The 2025 Finnish municipal elections were held on 13 April 2025, the same day as the county elections. On that day, the representatives for the 308 municipal councils were elected.[1]
Background
editA poll by the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities suggested that 80 percent of people in Finland planned to vote in the 2025 elections.[2]
Electoral system
editThe right to vote in municipal elections is determined by the municipality in which a person is registered fifty-one days before the election. In addition, they must be at least 18 years old by election day and meet one of the following conditions:[3][4][5]
- Finnish citizen
- Citizen of another EU member state who resides in a municipality of Finland
- Citizen of a country other than the above who has had a continuous residence in a municipality of Finland for at least 2 years (i.e. 51 days before election day)
- Employed by an EU or international organisation operating in Finland and residing in a municipality of Finland on the 51st day before election day, provided that their information has been stored in the Finnish population data information system at their request and that they have notified the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in writing no later than the fifty-second day before election day that they wish to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming municipal elections.
Results
edit
The center-left SDP saw major gains in the election, while the right-wing populist Finns Party saw major losses.[6][7] It was reported that the Finns party lost votes due to its government support for austerity, while the voters of the center-right NCP approve of the government policy.[8] This was the first time SDP topped the polls in municipal elections since the 2004 elections.
National results
edit| Party | Vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Won | +/− | ||
| SDP | 557,770 | 23.1 |  5.3 |
1,699 | 248 | |
| National Coalition | 529,542 | 21.9 | 0.5 |
1,592 | 40 | |
| Centre | 396,630 | 16.4 | 1.5 |
2,623 | 178 | |
| Green | 254,173 | 10.5 |  0.1 |
418 | 15 | |
| Left Alliance | 224,005 | 9.3 | 1.3 |
536 | 28 | |
| Finns | 184,616 | 7.6 | 6.8 |
651 | 700 | |
| RKP | 112,922 | 4.7 | 0.3 |
452 | 11 | |
| KD | 86,431 | 3.6 | ±0.0 | 299 | 12 | |
| Movement Now | 10,481 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
19 | 30 | |
| Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose | 5,971 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
1 | 1 | |
| Freedom Alliance | 5,513 | 0.2 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Communist Party | 1,121 | 0.0 | ±0.0 | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Open Party | 680 | 0.0 | ±0.0 | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Animal Justice Party | 546 | 0.0 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| VKK | 364 | 0.0 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Others | 48,295 | 2.0 | 0.1 |
296 | 4 | |
| Total | 2,419,350 | 100.0 | – | 8,586 | 273 | |
| Valid votes | 2,419,350 | 98.4 | 1.1 |
|||
| Rejected votes | 39,187 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
|||
| Total votes | 2,458,537 | 100.0 | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 4,530,989 | 54.3 | 0.8 |
|||
Individual municipalities
editHelsinki
editIn the capital city of Helsinki, the National Coalition narrowly managed to retain their top spot despite a dramatic increase in voting share for the SDP. The SDP managed to tie the National Coalition in seat number despite finishing with a slightly lower percentage of the vote.
| Party | Vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Won | +/− | ||
| National Coalition | 81,879 | 24.0 | 1.6 |
21 | 2 | |
| SDP | 79,505 | 23.3 | 8.9 |
21 | 8 | |
| Green | 61,186 | 17.9 | 2.0 |
16 | 2 | |
| Left Alliance | 58,195 | 17.0 | 4.3 |
15 | 4 | |
| Finns | 18,687 | 5.5 | 4.7 |
4 | 5 | |
| RKP | 17,788 | 5.2 | 1.3 |
4 | 1 | |
| Centre | 9,335 | 2.7 | 0.2 |
2 | ±0.0 | |
| KD | 5,907 | 1.7 | ±0.0 | 1 | ±0.0 | |
| Movement Now | 3,330 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
1 | 2 | |
| Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose | 2,341 | 0.7 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Freedom Alliance | 1,154 | 0.3 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Residents' Voice | 1,076 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
0 | ±0.0 | |
| Open Party | 637 | 0.2 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Environmental Joint List | 304 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Voters' Association | 287 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Total valid number of votes | 341,611 | 100.00 | ±0.0 | 85 | ±0.0 | |
| Votes cast / turnout | 342,665 | 61.1 | 0.6 | |||
Tampere
editIn the second largest city of Tampere, the SDP retained the top spot and increased its lead over second place National Coalition after a near-tie in the last election. The Finns Party lost almost half of their votes. As a function of their collapse all other major parties were able to increase their vote share.
| Party | Vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Won | +/− | ||
| SDP | 35,006 | 29.0 | 4.6 |
20 | 3 | |
| National Coalition | 30,196 | 25.0 | 0.8 |
17 | ±0.0 | |
| Green | 20,928 | 17.3 | 1.8 |
12 | 1 | |
| Left Alliance | 14,282 | 11.8 | 1.6 |
8 | 1 | |
| Finns | 8,460 | 7.0 | 6.6 |
4 | 6 | |
| Centre | 5,729 | 4.7 | 0.6 |
3 | ±0.0 | |
| KD | 4,326 | 3.6 | 0.3 |
2 | ±0.0 | |
| Liberal Party – Freedom to Choose | 433 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
0 | ±0.0 | |
| RKP | 402 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
1 | 1 | |
| Movement Now | 261 | 0.2 | 1.0 |
0 | ±0.0 | |
| Communist Party | 242 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
0 | ±0.0 | |
| Animal Justice Party | 161 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
0 | ±0.0 | |
| Freedom Alliance | 159 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Crystal Party | 100 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
0 | ±0.0 | |
| Voters' Association | 75 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Communist Workers' Party Joint List | 51 | 0.0 | ±0.0 | 0 | ±0.0 | |
| Total valid votes | 120,851 | 100.00 | ±0.0 | 67 | ±0.0 | |
| Votes cast / turnout | 123,029 | 56.7 | 0.1 | |||
References
edit- ↑ "County elections and municipal elections 2025 - Elections". Vaalit. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ↑ "Survey: More than 80% plan to vote in municipal elections". News. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ↑ Constitution of Finland (Official translation), refer to section 16
- ↑ Municipalities Act (Official translation), refer to section 20
- ↑ Saraviita, Ilkka (2011). Perustuslaki [Constitution] (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). Finland: Talentum. pp. 220–223. ISBN 978-952-14-1614-9.
- ↑ Kostner, Paul (14 April 2025). "Finns Party collapses in municipal elections as SDP wins key cities". Helsinki Times. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "SDP takes the win as Finns Party vote collapses". News. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tuesday's papers: "Iron Lady" criticism, Trump tariffs, and a remote work return". News. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "Koko maa, ehdokasasettajakohtaiset tulokset". tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Helsinki, ehdokasasettajakohtaiset tulokset". tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tampere, ehdokasasettajakohtaiset tulokset". tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi. Retrieved 9 May 2026.