
Prime Minister before election Aimo Cajander National Progressive Prime Minister after election Aimo Cajander National Progressive

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 1 and 2 July 1939. Following the elections, the National Progressive Party-led government of Aimo Cajander continued in office. However, he was replaced by Risto Ryti's Progressive-led war government in December 1939.

Background

The leading issues were the distribution of the growing prosperity's benefits, the prospects for the centre-left coalition government's continuation, the right-wing opposition's criticism of the government's numerous and allegedly poorly prepared legislative proposals, and the Finnish national security under the threat of World War II. Prime Minister Cajander opposed the notable increase of defence spending before the elections, because that would require raising taxes. Finance Minister Väinö Tanner and Governor of the Bank of Finland, Risto Ryti, opposed the taking of a foreign loan to buy modern military equipment for the Finnish army, although the Finnish national debt in 1939 was among the lowest in the Western world. Most Finnish voters were apparently satisfied with the centre-left Cajander government's performance, because it received almost three-quarters of the seats. The voter turnout was the highest of the Finnish parliamentary elections of the 1920s and 1930s.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	515,980	39.77	85	+2
	Agrarian League	296,529	22.86	56	+3
	National Coalition Party	176,215	13.58	25	+5
	Swedish People's Party	124,720	9.61	18	–3
	Patriotic People's Movement	86,219	6.65	8	–6
	National Progressive Party	62,387	4.81	6	–1
	Party of Smallholders and Rural People	27,783	2.14	2	0
	Swedish Left	5,980	0.46	0	0
	Others	1,506	0.12	0	–
Total		1,297,319	100.00	200	0
Valid votes		1,297,319	99.61
Invalid/blank votes		5,029	0.39
Total votes		1,302,348	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,956,807	66.55
Source: Tilastokeskus 2004