Centre Party of Finland

The Centre Party (Finnish: Suomen Keskusta) is a center-left political party in Finland. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and subscribed to the liberal manifestos of these organisations. Therefore Centre Party takes nowadays the positon of a liberal party in the Finnish spectrum. The party was founded in 1908 and was then known as the Agrarian Party or Maalaisliitto. The current Prime Minister of Finland is Matti Vanhanen, who succeeded Anneli Jäätteenmäki.

Although the party has an ideological background in the 19th century fennoman movement, the party is rather the direct continuation of the Estate of the Peasantry in the pre-1906 diets (see: the Riksdag of the Estates).

Prominent party leaders

• Lauri Kristian Relander, President 1925-1931
• Kyösti Kallio, Prime Minister four times 1922-1937, President 1937-1940
• Urho Kekkonen, Prime Minister twice 1950-1956, President 1956-1981
• Martti Miettunen, Prime Minister twice 1961-1977
• Johannes Virolainen, Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament
• Ahti Karjalainen, Prime Minister
• Paavo Väyrynen, Foreign Minister, Member of the European parliament, Party Chairman.
• Esko Aho, Prime Minister
• Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Prime Minister
• Matti Vanhanen, Prime Minister

See also

• List of political parties in Finland
• Timeline of liberal and centrist parties in Finland

External Link

This text is part of the Liberalism series (III)

Liberalism Liberalism in countries Liberal parties Category: Liberal parties Liberal International Liberal leaders Timeline of liberal parties Liberal thinkers Liberal leaders Liberal bibliography