1987 Finnish parliamentary election

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	695,331	24.14	56	–1
	National Coalition Party	666,236	23.13	53	+9
	Centre Party	507,460	17.62	40	+2
	Finnish People's Democratic League	270,433	9.39	16	–10
	Finnish Rural Party	181,938	6.32	9	–8
	Swedish People's Party	152,597	5.30	12	+2
	Democratic Alternative	122,181	4.24	4	New
	Greens	115,988	4.03	4	+2
	Finnish Christian League	74,209	2.58	5	+2
	Pensioners' Party	35,100	1.22	0	New
	Liberal People's Party	27,824	0.97	0	–
	Liberals for Åland–Social Democrats	7,019	0.24	1	0
	Constitutional Right Party	3,096	0.11	0	–1
	Åland Centre–Freeminded Cooperation	1,843	0.06	0	0
	Free Åland	539	0.02	0	0
	Others	18,299	0.64	0	–
Total		2,880,093	100.00	200	0
Valid votes		2,880,093	99.47
Invalid/blank votes		15,395	0.53
Total votes		2,895,488	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		4,017,039	72.08
Source: Tilastokeskus,[2] ASUB

By electoral district edit

Faced with these inconclusive results, negotiations about the shape of the new government began. After six weeks of talks and attempts to put together a completely non-socialist government, a pathbreaking combination was formed that included conservatives and socialists in the Council of State, joined by the dependable and successful Swedish People's Party and the battered and desperate SMP.

The new government, consisting of nine centrist and conservative and eight socialist ministers and headed by the KOK's Harri Holkeri, surprised some observers because a non-socialist government was possible and seemed appropriate given the election results. The outcome angered others, who contended that Koivisto had misused presidential powers when he brokered a government that had his former party as a member despite its considerable electoral losses. Koivisto countered that he had behaved properly and had let the parties themselves argue out a workable combination.

One explanation for the unusual government was that animosity against the Centre Party (Kesk) leader, Paavo Väyrynen, was so common in both the SDP and the KOK that neither party was willing to form a government with him. Thus, Kesk was deprived of its traditional "hinge" role. Another consideration was that the SDP and the KOK were not so much at odds with each another as socialist and conservative parties elsewhere might have been. Both parties had moved toward the centre, and they were in agreement about most issues, especially about the need to reduce the agricultural subsidies that had always been defended by Kesk. The resulting "red-blue" government had as program objective the preservation of the social welfare system, the improvement of Finland's competitive position in international trade, a fundamental reform of the tax system, and adherence to the Paasikivi-Kekkonen Line in foreign affairs. The SFP fitted in easily with this program. The formerly rightist, but now moderate, SMP was included because it strengthened the government slightly and because it was likely to be dependable, because it had no other place to go. Koivisto informed the new government that it would not have to resign after the presidential election of 1988, and observers expected the cabinet to serve its full term until the 1991 parliamentary elections.^[4]