Independence Party (Finland)

Independence Party (Finnish: Itsenäisyyspuolue, IPU;[3] Swedish: Självständighetspartiet[4]) is a minor Eurosceptic political party in Finland.[5] It was founded in 1994 as Alliance for Free Finland. The party supports membership in the European Economic Area as an alternative to Finland's membership in the European Union and the Eurozone. The party also opposes NATO.[6] Its current chairman is Henri Aitakari.

Independence Party
Finnish nameItsenäisyyspuolue
Swedish nameSjälvständighetspartiet
AbbreviationIPU
ChairmanHenri Aitakari
First vice-chairmanAlexander Holthoer[1]
Second vice-chairmanMarjatta Herrala[1]
Third vice-chairmanMartti Pohjolainen [1]
Party secretaryLena Wiksten[1]
Founded1994 (1994)
HeadquartersHelsinki
Youth wingIndependence Youth
IdeologyEuroscepticism
Direct democracy
Economic democracy
Anti-racism[2]
European affiliationTEAM
City Council of Laitila
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Parliament of Finland
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Website
www.ipu.fi
Independence Party campaigning in the 2015 Finnish parliamentary election

Party organization

Based in Helsinki, IPU is a registered party.[4] The party has two out of 31 city counselors in Laitila,[7] elected at the 2017 Finnish municipal elections.[8] IPU is a minor political party;[9] it has never had any MPs in the Finnish Parliament.[10] Membership in the party is around 1,200.[9] The youth wing is called Independence Youth.[11] The party is a member of The European Alliance of EU-critical Movements (TEAM).[12]

History

IPU was founded in 1994 as Alliance for Free Finland (Finnish: Vapaan Suomen Liitto, VSL; Swedish: Förbundet för det Fria Finland, FFF).[3][13] Its chairman from its founding until 2004 was Ilkka Hakalehto.[14]

Antti Pesonen served as the party's chairman from 2004 until his resignation for health reasons in 2015. He was re-elected chairman 2016,[5] but resigned again in 2017 shorty before his death in April.[15] He had previously been a city councilor of the party in Alajärvi.[2] Henri Aitakari followed Pesonen as the chairman.[16]

IPU has been admitted into the party register four times,[10] the latest re-admission having taken place in January 2017.[15] Only Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism has dropped out and been re-admitted as many times.[10]

References
  1. "Yhteystiedot" (in Finnish). Independence Party. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  2. Rautanen, Päivi (30 November 2016). "Itsenäisyyspuolueella jälleen kannattajat koossa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  3. Mickelsson, Rauli (2007). Suomen puolueet: historia, muutos ja nykypäivä (in Finnish). Tampere: Vastapaino. p. 293. ISBN 978-951-768-217-6.
  4. "Itsenäisyyspuolue r.p., Självständighetspartiet r.p." (in Finnish). Suomen Asiakastieto. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  5. Rautanen, Päivi (15 August 2016). "Antti Pesonen johtaa jälleen Itsenäisyyspuoluetta". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  6. Tikkala, Hannu; Tolkki, Kristiina (3 April 2019). "'Hävittäjähankinnat peruttava, 1 200 euron perustulo kaikille, opintolainat nollattava' – tätä kaikkea pienpuolueet lupaavat äänestäjille". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  7. "Kaupunginvaltuusto" (in Finnish). City of Laitila. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  8. "Kuntavaalit 2017: Itsenäisyyspuolue". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  9. Niemistö, Elina (13 April 2015). "Vaaliennakko: Pienpuolueiden ehdokkaat uskovat asiaansa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  10. Rautanen, Päivi (30 January 2017). "Itsenäisyyspuolue pääsi jälleen puoluerekisteriin ja teki samalla ennätyksen". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  11. "Itsenäisyysnuoret haluavat pelastaa maapallon". Ilkka (in Finnish). 16 October 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  12. "Members and observers of TEAM". TEAM. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  13. "Political parties and abbreviations used in municipal elections in 2000". Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Municipal elections [e-publication]. Helsinki: Statistics Finland. 31 May 2004 [2000]. ISSN 2323-1114. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  14. Rautanen, Päivi (31 August 2015). "Itsenäisyyspuolue etsii puheenjohtajaa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  15. "Itsenäisyyspuolueen entinen puheenjohtaja Antti Pesonen on kuollut". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). STT. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  16. "Henri Aitakarista Itsenäisyyspuolueen puheenjohtaja". Länsi-Suomi (in Finnish). 28 August 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
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