View source for Swedish People's Party of Finland

{{Short description|Finnish political party}}
{{Infobox political party
| native_name      = {{native name|sv|Svenska folkpartiet i Finland|italics=no}}<br>{{native name|fi|Suomen ruotsalainen kansanpuolue|italics=no}}
| native_name_lang = sv
| logo             = Swedish People's Party of Finland logo.svg
| logo_size        = 260px
| colorcode        = {{Political party data|color}}
| chairperson      = [[Anders Adlercreutz]]
| secretary        = {{ill|Fredrik Guseff|fi}}
| foundation       = 1906
| ideology         = {{ubl| <!-- Sources are listed in the introduction, sources are not needed here -->
 |[[Swedish-speaking population of Finland|Swedish-speaking]] [[political parties of minorities|minority interests]]
 |[[Liberalism]]}}
| position         = [[Centrism|Centre]] to [[centre-right]]<ref>{{cite news|work=Helsinki Times|url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/25350-centre-and-swedish-people-name-new-leaders-national-coalition-selects-finnish-commissioner-over-hectic-weekend-in-politics.html|title=Centre and Swedish People name new leaders, National Coalition selects Finnish commissioner over hectic weekend in politics|date=18 June 2024|access-date=1 August 2025|quote=Adlercreutz stated in his acceptance speech that the party has a special place in the domestic political landscape, as the “only liberal centre-right party” in Finland.}}</ref>
| headquarters     = Simonkatu 8A, <br /> 00100 [[Helsinki]], Finland
| international    = [[Liberal International]]
| website          = {{Political party data|website}}
| country          = Finland
| abbreviation     = {{langx|sv|SFP}}<br />{{langx|fi|RKP, R}}
| membership_year  = 2025
| membership       = {{decrease}} 24,000<ref>https://sfp.fi/verksamhet/ SFP website|access date 2025-03-18</ref>
| newspaper        = ''{{ill|Medborgarbladet|fi}}''
| think_tank       = {{ill|Ajatushautomo Agenda|fi}}
| student_wing     = {{ill|Liberala Studerande LSK|sv}}<ref name=abounderrattelser>{{Cite web |title=Markus Blomquist ny ordförande för SFP i Åbo |work=Åbo Underrättelser |date=30 November 2018 |access-date=14 February 2019 |url= https://news.abounderrattelser.fi/markus-blomquist-ny-ordforande-for-sfp-i-abo/ |language=sv  }}</ref>
| youth_wing       = [[Svensk Ungdom]]
| womens_wing      = [[Svenska Kvinnoförbundet]]<ref name=abounderrattelser/>
| wing1            = [[Förbundet Svenska Seniorer i Finland]]
| wing1_title      = Seniors' wing
| european         = [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]]
| europarl         = [[Renew Europe]]
| affiliation1_title = Nordic affiliation
| affiliation1     = [[Centre Group]]
| colours          = {{ublist
| {{colour box|#007AC9|border=darkgray}} Blue (official)
| {{colour box|#b81224|border=darkgray}} Red
| {{colour box|Black|border=darkgray}} Black
| {{colour box|{{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}|border=darkgray}} Light yellow
}}
| seats1_title     = [[Parliament of Finland|Eduskunta]]{{efn|Including the [[Åland Coalition]] representative, who sits with the SFP group}}
| seats1           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house|percent=yes}} <!-- Values obtained from Wikidata; to edit, see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q845537 -->
| seats2_title     = [[European Parliament]]
| seats2           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP|percent=yes}} <!-- Values obtained from Wikidata; to edit, see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q845537 -->
| seats3_title     = [[List of municipalities of Finland|Municipalities]]
| seats3           = {{Composition bar|452|8586|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| seats4           = {{Infobox political party/seats|71|1379|{{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| seats4_title     = [[Wellbeing services counties of Finland|County seats]]
| leader1_title    = [[Parliamentary group leader]]
| leader1_name     = {{ill|Otto Andersson (Member of the Finnish Parliament)|fi|Otto Andersson (kansanedustaja)}}
| leader2_name     = {{ill|Ramieza Mahdi|fi}}<br />[[Cecilia Ehrnrooth]]<br />[[Sandra Bergqvist]]
| leader2_title    = Deputy chairs
| leader3_name     = [[Eva Biaudet]]
| leader3_title    = Chair of the party council
}}

The '''Swedish People's Party of Finland''' ('''SPP'''; {{langx|sv|Svenska folkpartiet i Finland}}, '''SFP'''; {{langx|fi|Suomen ruotsalainen kansanpuolue}}, '''RKP''') is a [[list of political parties in Finland|Finnish political party]] founded in 1906. Its primary aim is to represent the interests of the minority [[Swedish-speaking population of Finland]].<ref name="Arter1999">{{cite book |first=David|last=Arter |title=Scandinavian Politics Today |url=https://archive.org/details/scandinavianpoli0000arte |url-access=registration|year=1999 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=978-0-7190-5133-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/scandinavianpoli0000arte/page/62 62]}}</ref><ref name="Bondeson2003">{{cite book |first=Ulla|last=Bondeson |title=Nordic Moral Climates: Value Continuities and Discontinuities in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bq8boZgfvHQC&pg=PA20 |year=2003 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=978-0-7658-0203-3 |page=20}}</ref><ref name="PrakkeKortmann2004">{{cite book|author=Hans van den Brandhof |chapter=The Republic of Finland|editor1=Lucas Prakke|editor2=Constantijn Kortmann |title=Constitutional Law of 15 EU Member States|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5vZMPbnNXcC&pg=PA183 |year=2004 |publisher=Kluwer |isbn=978-90-13-01255-2 |page=183}}</ref> The party is currently a participant in the [[Orpo Cabinet|Government of Petteri Orpo]], holding the posts of [[Minister of Education (Finland)|Minister of Education]] and [[Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering]]. Along with the post [[Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport|Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity]] until 13 June, 2025.

An ethnic [[big tent|catch-all]] party,<ref name="Beyme1996">{{cite book|author=K. Beyme|title=Transition to Democracy in Eastern Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFqCDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA59|year=1996|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-230-37433-1|page=59}}</ref> its main election issue since its inception has been the Swedish-speaking Finns' right to their own language while maintaining the position of Swedish as an official language in Finland.<ref name="Nordsieck">{{Cite web|url=http://parties-and-elections.eu/finland.html|title=Finland|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|year=2019|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref> Ideologically, it is [[liberalism|liberal]],<ref name="Bergqvist1999">{{cite book |first=Christina|last=Bergqvist |title=Equal Democracies?: Gender and Politics in the Nordic Countries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t8bfrJvsfJ8C&pg=PA319 |year=1999 |publisher=Nordic Council of Ministers |isbn=978-82-00-12799-4 |page=319}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Juvonen|first=Tuula|date=2016-05-01|title=Out and Elected: Political Careers of Openly Gay and Lesbian Politicians in Germany and Finland|journal=Redescriptions: Political Thought, Conceptual History and Feminist Theory|volume=19|issue=1|pages=49–71|doi=10.7227/R.19.1.4|issn=2308-0914|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bale |first=Tim |title=Riding the populist wave: Europe's mainstream right in crisis |date=2021 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser |isbn=978-1-009-00686-6 |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |pages=34 |oclc=1256593260}}</ref> [[Social liberalism|social-liberal]],<ref name="HloušekKopeček2010">{{cite book|author1=Vít Hloušek|author2=Lubomír Kopeček|title=Origin, Ideology and Transformation of Political Parties: East-Central and Western Europe Compared|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K79sdX-amEgC&pg=PA204|year=2010|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-7546-7840-3|page=204}}</ref> [[Centrism|centrist]],<ref>{{cite book |first1=Jan-Erik |last1=Lane |first2=Svante |last2=Ersson |title=The Nordic Countries: Compromise and Corporatism in the Welfare State|chapter=Political Institutions in Europe|editor-link1=Josep Colomer|author-link1=Jan-Erik Lane|editor=Josep M. Colomer|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TZF8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA260 |year=2008 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-07354-2 |page=260}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-03-06|title=Finland MPs vote to keep Swedish in schools|url=https://www.thelocal.se/20150306/finland-mps-vote-to-keep-swedish-in-schools/|access-date=2021-12-21|website=The Local Sweden|language=en-US}}</ref> and [[Pro-Europeanism|pro-European]].<ref name="Program">{{Cite web|url=https://sfp.fi/politik/beslut-politiska-program/riksdagsvalsprogram_2019/|title=SFP:s Riksdag ValsProgram 2019|last=RKP|first=SFP|year=2019|website=SFP|access-date=18 April 2019}}</ref> The party has been in government from 1979 to 2015 and again from 2019, with one or two ministerial portfolios in [[Finnish Government|government]], and has collaborated with parties across the [[left–right political spectrum]] in [[Parliament of Finland|parliament]].

The fact that the winning party in Finland has usually needed the support from the party to form a [[coalition government]] has meant that the SPP has been able to affect the [[politics of Finland]] on a larger scale than the party's actual size would suggest. The continued position of Swedish as one of two [[official language]]s in Finland in the face of a steady erosion of the Swedish speakers' share of the Finnish population from 12% at independence compared to 5% today as well as the preservation of the Swedish-speaking minority's right to engage in [[Swedish-speaking Finns#Culture, literature and folklore|Swedish culture]] are two examples of the party's influence in Finnish politics. The party is a member of the [[Liberal International]], the [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]], and [[Renew Europe]]. The youth organisation of the party is called [[Svensk Ungdom]] (Swedish Youth).

==History and electorate==
[[File:Svenska folkpartiet election poster 1907.jpg|thumb|left|Swedish People's Party election poster from 1907, with ”the man with the flag”, that after this was used as party emblem for over 50 years.<ref>[http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=3357 Biografiskt lexikon för Finland: Federley, Alex] (in Swedish). Retreieved 10 November 2016.</ref> Designed by [[Alex Federley]].]] The '''Swedish Party''' (1870–1906), a parliamentary [[elite party]] based on members in the [[Diet of Finland]], is the historical predecessor of the Swedish People's Party of Finland. It was a part of the [[Svecoman movement]] and its main policy was opposition of the [[Fennoman movement]].

Unlike Fennomans, who were largely [[liberalism|liberal]] on other matters than the language question, the Svecoman were [[Conservatism|conservative]]. [[Axel Lille]] and [[Axel Olof Freudenthal]] are often considered as some of the main "founding fathers" of the movement. Most members of the Liberal Party joined the Swedish Party in the 1880s, after the Liberals ceased to exist as a distinct party. The Swedish People's Party of Finland was founded in the 1906 party congress of the Swedish Party, making it one of the oldest parties in Finland. The first leader of the Swedish People's Party was [[Axel Lille]].

The current leader of the party is [[Anders Adlercreutz]].<ref>{{Cite web | title=Swedish People's Party elects Adlercreutz as new chair after Wickström drops out of race |publisher=yle.fi |work=yle  |date=16 June 2024 |access-date=16 June 2024 |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20094372 }}</ref> In the [[Parliament of Finland]] the representative for [[Åland]] is usually included in SPP's parliamentary group, regardless of his/her party affiliation; [[List of political parties in Åland|parties on Åland]] are separate from those on the mainland, but their common interest in Swedish-language issues gives them much in common with the Swedish People's Party group as regards national politics. 

The party receives its main electoral support from the [[Finland Swedish|Swedish]] speaking minority, which makes up about 5.5% of Finland's population.<ref>{{cite web|author=Finland in Figures |url=http://www.stat.fi/tup/suoluk/suoluk_vaesto_en.html |title=Tilastokeskus - Population |publisher=Stat.fi |access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> During its history, the party has suffered slow but steady decline in adherence, following the decline of the percentage of Swedish-speaking population. In 1907, the party received 12% of national votes; after World War II, it received 7% of the vote; and in the [[2011 Finnish parliamentary election|2011 parliamentary election]], it received 4.3% of the votes (and nine MPs). In municipal elections, it holds large majorities in municipalities with a Swedish-speaking majority.

Despite its position as one of the minor political parties in the Finnish parliament, it has frequently been one of the partners forming the governing [[Coalition government|coalition cabinets]]. Since 1956, the year when [[Urho Kekkonen]] was elected President, the party has been nearly continuously in the government. It has been part of all coalitions with the significant exception of Paasio's first cabinet (1966–68), which included only socialists ([[Social Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democratic Party]] (SDP), the split SDP faction [[Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders]] and [[Finnish People's Democratic League]]) and the [[Centre Party (Finland)|Centre Party]].

[[File:Professor Jan-Magnus Jansson 1968 (JOKAHBL3E I04-1).tif|thumb|Chairman of the Swedish People’s Party of Finland [[Jan-Magnus Jansson]] from 1966 to 1973.]]
Short periods of rule by single-party minority governments, Miettunen cabinet (1961–62, Centre) and Paasio's second government (1972, SDP) and of nonpartisan [[caretaker government]]s have also interrupted its stay in the government. For this reason, the SPP is often criticized for being a single-issue party that allegedly accepts nearly all other policies as long as its own vital interest, the status of the Swedish language is maintained.

However, although Vanhanen's first cabinet made Swedish a voluntary subject in the upper secondary schools' [[Matriculation examination|matriculation exam]], the SPP remained in the government. In contrast, the [[Green League|Greens]] left the previous government after a new nuclear power plant was decided in 2002.

The SPP's long continuous participation in the Finnish cabinets came to an end in following the [[2015 Finnish parliamentary election|2015 parliamentary election]] when it was left out of the [[Sipilä Cabinet]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/a1430975649117|title=Perusporvarihallitus on Juha Sipilän valinta|date=8 May 2015|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref> In June 2019, the SPP returned to government with two ministerial positions in the [[Rinne Cabinet]], the Minister of Justice and the Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/article/-/asset_publisher/10616/rinteen-hallitus-nimitettiin|title = Government of Prime Minister Rinne appointed}}</ref>

Recently, the SPP has emphasized the liberal part of its programme, attempting to woo voters outside its traditional Swedish-speaking electorate. In 2010, the party added the word ''Suomen'' ("of Finland") to its official Finnish name.

== Election results ==

=== Parliament of Finland ===
<timeline>
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  bar:1907 from:start till:12.60 text:12,6
  bar:1908 from:start till:12.74 text:12,7
  bar:1909 from:start till:12.31 text:12,3
  bar:1910 from:start till:13.53 text:13,5
  bar:1911 from:start till:13.31 text:13,3
  bar:1913 from:start till:13.07 text:13,1
  bar:1916 from:start till:11.76 text:11,8
  bar:1917 from:start till:10.90 text:10,9
  bar:1919 from:start till:12.13 text:12,1
  bar:1922 from:start till:12.41 text:12,4
  bar:1924 from:start till:12.03 text:12,0
  bar:1927 from:start till:12.20 text:12,2
  bar:1929 from:start till:11.45 text:11,5
  bar:1930 from:start till:10.03 text:10,0
  bar:1933 from:start till:10.42 text:10,4
  bar:1936 from:start till:10.36 text:10,4
  bar:1939 from:start till:9.61 text:9,6
  bar:1945 from:start till:7.90 text:7,9
  bar:1948 from:start till:7.34 text:7,3
  bar:1951 from:start till:7.20 text:7,2
  bar:1954 from:start till:6.76 text:6,8
  bar:1958 from:start till:6.50 text:6,5
  bar:1962 from:start till:6.11 text:6,1
  bar:1966 from:start till:5.69 text:5,7
  bar:1970 from:start till:5.34 text:5,3
  bar:1972 from:start till:5.06 text:5,1
  bar:1975 from:start till:4.66 text:4,7
  bar:1979 from:start till:4.23 text:4,2
  bar:1983 from:start till:4.61 text:4,6
  bar:1987 from:start till:5.30 text:5,3
  bar:1991 from:start till:5.48 text:5,5
  bar:1995 from:start till:5.14 text:5,1
  bar:1999 from:start till:5.12 text:5,1
  bar:2003 from:start till:4.61 text:4,6
  bar:2007 from:start till:4.57 text:4,6
  bar:2011 from:start till:4.28 text:4,3
  bar:2015 from:start till:4.87 text:4,9
  bar:2019 from:start till:4.53 text:4,5
  bar:2023 from:start till:4.31 text:4,3
  </timeline>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/-
! Government
|-
! [[1907 Finnish parliamentary election|1907]]
| 112,267 	
| 12.60
| {{Composition bar|24|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| 
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1908 Finnish parliamentary election|1908]]
| 103,146
| 12.74
| {{Composition bar|24|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1909 Finnish parliamentary election|1909]]
| 104,191
| 12.31
| {{Composition bar|25|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1910 Finnish parliamentary election|1910]]
| 107,121 	
| 13.53
| {{Composition bar|26|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1911 Finnish parliamentary election|1911]]
| 106,810
| 13.31
| {{Composition bar|26|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1913 Finnish parliamentary election|1913]]
| 94,672 	
| 13.07
| {{Composition bar|25|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1916 Finnish parliamentary election|1916]]
| 93,555
| 11.76
| {{Composition bar|21|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1917 Finnish parliamentary election|1917]]
| 108,190
| 10.90
| {{Composition bar|21|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! rowspan="4"| [[1919 Finnish parliamentary election|1919]]
| rowspan="4"| 116,582
| rowspan="4"| 12.13
| rowspan="4"| {{Composition bar|22|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| rowspan="4"| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1919)}}
|-
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1919-1920)}}
|-
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1920-1921)}}
|-
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1921-1922)}}
|-
! [[1922 Finnish parliamentary election|1922]]
| 107,414
| 12.41
| {{Composition bar|25|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 3
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[1924 Finnish parliamentary election|1924]]
| rowspan="2"| 105,733 	
| rowspan="2"| 12.03
| rowspan="2"| {{Composition bar|23|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| rowspan="2"| {{decrease}} 2
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1924-1925)}}
|-
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1925-1927)}}
|-
! [[1927 Finnish parliamentary election|1927]]
| 111,005
| 12.20
| {{Composition bar|24|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1929 Finnish parliamentary election|1929]]
| 108,886
| 11.45
| {{Composition bar|23|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1930 Finnish parliamentary election|1930]]
| 113,318
| 10.03
| {{Composition bar|20|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1933 Finnish parliamentary election|1933]]
| 115,433 	
| 10.42
| {{Composition bar|21|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[1936 Finnish parliamentary election|1936]]
| rowspan="2"| 131,440 	
| rowspan="2"| 11.20
| rowspan="2"| {{Composition bar|21|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| rowspan="2"| {{steady}}
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1936-1937)}}
|-
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1937-1939)}}
|-
! [[1939 Finnish parliamentary election|1939]]
| 124,720
| 9.61
| {{Composition bar|18|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1945 Finnish parliamentary election|1945]]
| 134,106
| 7.90
| {{Composition bar|14|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[1948 Finnish parliamentary election|1948]]	
| rowspan="2"| 137,981 	
| rowspan="2"| 7.34
| rowspan="2"| {{Composition bar|13|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| rowspan="2"| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1948-1950)}}
|-
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1950-1951)}}
|-
! [[1951 Finnish parliamentary election|1951]]
| 130,524
| 7.20
| {{Composition bar|14|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! rowspan="3"| [[1954 Finnish parliamentary election|1954]]
| rowspan="3"| 135,768
| rowspan="3"| 6.76
| rowspan="3"| {{Composition bar|12|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| rowspan="3"| {{decrease}} 2
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1954)}}
|-
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1954-1956)}}
|-
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1956-1958)}}
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[1958 Finnish parliamentary election|1958]]
| rowspan="2"| 126,365 	
| rowspan="2"| 6.50
| rowspan="2"| {{Composition bar|13|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| rowspan="2"| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1958-1961)}}
|-
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1961-1962)}}
|-
! [[1962 Finnish parliamentary election|1962]]
| 140,689
| 6.11
| {{Composition bar|13|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1966 Finnish parliamentary election|1966]]
| 134,832 	
| 5.69
| {{Composition bar|11|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 2
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1970 Finnish parliamentary election|1970]]
| 135,465
| 5.34
| {{Composition bar|11|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[1972 Finnish parliamentary election|1972]]
| rowspan="2"| 130,407 	
| rowspan="2"| 5.06
| rowspan="2"| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| rowspan="2"| {{decrease}} 2
| {{no2|Opposition}} {{small|(1972)}}
|-
| {{yes2|Coalition}} {{small|(1972-1975)}}
|-
! [[1975 Finnish parliamentary election|1975]]
| 128,211
| 4.66
| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1979 Finnish parliamentary election|1979]]
| 122,418
| 4.23
| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1983 Finnish parliamentary election|1983]]
| 137,423 	
| 4.61
| {{Composition bar|10|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1987 Finnish parliamentary election|1987]]
| 152,597
| 5.30
| {{Composition bar|12|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1991 Finnish parliamentary election|1991]]
| 149,476
| 5.48
| {{Composition bar|11|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1995 Finnish parliamentary election|1995]]
| 142,874
| 5.14
| {{Composition bar|11|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[1999 Finnish parliamentary election|1999]]
| 137,330
| 5.12
| {{Composition bar|11|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2003 Finnish parliamentary election|2003]]
| 128,824
| 4.61
| {{Composition bar|8|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2007 Finnish parliamentary election|2007]]
| 126,520
| 4.57
| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2011 Finnish parliamentary election|2011]]
| 125,785
| 4.28
| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2015 Finnish parliamentary election|2015]]
| 144,802
| 4.88
| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2019 Finnish parliamentary election|2019]]
| 139,640
| 4.53
| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2023 Finnish parliamentary election|2023]]
| 133,318
| 4.31
| {{Composition bar|9|200|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Election 
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! EP Group
|-
! [[1996 European Parliament election in Finland|1996]]
| 129,425
| 5.75 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|1|16|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| New
| rowspan=2 | [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group|ELDR]]
|-
! [[1999 European Parliament election in Finland|1999]]
| 84,153
| 6.77 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|1|16|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Finland|2004]]
| 94,421
| 5.70 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|1|14|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| rowspan=3 | [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe|ALDE]]
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Finland|2009]]
| 101,453
| 6.09 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|1|13|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Finland|2014]]
| 116,747
| 6.76 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|1|13|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Finland|2019]]
| 116,033
| 6.34 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|1|13|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| rowspan=2 | [[Renew Europe|RE]]
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Finland|2024]]
| 112,245
| 6.14 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|1|15|hex={{party color|Swedish People's Party of Finland}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|}

===Presidential elections===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan=2|Election
! rowspan=2|Candidate
! colspan=2|1st round
! colspan=2|2nd round
! rowspan=2|Result
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
! [[1994 Finnish presidential election|1994]]
| rowspan="2"|[[Elisabeth Rehn]]
| 702,211
| 22.0 (#2)
| 1,476,294
| 46.1 (#2)
| {{lost}}
|-
! [[2000 Finnish presidential election|2000]]
| 241,877
| 7.9 (#4)
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;"|
| {{lost}}
|-
! [[2006 Finnish presidential election|2006]]
| align="center"| [[Henrik Lax]]
| 48,703
| 1.6 (#7)
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;"|
| {{lost}}
|-
! [[2012 Finnish presidential election|2012]]
| align="center"| [[Eva Biaudet]]
| 82,598
| 2.7 (#7)
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;"|
| {{lost}}
|-
! [[2018 Finnish presidential election|2018]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi/TPV-2018_1/en/ehdtulos_kokomaa.html |title=Presidential election 2018 / Results / Whole country  |date=2018-04-04 |website= Ministry of Justice |access-date=2018-06-11}}</ref>
| align="center"| [[Nils Torvalds]]
| 44,776
| 1.5 (#8)
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;"|
| {{lost}}
|-
! [[2024 Finnish presidential election|2024]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://svenska.yle.fi/a/7-10041157|title=SFP ställer inte upp kandidat i presidentvalet – men stöder inte heller Stubb|date=2023-09-07 |website= |language=sv |access-date=2023-09-07}}</ref>
| colspan="6" align="center"| ''Did not contest''
|}

==Political positions==
{{more citations needed|date=March 2011}}
The Swedish language is one of the two [[official language]]s of Finland. The SPP has as its main purpose the protection and strengthening of the position of the [[Finland#Language|Swedish language in Finland]].

The Swedish People's Party of Finland has the most eclectic profile of any of the political parties in Finland. Its members and supporters chiefly include:
* Fishermen and farmers from the Swedish-speaking coastal areas.
* Small-town dwellers from the adjacent Swedish-speaking and [[Multilingualism|bilingual]] towns.
* A significant part of the [[Swedish-speaking population of Finland]].
* Left-leaning [[middle class]] people.
* Liberals in general, who currently have no representation of their own in the [[Parliament of Finland]], and who as such benefit from the predominantly liberal values of the SPP.

Although the SPP represents a small minority of Finland, having Swedish as a mother tongue is not much of a political handicap in and of itself. Several times, Swedish speaking [[President of Finland|presidential]] candidates have gathered considerable support, although not necessarily as candidates for the Swedish People's Party of Finland:

* In 1944, the Swedish-Finnish [[Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim|Carl G. E. Mannerheim]] a hero of Finnish independence became Finland's 6th president.
* In 1956, the Swedish-speaking [[Social Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democrat]] [[Karl-August Fagerholm]] got one elector's vote less than needed to be elected, and the [[Agrarianism|Agrarian]] [[Urho Kekkonen]] was elected.
* In 1994, the SPP's candidate [[Elisabeth Rehn]] was defeated by the Social Democrat candidate [[Martti Ahtisaari]], also with a narrow margin (53.9% to 46.1%).
* In 2024, the [[National Coalition Party|NCP's]] candidate [[Alexander Stubb]] was elected as the 13th president of Finland.

The SPP supported [[Finland–NATO relations#2022–2023: Accession process following the Russian invasion of Ukraine|Finland's accession bid to NATO]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://yle.fi/uutiset/rkp_on_nyt_virallisesti_nato-puolue/8951589 |title= RKP on nyt virallisesti Nato-puolue |date= 12 June 2016 |access-date= 12 June 2016 |publisher= Yle}}</ref>

==List of party leaders==
[[File:Anders-Adlercreutz-01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The current party chairperson, [[Anders Adlercreutz]].]]
* [[Axel Lille]] (1906–1917)
* [[Eric von Rettig]] (1917–1934)
* [[Ernst von Born]] (1934–1945)
* [[Ralf Törngren]] (1945–1955)
* [[Ernst von Born]] (1955–1956)
* [[Lars Erik Taxell]] (1956–1966)
* [[Jan-Magnus Jansson]] (1966–1973)
* [[Kristian Gestrin]] (1973–1974)
* [[Carl Olof Tallgren]] (1974–1977)
* [[Pär Stenbäck]] (1977–1985)
* [[Christoffer Taxell]] (1985–1990)
* [[Ole Norrback]] (1990–1998)
* [[Jan-Erik Enestam]] (1998–2006)
* [[Stefan Wallin]] (2006–2012)
* [[Carl Haglund]] (2012–2016)
* [[Anna-Maja Henriksson]] (2016–2024)
* [[Anders Adlercreutz]] (2024–present)

==See also==
[[Image:Valj svenskt.jpg|thumb|1960 municipal elections poster: "Choose Swedish".]]

* [[Liberal parties by country]]
* [[Liberal democracy]]
* [[Liberalism and centrism in Finland]]
* [[Finland's language strife]]
* [[Swedish Assembly of Finland]]
* [[Svecoman movement]]
* [[Fennoman movement]]
* [[Rolf Witting]]
* [[Axel Olof Freudenthal]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Swedish People's Party}}
* [https://www.sfp.fi/ Website of the Swedish People's Party of Finland] (in Swedish)
* [https://sfp.fi/en/frontpage/ Website in English]

{{Swedish People's Party of Finland}}
{{Finnish political parties}}
{{interlib}}
{{European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party}}
{{Renew Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Swedish People's Party of Finland]]
[[Category:Liberal parties in Finland]]
[[Category:1906 establishments in the Russian Empire]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1906]]
[[Category:Parties represented in the European Parliament]]
[[Category:Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party member parties]]
[[Category:Registered political parties in Finland]]
[[Category:Political parties of minorities in Finland]]