Veikko Vennamo
Encyclopedia
Veikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo (originally Fennander) (11 June 1913 – 12 June 1997) was a Finnish
politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party
(Suomen Maaseudun Puolue), which was succeeded by the True Finns
in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League
. When his opponent, Urho Kekkonen
, was elected president of Finland
, Vennamo broke off his Agrarian League affiliation. Vennamo was a member of Parliament
in 1945–1962 and 1966–1987.
Vennamo was born in Jaakkima
, Finland
. He was one of the loudest and most prominent critics of President Kekkonen. He also criticized the centre-left governments of the 1960s and 1970s for worsening the living conditions of small farmers and poor workers, for example by favouring the big cities at the expense of the rural towns in abolishing small schools and grocery stores. He was a presidential candidate in 1968, 1978 and 1982. In the 1968 presidential election, he negatively surprised President Kekkonen and his centre-left allies by getting 11 % of the votes. The populist Rural Party got 9 % of the deputies in the 1970 and 1972 parliamentary elections, and 8.5 % of the deputies in the 1983 parliamentary elections. After the 1983 elections, the Rural Party was allowed to join the government, but Vennamo preferred not to become a Cabinet minister. In the 1988 presidential election, he supported the re-election of President Mauno Koivisto (see, for example, Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History (Helsinki: Werner Söderström Publishing Ltd., 2003), pgs. 843, 844, 859, 861, 884, 888, 889, 900 and 901; Pentti Virrankoski, A History of Finland 1-2, 2nd revised edition (Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society, 2009), pg. 957; What Where When - The Citizen's Yearbook 1989, Helsinki: Otava Publishing Ltd., 1988).
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party
Finnish Rural Party
The Finnish Rural Party was a Finnish populist party. Starting out as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen...
(Suomen Maaseudun Puolue), which was succeeded by the 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...
in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League
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...
. When his opponent, Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
, was elected president of Finland
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....
, Vennamo broke off his Agrarian League affiliation. Vennamo was a member of Parliament
Parliament 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 :...
in 1945–1962 and 1966–1987.
Vennamo was born in Jaakkima
Lakhdenpokhsky District
Lakhdenpokhsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Lakhdenpokhsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Lakhdenpokhya. District's population: 16,391 ; Population of Lakhdenpokhya...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. He was one of the loudest and most prominent critics of President Kekkonen. He also criticized the centre-left governments of the 1960s and 1970s for worsening the living conditions of small farmers and poor workers, for example by favouring the big cities at the expense of the rural towns in abolishing small schools and grocery stores. He was a presidential candidate in 1968, 1978 and 1982. In the 1968 presidential election, he negatively surprised President Kekkonen and his centre-left allies by getting 11 % of the votes. The populist Rural Party got 9 % of the deputies in the 1970 and 1972 parliamentary elections, and 8.5 % of the deputies in the 1983 parliamentary elections. After the 1983 elections, the Rural Party was allowed to join the government, but Vennamo preferred not to become a Cabinet minister. In the 1988 presidential election, he supported the re-election of President Mauno Koivisto (see, for example, Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History (Helsinki: Werner Söderström Publishing Ltd., 2003), pgs. 843, 844, 859, 861, 884, 888, 889, 900 and 901; Pentti Virrankoski, A History of Finland 1-2, 2nd revised edition (Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society, 2009), pg. 957; What Where When - The Citizen's Yearbook 1989, Helsinki: Otava Publishing Ltd., 1988).
See also
- Politics of FinlandPolitics of FinlandPolitics of Finland takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. The President of Finland is the head of state, leads the foreign policy, and is the Commander-in-chief of the Defense Forces. The Prime Minister of Finland is the head...