Finnish presidential election, 2012
Encyclopedia
The next election of the President of the Republic of Finland
is scheduled to be held on 22 January 2012, and if necessary the second round
will be held on 5 February. The second round will be held if no candidate receives a majority of votes on the first round. The elected candidate's term will last until 2018. The incumbent Tarja Halonen
is ineligible for re-election, having served the maximum two terms.
have nominated a candidate. The nomination was unanimous in seven parties, while the Social Democratic Party's candidate was decided in a primary, which was won by Paavo Lipponen with 67 per cent of the votes.
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
is scheduled to be held on 22 January 2012, and if necessary the second round
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
will be held on 5 February. The second round will be held if no candidate receives a majority of votes on the first round. The elected candidate's term will last until 2018. The incumbent Tarja Halonen
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency...
is ineligible for re-election, having served the maximum two terms.
Candidates
All eight parties represented in the Finnish ParliamentParliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
have nominated a candidate. The nomination was unanimous in seven parties, while the Social Democratic Party's candidate was decided in a primary, which was won by Paavo Lipponen with 67 per cent of the votes.
| Candidates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Sauli Niinistö Sauli Niinistö Sauli Väinämö Niinistö is a Finnish politician from National Coalition Party. He is also President of the Football Association of Finland. A lawyer by training, he was Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2003 and the National Coalition Party candidate in the 2006 presidential election... National Coalition Party Former Minister of Finance Minister of Finance (Finland) The Minister of Finance of Finland handles the Finance of Finland and all other matters covered by the Ministry of Finance... , former Speaker of the Parliament Nominated 22 October |
Paavo Lipponen Paavo Lipponen Paavo Tapio Lipponen is a Finnish politician and former reporter. He was Prime Minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 1993 to 2005... Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party of Finland The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many... Former Prime Minister Prime Minister of Finland The Prime Minister is the Head of Government of Finland. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is the Head of State. The current Prime Minister is Jyrki Katainen of the National Coalition Party.-Overview:... , former Speaker of the Parliament Nominated 8 October |
Timo Soini Timo Soini Timo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city... True Finns True Finns True Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party... Member of Parliament, party leader Nominated 15 October |
 Paavo Väyrynen Paavo Väyrynen Paavo Matti Väyrynen is a Finnish veteran politician of the Centre Party. Väyrynen has held several ministerial portfolios and is also a former Member of the European Parliament.-Career:... Centre Party Centre Party (Finland) The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament... Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Minister for Foreign Trade Nominated 29 October |
| Paavo Arhinmäki Paavo Arhinmäki Paavo Erkki Arhinmäki is a Finnish politician, the incumbent Minister for Culture and Sport and a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the Left Alliance, whose leader he has been since June 2009. He was first elected to the Finnish Parliament in the 2007 election and reelected in 2011... Left Alliance Left Alliance (Finland) The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990.... Incumbent Minister of Culture and Sport, party leader Nominated 20 November |
Pekka Haavisto Pekka Haavisto Pekka Haavisto is a Finnish politician representing the Green League. He was re-elected to the Finnish Parliament in the Finnish parliamentary election of March 2007 after an absence of 12 years. He is also a member of the Helsinki City Council.Haavisto was a member of the Parliament of Finland... Green League Member of Parliament, former Minister of the Environment Nominated 11 June |
Eva Biaudet Eva Biaudet Eva Biaudet is the Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities. She is a former member of the Parliament of Finland in the parliamentary group of the Swedish People's Party and a former Minister of Health and Social Services. After the election of 2003 Biaudet did not want to become a cabinet minister... Swedish People's Party Ombudsman for Minorities, former Minister of Health and Social Services Nominated 22 October |
Sari Essayah Sari Essayah Sari Miriam Essayah is a Finnish retired race walker and a politician, Member of the European Parliament since 2009. Her father is from Morocco.... Christian Democrats Christian Democrats (Finland) The Christian Democrats is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. Formerly known as the Finnish Christian League , the Christian Democrats have six seats in the Finnish Parliament and one in the European Parliament.The party was founded in 1958, chiefly from the Christian faction of... Member of the European Parliament Nominated 26 November |
Other parties
Parties not represented in the Finnish Parliament as well as independent candidates must gather 20,000 signatures from eligible voters by 7 December in order to participate in the election.- Terttu SavolaTerttu SavolaTerttu Savola is a Finnish politician. She is the chairperson of the For the Poor party, a member of the council of the city of Espoo, the ambassador for human rights and children's rights in the Finnish United Nations alliance, a lecturer in the Finnish Refugee Help Association, and a member of...
, party leader of For the PoorFor the PoorFor the Poor is a Finnish political party, not situated anywhere on the traditional political map. It was founded in November 2002...
and a member of Espoo City Council is the only minor party candidate collecting signatures.
Opinion polling
Sauli Niinistö has been the clear front-runner in all opinion polls:| Candidate | TNS Gallup 18 Oct. 2011 | Research Insight Finland 9 Nov. 2011 | TNS Gallup 15 Nov. 2011 | Taloustutkimus 18 Nov. 2011 | TNS Gallup 29 Nov. 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauli Niinistö Sauli Niinistö Sauli Väinämö Niinistö is a Finnish politician from National Coalition Party. He is also President of the Football Association of Finland. A lawyer by training, he was Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2003 and the National Coalition Party candidate in the 2006 presidential election... (National Coalition Party) |
50% | 47% | 44% | 49% | 41% |
| Timo Soini Timo Soini Timo Juhani Soini is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well-known as an EU-sceptic populist, he was elected a member of the Espoo city... (True Finns True Finns True Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party... ) |
8% | 9% | 11% | 8% | 9% |
| Paavo Väyrynen Paavo Väyrynen Paavo Matti Väyrynen is a Finnish veteran politician of the Centre Party. Väyrynen has held several ministerial portfolios and is also a former Member of the European Parliament.-Career:... (Centre Party) Centre Party (Finland) The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament... |
6% | 6% | 10% | 8% | 8% |
| Paavo Lipponen Paavo Lipponen Paavo Tapio Lipponen is a Finnish politician and former reporter. He was Prime Minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 1993 to 2005... (Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party of Finland The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many... ) |
7% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 7% |
| Pekka Haavisto Pekka Haavisto Pekka Haavisto is a Finnish politician representing the Green League. He was re-elected to the Finnish Parliament in the Finnish parliamentary election of March 2007 after an absence of 12 years. He is also a member of the Helsinki City Council.Haavisto was a member of the Parliament of Finland... (Green League Green League The Green League is a centrist green liberal political party in Finland. It has ten seats in the Finnish Parliament and two in the European Parliament. The current chairperson is Ville Niinistö.... ) |
6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Eva Biaudet Eva Biaudet Eva Biaudet is the Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities. She is a former member of the Parliament of Finland in the parliamentary group of the Swedish People's Party and a former Minister of Health and Social Services. After the election of 2003 Biaudet did not want to become a cabinet minister... (Swedish People's Party) |
3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Paavo Arhinmäki Paavo Arhinmäki Paavo Erkki Arhinmäki is a Finnish politician, the incumbent Minister for Culture and Sport and a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the Left Alliance, whose leader he has been since June 2009. He was first elected to the Finnish Parliament in the 2007 election and reelected in 2011... (Left Alliance Left Alliance (Finland) The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990.... ) |
2% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 4% |
| Sari Essayah Sari Essayah Sari Miriam Essayah is a Finnish retired race walker and a politician, Member of the European Parliament since 2009. Her father is from Morocco.... (Christian Democrats Christian Democrats (Finland) The Christian Democrats is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. Formerly known as the Finnish Christian League , the Christian Democrats have six seats in the Finnish Parliament and one in the European Parliament.The party was founded in 1958, chiefly from the Christian faction of... ) |
2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% |