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1962 Finnish presidential election

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FieldValue
election_name1962 Finnish presidential election
countryFinland
typepresidential
ongoingno
previous_election1956 Finnish presidential election
previous_year1956
next_election1968 Finnish presidential election
next_year1968
election_date15–16 January 1962
image_size130x130px
image1Urho Kekkonen 1961.jpg
candidate1**Urho Kekkonen**
party1Agrarian League (Finland)
electoral_vote1**199**
popular_vote1**1,394,886**
image2Paavo-Aitio-1966 (cropped).jpg
candidate2Paavo Aitio
party2SKDL
electoral_vote262
popular_vote2451,750
image3Rafael-Paasio-1963 (cropped 2).jpg
candidate3Rafael Paasio
party3Social Democratic Party of Finland
electoral_vote337
popular_vote3289,366
titlePresident
before_electionUrho Kekkonen
before_partyAgrarian League (Finland)
after_electionUrho Kekkonen
after_partyAgrarian League (Finland)

Two-stage presidential elections were held in Finland in 1962. On 15 and 16 January the public elected presidential electors to an electoral college. They in turn elected the President. The result was a victory for Urho Kekkonen, who won on the first ballot. The turnout for the popular vote was 81.5%.

Background

Since Kekkonen's extremely narrow victory in the 1956 Finnish presidential elections, his political opponents had planned to defeat him in the election of 1962.

In the spring of 1961, the Social Democrats, National Coalition Party, Swedish People's Party, People's Party, Small Farmers' Party and the Liberal League nominated former Chancellor of Justice Olavi Honka as their presidential candidate.

The Honka League's goal was to receive a majority of the 300 presidential electors, and thus defeat President Kekkonen.

At the end of October 1961, the Soviet government sent a diplomatic note to the Finnish Government, claiming that neo-fascism and militarism were growing so much in West Germany that Finland and the Soviet Union were in danger of being attacked by that country or by some other NATO member states.

Thus the Soviet Union asked Finland to negotiate on possible joint military co-operation under the Finno-Soviet Treaty articles.

The Note Crisis alarmed many Finnish people, politicians and ordinary voters alike. In late November 1961, Honka dropped his presidential candidacy. Kekkonen then travelled to the Soviet Union where the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, briefly negotiated with him and assured the audience in Novosibirsk that Finland and the Soviet Union continued to have good relations, although some Finns tried to worsen them, and that joint military exercises were not needed, after all.

Following the Note Crisis, Kekkonen's popularity soared, as many Finnish voters believed him to be more capable than his opponents of defending Finland's neutrality and security. Kekkonen was easily re-elected President

Results

Electoral college

References

References

  1. [[Dieter Nohlen]] & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p606 {{ISBN. 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p630
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p624
  4. Vihavainen, Timo. (1987). "Hyvinvointi-Suomi, osio teoksesta Suomen historian Pikkujättiläinen". WSOY.
  5. Virrankoski, Pentti. "Suomen historia". Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura.
  6. Hannu Rautkallio. (1992). "Novosibirskin lavastus". Tammi.
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presidential-elections-in-finland 1962-elections-in-finland january-1962-in-europe
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