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The Swedish People's Party (Svenska folkpartiet (SFP) in Swedish or Ruotsalainen kansanpuolue (RKP) in Finnish) is a Swedish minority and mainly liberal party in Finland. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.

1 History, Leaders and Electorate

The Swedish People's Party was founded by Axel Lille in 1906, making it one of oldest parties in Finland. The leader of the party is Jan-Erik Enestam. In the Parliament of Finland the representative for Åland is usually included in SFP's party-group, regardless of his/her party affiliation. (The political parties in Åland have no counterparts in Mainland Finland, but SFP's interests are very similar to those of Åland.)

The party receives its main electoral support from the Swedish speaking minority, which makes up about 5.6%[1] of Finland's and Åland's population. 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 cabinets. SFP has not been in opposition since 1976 -- a remarkable achievement for a such a small party.

2 Political Positions

The Swedish language enjoys a privileged position as one of the two official languages of Finland. The SFP has as its main raison d'être the protection and strengthening of the position of Swedish in Finland.

The Swedish People's Party has the most eclectic profile of any of the political parties in Finland, its members and supporters including (chiefly):

• fishermen and farmers from the Swedish-speaking coastal areas,
• small-town dwellers from the adjacent Swedish-speaking towns,
• green-minded and left-leaning middle-class intellectuals and cultural elite, and
• rightist-inclined economic liberals from Helsinki.

Although SFP represents a small minority of Finland, Swedish mother tongue per se is not much of a political handicap. Several times Swedish speaking presidentThe President of Finland (Suomen Tasavallan Presidentti) is the Head of State in Finland. The office was created in 1919. The president is elected for a term of six years. Since 1994, no president may be in office for more than two consecutive terms. candidates have gathered considerable support, although not necessarily as candidates for the Swedish People's Party:

• In 19311931 is the common year starting on Thursday. see link for calendar) Events January January 4 Female aviator Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa January 6 Thomas Edison submits his last patent application. January 22 Sir Isaac Isaacs sworn in as the the Finland-Swedish Pehr Evind SvinhufvudPehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad ( December 15, 1861 February 29, 1944) was the President of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a judge for the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, he played a major part in the movement for Finnish independence and was ban, candidate for the Conservative PartyThe National Coalition Party Kansallinen Kokoomus or Samlingspartiet is a political party in Finland. The party was founded on December 9, 1918, chiefly on the basis of the fennoman "Old-Finnish party". Today, the party is strongly Europhile. Although the got one elector's vote more than his opponent ex-president StåhlbergKaarlo Juho Stahlberg ( January 28, 1865 September 22, 1952) was the first President of Finland ( 1919- 1925) and a Nationalist Liberal. Stahlberg was born in Suomussalmi in Finland. He was christened Carl Johan, which he later finnicized like most fennom.
• In 19561956 is a leap year starting on Sunday. see link for calendar) Events January January 1 End of Anglo- Egyptian Condominium in Sudan. January 16 President Gamal Abdal Nasser of Egypt vows to reconquer Palestine January 26 1956 Winter Olympic Games open in the Finland-Swedish Social Democrat Fagerholm got one elector's vote less than needed to be elected, and the Agrarian Urho Kekkonen was elected.
• In 1994 the SFP-candidate Elisabeth Rehn lost to the un-political Martti Ahtisaari, also by a narrow margin (53.9% to 46.1%).