Misplaced Pages

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Finnish. (June 2023) Click for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Misplaced Pages. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Finnish Misplaced Pages article at ]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|fi|Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Misplaced Pages:Translation.

Christian Democrats Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit (Finnish) Kristdemokraterna i Finland (Swedish)
Abbreviation	KD, CD
Chairperson	Sari Essayah
Secretary	Mikko Rekimies [fi]
General Secretary	Merja Eräpolku
Parliamentary group leader	Peter Östman
First deputy chair	Mika Poutala
Founded	6 May 1958 (1958-05-06)
Split from	National Coalition Party
Headquarters	Karjalankatu 2A 00520, Helsinki
Newspaper	KD-lehti [fi]
Think tank	Ajatushautomo Kompassi [fi]
Youth wing	Christian Democratic Youth of Finland
Women's wing	Christian Democratic Women of Finland
Swedish-speaking wing	KD Svenska [fi]
Membership (2021)	8,370
Ideology	Christian democracy Social conservatism
Political position	Centre to centre-right
European affiliation	European People's Party
European Parliament group	European People's Party Group
Nordic affiliation	Centre Group
Colors	Blue   White   Light blue   Orange
Eduskunta	5 / 200
European Parliament	0 / 15
Municipalities	311 / 8,859
County seats	57 / 1,379
Website
www.kd.fi
Politics of Finland Political parties Elections

The Christian Democrats (CD; Finnish: Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit; Swedish: Kristdemokraterna i Finland, KD) is a Christian-democratic political party in Finland.

It was founded in May 1958, chiefly by the Christian faction of the National Coalition Party. It entered parliament in 1970. The party leader since 28 August 2015 has been Sari Essayah. The Christian Democrats have five seats in the Finnish Parliament. It is positioned on the centre-right on the political spectrum.

The party name was for a long time abbreviated to SKL (standing for Suomen Kristillinen Liitto, Finlands Kristliga Förbund, Finland's Christian League), until 2001, when the party changed its name to the current Christian Democrats and its Finnish and Swedish abbreviations to KD. The CD was a minor party in the centre-right coalition government led by Prime Minister Esko Aho between 1991 and 1994 and was later a part of a rainbow coalition led by Jyrki Katainen and Alexander Stubb between 2011–2015. It has been a part of the Orpo Cabinet since its formation on 20 June 2023. KD-lehti is the party's weekly newspaper. The party is a member of the European People's Party and the European People's Party Group.

History

When the Christian Democrats was founded in 1958, as the name Finnish Christian League, the communist-dominated Finnish People's Democratic League was polling about 25 per cent and became the largest parliamentary grouping. That, together with lax alcohol laws, salacious publications and assistance from the Norwegian KrF, sparked the Christian initiative.

The 1960s were an 'incubation period', but there was a growing conviction of the need for parliamentary seats in the wake of liberal legislation. At the 'earthquake election' of 1970, after four years of a popular front government, the CD only had Raino Westerholm elected. Westerholm was a party chair between 1973 and 1982. Westerholm polled a creditable 8.8 per cent at the 1978 presidential election. The modest 'Westerholm effect' was a backlash for long-serving Urho Kekkonen, who was backed by all of the larger parties.

The party was a junior coalition partner in government from 1991 to 1995, when it occupied the development aid portfolio. It was a soft Eurosceptic party and stressed the importance of the principle of subsidiarity in European affairs. After being renamed to "The Christian Democrats" in 2001, it moved to a pro-European stance. Bjarne Kallis, the party chairman between 1995 and 2004, was instrumental in the party's change of name and concern to attract a wider electorate, being able to draw votes from the Swedish People's Party and Finnish-speaking conservative and centrist voters.

At the 2003 general election, the Christian Democrats polled its highest vote of 5.3%.

English-speaking members of the party founded their own chapter in Helsinki in 2004. Its monthly meetings attract immigrants to participate in societal matters and the issues that are particularly important to them. In 2005, a Russian-speaking chapter was also founded in Helsinki, Finland.

Ideology

The party describes itself as following the tenets of Christian democracy. It emphasizes "respect of human dignity, the importance of family and close communities, defending the weak, encouraging resourcefulness and individual and collective responsibility, not just for themselves but also for their neighbours and the rest of God's creations". Membership is open to everyone who agrees with their values and aims. The party also claims to be committed to protecting the environment. It is also orientated towards more socially conservative policies.

Organization

Leadership

Party chairs

• Olavi Päivänsalo (1958–1964)
• Ahti Tele (1964–1967)
• Eino Sares (1967–1970)
• Olavi Majlander (1970–1973)
• Raino Westerholm (1973–1982)
• Esko Almgren (1982–1989)
• Toimi Kankaanniemi (1989–1995)
• Bjarne Kallis (1995–2004)
• Päivi Räsänen (2004–2015)
• Sari Essayah (2015–present)

First deputy chairs

• Raino Westerholm (1971–1973)
• Ilmari Helimäki (1973–1982)
• Olavi Ronkainen (1982–1985)
• Marjatta Laakko (1985–1989)
• Juhani Peltonen (1989–1991)
• Leea Hiltunen (1991–2003)
• Marja-Leena Kemppainen (2003–2005)
• Peter Östman (2005–2009)
• Sari Palm (2009–2011)
• Teuvo V. Riikonen (2011–2013)
• Sauli Ahvenjärvi (2013–2015)
• Tommy Björkskog (2015–2017)
• Tiina Tuomela (2017–2019)
• Peter Östman (2019–2023)
• Mika Poutala (2023–present)

Party secretaries

• 1958–1959: S. N. Venho
• 1959–1965: Paavo Luostarinen
• 1965–1978: Eino Pinomaa
• 1979–1982: Esko Almgren
• 1982–1996: Jouko Jääskeläinen
• 1997–2002: Milla Kalliomaa
• 2003: Eija-Riitta Korhola
• 2003–2007: Annika Kokko
• 2007–2009: Sari Essayah
• 2009–2011: Peter Östman
• 2011–2021: Asmo Maanselkä
• 2022–2023: Elsi Juupaluoma
• 2024– Mikko Rekimies

Representatives

Current members of parliament

• Sari Essayah (Savo-Karjala constituency)
• Mika Poutala (Uusimaa constituency)
• Päivi Räsänen (Häme constituency)
• Sari Tanus (Pirkanmaa constituency)
• Peter Östman (Vaasa constituency)

Members of the European Parliament

Sari Essayah was the most recent MEP of the party; she was elected to the European Parliament in the 2009 election but failed to win re-election in 2014.

Affiliated organisations

• Christian Democratic Youth of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Kristillisdemokraattiset Nuoret Swedish: Finlands Kristdemokratiska Unga)
• Christian Democratic Women of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Kristillisdemokraattiset Naiset Swedish: Finlands Kristdemokratiska Kvinnor)
• KD-Lehti
• Ajatushautomo Kompassi

Election results

Part of a series on
Christian democracy
Principles Catholic social teaching Christian corporatism Christian ethics Communitarianism Conservatism Liberal Progressive Social Consistent life ethic Cultural mandate Culture of life Dignity of labor Distributism Economic progressivism Familialism Human dignity Just war theory Liberalism Conservative Ordo Mixed economy Multiculturalism Neo-Calvinism Neo-Thomism Option for the poor Person Dignity Theory Popularism Public morality Religious liberty Friendly separation of church and state Religious pluralism Social Gospel Social justice Social market economy Solidarity Sphere sovereignty Stewardship Environmentalism Environmental protection Subsidiarity in Catholicism Welfare State
Philosophers Arizmendiarrieta Baader Belloc Berggrav Chesterton Day Dooyeweerd Gebhardt Gilson Görres Groen Habsburg John Paul II Ketteler Korfanty Lamennais Leo XIII Lewis Maritain Mounier Nell-Breuning Ozanam Pesch Pius XI Pottier Röpke Stein Sturzo Tischner Vogelsang Williams
Politicians Adenauer Andreotti Beel Busch Buzek Caldera De Gasperi Erhard Frei Groen Joseph Ketteler Kohl Korfanty Kurz Kuyper Letta Lipinski Martens Mazowiecki Merkel Metsola Mikołajczyk Moro Quadros Pastrana Pethrus Pöttering Prodi Schäffer Schuman Söder Stegerwald Strauss Sturzo Tindemans Vogelsang von der Leyen Wałęsa Weber Windthorst
Parties American Solidarity Party Austrian People's Party Christian Democracy Christian Democratic Appeal Christian Democratic and Flemish Christian Democratic Party Christian Democratic People's Party Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christian Social People's Party Christian Social Union in Bavaria Centre Party Civic Platform Croatian Democratic Union Democratic Rally Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Kataeb Party National Action Party National Party Nationalist Party New Democracy Patriotic Union People's Party Polish People's Party Popular Republican Movement VMRO-DPMNE More
Organizations Catholic Action Centrist Democrat International Christian Democrat Organization of America European People's Party European Christian Political Movement Konrad Adenauer Foundation Conservative Christian Fellowship Centre for European Studies European Ideas Network Schuman Foundation Center for Public Justice Paneuropean Union
Documents Rerum novarum Populorum progressio Graves de communi re Quadragesimo anno Laborem exercens Sollicitudo rei socialis Centesimus annus Laudato si'
Related topics Catholic Church and politics Christian left Christian anarchism Christian communism Christian socialism Christian right Christian libertarianism Christian nationalism Theoconservatism Clerical philosophers Ethical socialism Integralism Illiberal democracy Religious democracy Buddhist Islamic Jewish Mormon Social democracy Traditionalist Catholicism
Politics portal  Christianity portal
v t e

Parliamentary elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/-	Government
1958	3,358	0.17	0 / 200		Extra-parliamentary
1966	10,646	0.45	0 / 200		Extra-parliamentary
1970	28,228	1.40	1 / 200	1	Opposition
1972	65,228	2.53	4 / 200	3	Opposition
1975	90,599	3.29	9 / 200	5	Opposition
1979	138,244	4.77	9 / 200		Opposition
1983	90,410	3.03	3 / 200	6	Opposition
1987	74,209	2.58	5 / 200	2	Opposition
1991	83,151	3.05	8 / 200	3	Coalition
1995	82,311	2.96	7 / 200	1	Opposition
1999	111,835	4.17	10 / 200	3	Opposition
2003	148,987	5.34	7 / 200	3	Opposition
2007	134,643	4.86	7 / 200		Opposition
2011	118,453	4.03	6 / 200	1	Coalition
2015	105,134	3.54	5 / 200	1	Opposition
2019	120,144	3.90	5 / 200		Opposition
2023	130,394	4.22	5 / 200		Coalition

Municipal elections

European Parliament elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	EP Group
1996	63,134	2.81 (#8)	0 / 16	New	–
1999	29,637	2.39 (#7)	1 / 16	1	EPP-ED
2004	70,845	4.28 (#7)	0 / 14	1	–
2009	69,467	4.17 (#8)	1 / 13	1	EPP
2014	90,586	5.24 (#8)	0 / 13	1	–
2019	89,204	4.87 (#8)	0 / 13	0
2024	75,426	4.12 (#8)	0 / 15	0

Presidential elections

Indirect elections

Direct elections

Literature

• Erävalo, Esa (2018). Yhteinen hyvä. Johdatus kristillisdemokratiaan. Kompassi Think Tank. ISBN 978-952-7289-03-7.
• Vakaumuksena välittäminen - Med hjärta i politiken. SKL 1958 / 2008 KD. KD-Mediat Oy. 2008. ISBN 978-952-67038-0-0.

See also

• Politics of Finland
• Finnish Government
• Parliament of Finland
• Elections in Finland
• List of political parties in Finland
• European People's Party
• Christian Democrats – similar party in Sweden
• Christian Democratic Party – similar party in Norway

Further reading

• Freston, Paul (2004). Protestant Political Parties. A Global Survey. Ashgate. ISBN 0-7546-4062-0.
• Madeley, John T.S. (2004). Steven Van Hecke; Emmanuel Gerard (eds.). Life at the Northern Margin: Christian Democracy in Scandinavia. Christian Democratic Parties in Europe Since the End of the Cold War. Leuven University Press. pp. 217–241. ISBN 90-5867-377-4.

References

1. "Suomen Kristillisdemokraattiset (KD) Nuoret ry". kansalaisyhteiskunta.fi (in Finnish). Kansalaisfoorumi. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
2. "Kristillisdemokraattiset Naiset". kansalaisyhteiskunta.fi (in Finnish). Kansalaisfoorumi. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
3. "PUOLUEEN TOIMINTAKERTOMUS 2019-2021" (PDF). Liitteet 3 ja 4: Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit r.p. – Kristdemokraterna i Finland r.p. 2021.
4. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Finland". Parties and Elections in Europe.
5. Bale, Tim (2021). Riding the populist wave: Europe's mainstream right in crisis. Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-009-00686-6. OCLC 1256593260.
6. ^ "Our goals—Christian Democracy". Christian Democrats. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
7. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Finland". Parties and Elections in Europe.
8. "Sari Essayah kristillisdemokraattien puheenjohtajaksi". 28 August 2015.
9. ^ "Finland's largest political parties". European Parliament Information. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
10. ^ Freston P., (2004) Protestant Political Parties Aldershot (Ashgate), pp.42
11. ^ Arter, D. (2009) Scandinavian Politics Today Manchester (Manchester University Press), pp.126-128
12. Arter, D. (2006), Democracy in Scandinavia, Manchester University Press, p.187
13. Immigrants Archived 10 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Christian Democrats
14. Environment and Energy Archived 7 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Christian Democrats
15. "Candidates elected". Ministry of Justice. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.

External links

• Official website (in Finnish)
• Website in English
• Academic paper

• Finland

• Christian Democrats (Finland)
• Christian democratic parties in Europe
• Protestant political parties
• Conservative parties in Finland
• 1958 establishments in Finland
• Registered political parties in Finland
• Political parties established in 1958
• Social conservative parties
• Member parties of the European People's Party