Finnish Reform Movement

The Finnish Reform Movement (Finnish: Korjausliike, korj), previously known as Blue Reform (Finnish: Sininen tulevaisuus/Siniset), was a Finnish conservative political party.

Finnish Reform Movement
Korjausliike
ChairmanPetri Roininen[1]
FoundersSampo Terho
Timo Soini
Founded13 June 2017 (2017-06-13)
Dissolved11 June 2023 (2023-06-11)
Split fromFinns Party
HeadquartersHelsinki[2]
Youth wingSiniset Nuoret[3]
Women's wingSiniset Naiset[4]
Membership (2018)c. 700[5]
IdeologyEconomic liberalism
National conservatism
Conservatism
Soft Euroscepticism
Political positionRight-wing
European affiliationEuropean Conservatives and Reformists Party (until 2022)
Colors  Orange
Website
www.korjausliike.fi
Politics of Finland
State
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Recent elections
Political parties
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations

It was founded by the 19 MPs who left the Finns Party on 13 June 2017 in protest against Jussi Halla-aho having been elected party leader. The new parliamentary group of these defectors was initially called New Alternative (Finnish: Uusi vaihtoehto, UV; Swedish: Nytt alternativ, NA).[6] A new name for the party was announced on 19 June.[7] The association of this name was officially registered on 3 July 2017.[2]

The party was chaired by Sampo Terho, the Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport, until June 2019.[8] It also included all the other cabinet ministers who were previously members of the Finns Party: Timo Soini, Jussi Niinistö, Jari Lindström and Pirkko Mattila. It was one of the three parties that made up the Sipilä Cabinet until its resignation on 8 March 2019.

It lost all seats in the 2019 election. In April 2022, it changed its name to the Finnish Reform Movement. The party was de-registered in 2023 after failing to win seats in two consecutive parliamentary elections,[9] and dissolved itself two months later.[10]

History

Finns Party

The Blue Reform originates from the Finns Party, founded by Timo Soini, Raimo Vistbacka, Urpo Leppänen and Kari Bärlund in 1995. It took some time before the Finns Party gained ground in Finnish elections and the party's sole MP until 2003 was Vistbacka. In 2003, the party won three seats: besides Vistbacka, Soini and Tony Halme were elected. Soini had taken over as the chairman in 1997 and remained in the position for twenty years until 2017. The party slowly gained ground, but ultimately saw exceptional rise in 2011 election, when the party gained 39 seats, making them the third largest party in the parliament and the leading opposition party. In the 2015 election, the Finns Party became the second biggest party in the parliament with 38 seats. The Finns Party subsequently entered into a coalition government with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party, led by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä.[11]

In March 2017, Soini announced that he would step down as party chairman in the next party congress.[12] In June 2017, Jussi Halla-aho and Sampo Terho faced off in the leadership election, in which Halla-aho received 949 votes against Terho's 646 votes and thus succeeded Soini as party chairman.[13] Sipilä and Finance Minister Petteri Orpo soon announced that they would not continue their coalition with the Finns Party if it was led by Halla-aho.[14]

On 13 June 2017, 20 members of the Finns Party, including Soini and Terho, left its parliamentary group to form the New Alternative (Finnish: Uusi vaihtoehto (uv), Swedish: Nytt alternativ (na)) parliamentary group. The decision followed the election of Halla-aho, who had received criticism both inside and outside of the Finns Party for his strict views on immigration and Islam. MP Simon Elo was chosen to lead the group for the time being.[15] While Halla-aho's Finns Party was expelled from the Finnish government, the New Alternative continued as a member of the government coalition.[16]

Formation
The first chairman of the party, Sampo Terho.

On 19 June 2017, Sampo Terho announced that a new party would be formed based on the New Alternative parliamentary group under the name Blue Reform.[17][18] The parliamentary group still saw some changes, as on 22 June 2017, Ritva Elomaa left the group to re-join the Finns Party, after which the group had 19 members left.[19] On 30 June 2017, Hanna Mäntylä left the Parliament to work for the Council of Europe and she was replaced by the substitute MP Matti Torvinen (the highest-placed non-elected True Finns candidate). Torvinen subsequently left the Finns Party and joined the New Alternative.[20]

On 15 November 2017, the Blue Reform was officially registered as a political party.[21] The first party convention, organized on 16 December 2017, elected Terho as the first chairman of the party and MP Matti Torvinen as the party secretary.[22][23]

The popularity of the party lagged behind for the rest of its term in Sipilä cabinet. For example, according to a Helsingin Sanomat opinion poll conducted in May 2018, Blue Reform had a popular support of 1.7 percent, making it the least popular group represented in the Parliament of Finland.[24] The party also saw two defections, as MP Kaj Turunen defected to the National Coalition Party in April 2018 and MP Maria Lohela to Movement Now in January 2019.[25][26]

On 8 March 2019, Juha Sipilä asked permission from President of Finland Sauli Niinistö to dissolve the cabinet, because of the failure to reach agreement on the controversial health care reform. The cabinet was dissolved that day but was requested to continue on a caretaker basis until a new government was formed.[27]

Fall from the Parliament
Party logo until 2022

Blue Reform took part in the parliamentary election on 14 April 2019, but failed to get a single seat.[28] Terho ensured after the election that the party would continue its operations, as it still had multiple representatives in local councils.[29]

On 3 May 2019, Terho announced he would step down as the Chair of the Blue Reform in June 2019.[30] On 8 June 2019, Kari Kulmala was elected the new chairman.[31]

In September 2021, Petri Roininen, the corporate director of Investors House, was elected the new chairman of the party.[1]

Politics

Blue Reform said that it wanted a society that encourages people to work, to found businesses and to care about others and ensures a living for every citizen. The party also respected family values and said that "the only interest group it works for is the people of Finland". In addition, Blue Reform said that it respected human rights and denounced all hatred towards human beings.[32]

Election results

Parliament of Finland
Election Votes  % Seats +/– Government
2019 29,943 0.97
0 / 200
 New Extra-parliamentary
2023 1,362 0.04
0 / 200
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary

European elections
Year Elected Votes Share
2019 0 6,043 0.3%

Municipal elections
Year Elected Votes Share
2021 4 1,197 0.05%

Elected representatives

Former Members of Parliament
  • Simon Elo (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2015–2017)
  • Tiina Elovaara (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2015–2017)
  • Reijo Hongisto (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Ari Jalonen (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Kimmo Kivelä (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Kari Kulmala (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2015–2017)
  • Jari Lindström (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Anne Louhelainen (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Pirkko Mattila (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Lea Mäkipää (2017–2019; Rural Party MP 1983–1995, Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Martti Mölsä (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Jussi Niinistö (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Pentti Oinonen (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2007–2017)
  • Vesa-Matti Saarakkala (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017)
  • Timo Soini (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2003–2009, 2011–2017)
  • Sampo Terho (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2015–2017)
  • Matti Torvinen (2017–2019)
  • Kike Elomaa (2017; Finns Party MP 2011–2017; defected back to the Finns Party in 2017)
  • Maria Lohela (2017–2019; Finns Party MP 2011–2017; defected to Liike Nyt in 2019)
  • Hanna Mäntylä (2017; Finns Party MP 2011–2017; left to work for the Council of Europe)
  • Kaj Turunen (2017–2018; Finns Party MP 2011–2017; defected to the National Coalition Party in 2018)

See also

References
  1. Investors Housen Petri Roininen aikoo palauttaa Sinisille tulevaisuuden ja toivoo Suomeen yrittäjyysministeriä – ”Haluamme haastaa tämän verovaltion” – Kauppalehti (in Finnish)
  2. AssociationNet Finnish Patent and Registration Office. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  3. Lassi, Teija (11 December 2017). "Siniset sai oman nuorisojärjestön: Sinisten Nuorten johtoon 22-vuotias opiskelija Tiina Ahva". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  4. "Savo-Karjalan Siniset Naiset ry perustettiin". Kotiseutu-uutiset.com (in Finnish). 3 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  5. Vento, Heikki (13 April 2018). "Tulevaisuus mustana". Suomen Kuvalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  6. "Hallitus on jatkamassa Uusi vaihtoehto -ryhmän kanssa – Ryhmän johtajat syyttivät Ylellä halla-aholaisia "kaappauksesta" ja sopimattomista käsitervehdyksistä". Helsingin Sanomat. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  7. "Nyt se selvisi: Uudesta vaihtoehdosta tulee Sininen tulevaisuus -puolue". Uusi Suomi. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  8. "Sininen tulevaisuus perussuomalaisista loikanneiden uuden puolueen nimi". Turun Sanomat. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  9. "Yhdeksän puoluetta poistettu puoluerekisteristä". Vaalit.fi (in Finnish). Ministry of Justice. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  10. "Korjausliike on lopettanut toimintansa" (in Finnish). 11 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  11. "President appoints new cabinet". yle.fi. Yle. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  12. Soini announces he will not continue at Finns Party helm Yle News on March 5, 2017. Retrieved on October 10, 2017.
  13. Jussi Halla-aho elected Finns Party leader YLE 10.6.2017
  14. Finnish govt implodes: Centre, NCP say deal off with Finns Party YLE 13.6.2017
  15. "Tällainen on Uusi vaihtoehto – Nämä kansanedustajat jättivät perussuomalaiset". Yle.fi (in Finnish). Yle. 2017-06-13. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  16. "PM Sipilä: 'Government to continue' with New Alternative". Yle News. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  17. "Uusi vaihtoehto -ryhmästä tulee Sininen tulevaisuus". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  18. "Finns Party breakaway group to be named Blue Reform". Yle News. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  19. "Ritva Elomaa siirtyy takaisin perussuomalaisiin – Halla-aho kehottaa muitakin "pohtimaan asiaa"". Helsingin-Sanomat. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  20. "Kansanedustaja Matti Torvinen eroaa perussuomalaisista". Helsingin Sanomat. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  21. "Kannattajakortit tarkistettu – siniset hyväksyttiin puoluerekisteriin". Ilta-Sanomat. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  22. "Sampo Terhosta Sinisen tulevaisuuden ensimmäinen puheenjohtaja". Ilta-Sanomat. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  23. "Matti Torvisesta sinisen tulevaisuuden puoluesihteeri". Yle. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  24. "Sdp on säilyttänyt paikkansa suosituimpana puolueena, perussuomalaisten kannatus laski eniten". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 17 May 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  25. "Sinisten Kaj Turunen loikkaa kokoomukseen". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 24 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  26. "Tässä on Hjallis Harkimon jättiyllätys: Kansanedustaja Lohela Liike Nytiin". Uusi Suomi (in Finnish). 21 January 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  27. "Sote kaatui ja hallitus erosi – Yle seurasi dramaattisen päivän hetki hetkeltä, tässä herkkupalat" (in Finnish). Yle. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  28. Jäske, Ulla (14 April 2019). "Sinisten puoluesihteeri: "Puolue harkitsee huomenna, lopetetaanko toiminta" – Siniset ei saanut yhtään eduskuntapaikkaa". Aamulehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  29. "Sampo Terho: Sinisten toiminta jatkuu". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 15 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  30. "Sinisten Sampo Terho vetäytyy politiikasta: "Annoin noin vuosikymmenen elämästäni"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 3 May 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  31. "Kari Kulmala valittiin sinisten uudeksi puheenjohtajaksi". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  32. "Sininen tulevaisuus -periaateohjelma". Blue Reform. Archived from the original on 2017-07-31. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
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