Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose

The Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose (Finnish: Liberaalipuolue – Vapaus valita, Swedish: Liberalpartiet – Frihet att välja), formerly known as the Whisky Party (Finnish: Kansallinen Viskipuolue,[1] Swedish: Whiskypartiet[2]), is a classical-liberal Finnish political party, founded in 2015 and admitted to the register of political parties in 2016. Lassi Kivinen was elected chairman in 2022.[3] The party was de-registered in 2023 after failing to win seats in two consecutive parliamentary elections.[4]

The Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose
Finnish: Liberaalipuolue – Vapaus valita
Swedish: Liberalpartiet – Frihet att välja
AbbreviationLib.
ChairmanLassi Kivinen
Vice-chairmanJoni-Petteri Kivistö
SecretaryAarne Leinonen
Founded2014 (2014)
Legalized16 March 2016 (2016-03-16)
HeadquartersTapionkatu 19 A 17, 33500 Tampere
Youth wingLiberaalinuoret
Women's wingLiberaalinaiset
IdeologyClassical liberalism
Market liberalism
Colors  Orange
SloganVapaus valita (Freedom to Choose)
Parliament of Finland
0 / 200
European Parliament
0 / 14
Municipalities
0 / 8,999
Wellbeing services counties of Finland
0 / 1,379
Website
liberaalipuolue.fi

Platform

The party has a liberal view on alcohol policies, but claims a liberal platform overall.[5] Its platform is to promote individual freedom, entrepreneurship, and decision-making based on scientific research. It opposes the political power of interest groups.[6] It aims to decrease prohibitive restrictions, such as limitations on opening hours of restaurants and strict licensing of taxis.[7] Tax reductions are also on its agenda.[8]

History
Logo of the Whisky Party.

The impetus for founding the Liberal Party was a 2014 event dubbed "Whiskeygate" by the media. A beer and spirits convention was banned from using the name Olut & Viski Expo (Beer & Whiskey Expo) by the authorities, because the name was interpreted as being advertising of spirits prohibited by the law. A party was to be founded in protest to what was perceived as overbearing regulation.[9]

Whiskey Party was founded the next year, in 2015. Just before the 2015 parliamentary election, the then not registered party promoted itself by handing out free portions of Whiskey.[10][11] The party also published a campaigning song, "Vastuullisesti" ("Responsibly").[12]

After the election, the party continued the practice of publicly serving free whiskey to attract signatures for support cards in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, and Oulu.[13]

By early February 2016, the party had secured the 5,000 signed support cards needed for registration.[6] On 11 February, it submitted its application to the Ministry of Justice, which maintains the political party register of Finland.[14] The party was officially registered on 18 March 2016.[15]

Soon after, the party had gained enough signatures for registration, it was announced that there will be an election about the official name of the party.[16] On 14 May 2016, the party adopted a new name: Liberaalipuolue ("Liberal Party").[17] The Finnish patent and registration office, however, did not accept the change due to the existence of similarly named associations, such as: Suomen Liberaalinen Puolue ry (Liberal Party of Finland, registered association) and Liberaalit ry (Liberals, registered association).[18][19]

On 17 June 2016, the party tried to adopt a new name again: The Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose. The name was accepted by the Finnish patent and registration office on 21 June, as the addition to the name was enough to separate it from other associations.[20]

The Liberal Party participated in the municipal elections in 2017 in major cities and allowed as candidates anybody regardless of political experience.[21][22] The party won 4,117 votes and elected five councilors. None of its candidates were elected in the municipal elections of 2021.

Election results

Parliament of Finland
Election Votes  % Seats +/- Government
2019 5,014 0.16%
0 / 200
 New Extra-parliamentary
2023 14,993 0.48%
0 / 200
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary

European Parliamentary elections
Year Elected Votes Share Ref.
2019 0 3,015 0.2% [23]

Municipal elections
Year Elected Votes Share
2017 5 4,117 0.2%
2021 0 947 0.0%

References
  1. "Kansallinen Viskipuolue merkitty puoluerekisteriin" [National Whiskey Party registered] (in Finnish). Ministry of Justice. 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  2. "Whiskypartiet nära registrering" [Whiskey Party near registration]. Hufvudstadsbladet (in Swedish). 10 February 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  3. "Liberaalipuolueen puoluekokous järjestettiin Helsingissä" [The party congress of the Liberal Party was held in Helsinki] (Press release) (in Finnish). Liberaalipuolue. 22 May 2022.
  4. "Yhdeksän puoluetta poistettu puoluerekisteristä". Vaalit.fi (in Finnish). Ministry of Justice. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  5. Pietiläinen, Jari (18 March 2016). "Viskipuolue merkittiin puoluerekisteriin – Nimenmuutos heti edessä" [Whiskey Party registered – About to change name immediately]. Helsingin Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  6. Pape-Mustonen, Terhi (18 March 2016). "Kansallinen viskipuolue rekisteröitiin: ei aja kenenkään etua" [National Whiskey Party registered: will not promote the interest of any particular group]. Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  7. "Suomeen on syntymässä uusi puolue – viskipuolueella koossa 5 000 kannattajakorttia" [Finland to have a new political party – Whiskey Party has 5, 000 support cards]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 2016-02-05. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  8. "Ilmaista viinaa jakanut puolue aikoo haastaa nykymenon – vaihtaa myös nimeä" [Party that handed out free alcohol wants to challenge status quo – will also change its name]. Helsingin Uutiset (in Finnish). 18 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  9. Setälä, Jasu (17 May 2016). "Liberaalien pitkä tie puoluerekisteriin" [Liberals' long way to be registered as a party]. Libero (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  10. Pietiläinen, Jari (7 January 2016). "Puoluerekisteriin himoitsee nyt moni poppoo – Viskipuolue pääsee pian pelikentille" [Many groups desire to be registered – Whiskey Party to be out on the field soon]. Länsiväylä. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  11. "Puolue jakoi ilmaista viinaa puistossa Helsingissä" [Political party hands out free alcohol at a park in Helsinki] (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 2016-02-05. Retrieved 2015-02-12.
  12. Latvala, Jussi (18 March 2016). "Kansallinen Viskipuolue puoluerekisteriin – 'Suomen tulevaisuus näyttää todella huolestuttavalta'" [National Whiskey Party registered – "The future of Finland is very concerning"] (in Finnish). YleX. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  13. "Viskipuolue tarjosi ilmaista viskiä Oulussa – poliisilla ei huomauttamista" [Whiskey Party served free whiskey in Oulu – the police have no complaints]. Kaleva (in Finnish). 21 November 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  14. "Thursday's papers: Children's home abuse, Whiskey Party starting, less sex for Finns". Yle. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  15. Blencowe, Annette (18 March 2016). "Viskipuolue merkittiin puoluerekisteriin" [Whiskey Party was registed into the register of parties] (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  16. "Viskipuolue sai 5300 kannattajakorttia kokoon" [Whiskey Party gathers 5, 300 support cards]. Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). STT. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  17. Suvi Hautanen (2016-05-16). "Viskipuolue vaihtaa nimensä Liberaalipuolueeksi" [Whiskey Party changes its name to Liberal Party]. Verkkouutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  18. "Viskipuolue jatkaakin viskipuolueena – epäonnistunutta nimenmuutosta juhlistetaan viskillä" [Whiskey Party to remain Whiskey Party after all publisher – failed renaming celebrated with whiskey] (in Finnish). Yle. 2016-05-19. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  19. "Viskipuolueen nimenvaihto meni puihin" [Name change of Whiskey Party on the rocks]. Kaleva (in Finnish). STT. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  20. "Viskipuolue muuttaa nimensä sittenkin – "Sanaan liberaali ei voi saada yksinoikeutta"" (in Finnish). Yle. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  21. "Viskipuolueen Kähärä: 'Sääntely minimiin ja Alkon monopoli alas'" [Kärhä of Whiskey Party: "Regulation to the minimum and down with the monopoly of Alko"]. Keskisuomalainen. 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  22. "'Emme aja kenenkään etuja' – Suomessa on nyt yksi puolue lisää" ["We do not promote anybody's interests" – Finland now has one more political party]. Demokraatti (in Finnish). 18 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  23. "European Elections 2019: Results: Whole country". Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 7 December 2019.

Further reading
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