2000 Finnish presidential election
16 January 2000 (first round)
6 February 2000 (second round)
Turnout73.63% (first round)
76.83% (second round)
 
Candidate Tarja Halonen Esko Aho
Party SDP Centre
Popular vote 1,644,532 1,540,803
Percentage 51.63% 48.37%
  Tarja Halonen
  Esko Aho
  Elisabeth Rehn
  Tarja Halonen
  Esko Aho
President before election

Martti Ahtisaari
SDP

 Elected President

Tarja Halonen
SDP

Presidential elections were held in Finland on 16 January 2000, with a second round on 6 February.[1]

The result was a victory for Tarja Halonen of the Social Democratic Party, who became the country's first female president. During the elections Halonen was the incumbent Minister for Foreign Affairs. President Martti Ahtisaari had indicated in January 1999 that he would accept the Social Democratic Party's nomination for the 2000 presidential elections, but only if no presidential primary was held. However, Jacob Söderman announced his candidacy at the start of April 1999, and during the final week of that month, Ahtisaari announced that he would not seek the Social Democratic presidential candidacy. In his memoirs, Ahtisaari claims that Tarja Halonen badly wanted to become president, a claim that Halonen has denied.

There were three other female presidential candidates in 2000: Riitta Uosukainen of the National Coalition, Elisabeth Rehn of the Swedish People's Party, and Heidi Hautala of the Greens. Halonen's popularity rose significantly during the last few months before the first round of the 2000 presidential elections, while Uosukainen's and Rehn's popularity declined. Former Prime Minister Esko Aho, the Centrist presidential candidate, emerged as the second most popular candidate. Halonen received votes from women across party lines, and she was partly helped by her lack of a major left-wing opponent, and by her reputation as a tolerant, human rights-oriented person. The election was decided by slightly over 100,000 votes, and the voter turnout was much higher than in the 1996 municipal elections or in the 1999 parliamentary elections.[2][3][4]

Candidates

Results

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Tarja HalonenSocial Democratic Party1,224,43140.031,644,53251.63
Esko AhoCentre Party1,051,15934.361,540,80348.37
Riitta UosukainenNational Coalition Party392,30512.83
Elisabeth RehnSwedish People's Party241,8777.91
Heidi HautalaGreen League100,7403.29
Ilkka HakalehtoTrue Finns31,4051.03
Risto KuismaReform Group16,9430.55
Total3,058,860100.003,185,335100.00
Valid votes3,058,86099.703,185,33599.49
Invalid/blank votes9,2900.3016,3780.51
Total votes3,068,150100.003,201,713100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,167,20073.634,167,20476.83
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

By province

First round

Province Halonen Aho Uosukainen Rehn Hautala Hakalehto Kuisma Electorate Votes Valid Invalid
Southern Savonia35,26043,78012,4333,0872,2251,060514135,15398,66298,359303
Northern Savonia54,26568,79513,1415,3653,1021,538643203,996147,259146,849410
North Karelia37,61242,99310,2512,9522,2401,179512136,78898,08397,739344
Kainuu17,15827,7553,8571,27187662121972,97151,90651,757149
Uusimaa356,278155,713113,87393,36041,1656,2905,1151,030,546774,121771,7942,327
Eastern Uusimaa19,03012,0235,02914,4371,67236443870,20553,10352,993110
Southwest Finland114,66278,96038,93120,5149,6083,1681,523360,024268,209267,366843
Tavastia Proper43,20330,89015,6944,5042,661970616131,16698,87298,538334
Päijänne Tavastia49,78835,40218,8915,1683,2441,180666159,063114,666114,339327
Kymenlaakso49,68634,70319,4334,5612,836947835154,744113,433113,001432
South Karelia29,34329,52820,2832,0271,818664433112,32584,39484,096298
Central Finland59,85865,50115,5925,7314,6451,555723210,868154,006153,605401
Southern Ostrobothnia23,33674,56714,1573,4951,4541,454361158,210119,150118,824326
Ostrobothnia26,81632,4826,77836,0101,947640241150,093105,188104,914274
Satakunta62,70152,05917,6955,3783,0901,950714194,211143,999143,587412
Pirkanmaa120,01781,43638,37813,8579,2103,6521,784358,640269,210268,334876
Central Ostrobothnia10,72425,8292,3333,00864159013257,95543,37343,257116
Northern Ostrobothnia70,230100,31416,0767,3925,8282,6431,005280,748204,028203,488540
Lapland42,68555,7129,2493,2852,313926458164,904115,045114,628417
Åland1,7792,7172316,475165141124,59011,44311,39251

Second round

Province Halonen Aho Electorate Votes Valid Invalid
Southern Savonia46,66957,195135,153104,363103,864499
Northern Savonia70,14986,573203,997157,250156,722528
North Karelia48,61455,753136,788104,855104,367488
Kainuu21,63634,10472,97155,95455,740214
Uusimaa495,469290,3481,030,549790,870785,8175,053
Eastern Uusimaa28,09625,95370,20554,34254,049293
Southwest Finland152,539123,259360,024277,162275,7981,364
Tavastia Proper56,55745,674131,166102,830102,231599
Päijänne Tavastia66,66052,298159,063119,560118,958602
Kymenlaakso67,04850,775154,744118,443117,823620
South Karelia41,74244,091112,32586,32085,833487
Central Finland78,49584,227210,868163,374162,722652
Southern Ostrobothnia32,06593,911158,210126,547125,976571
Ostrobothnia39,01969,890150,093109,447108,909538
Satakunta79,60471,178194,211151,471150,782689
Pirkanmaa157,589120,669358,640279,668278,2581,410
Central Ostrobothnia13,29832,75057,95546,22046,048172
Northern Ostrobothnia90,618126,767280,748218,316217,385931
Lapland53,96568,162164,904122,674122,127547
Åland4,7007,22624,59012,04711,926121

References

  1. ↑ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p606 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ↑ Tapani Ruokanen, On a Journey: Martti Ahtisaari's Story / Matkalla. Martti Ahtisaaren tarina. Helsinki: Otava Ltd., 2009, pgs. 397-411
  3. ↑ Timo Vihavainen, "The Welfare Finland" (Hyvinvointi-Suomi), pg. 903
  4. ↑ Hannu Lehtilä, Tarja Halonen: One of Us (Tarja Halonen - Yksi meistä), Helsinki: Otava Ltd., 2005
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