Updated 21.6.1999

Background to the parties' election success

On the election night, Statistics Finland will prepare an instant analysis on the background to the parties' election success compared to the previous the European Parliament elections. The analysis can be ordered separately. Five background variables are used to describe the 'reasons' for a party's success or loss by constituency, such as an increase in votes cast in difficult unemployment areas.

Technically and with respect to background variables, the analysis is almost similar to the one prepared for the Parliamentary elections 1999. The support of the Left Alliance is now used as an additional background variable. Unemployment is no longer studied with the variable 'unemployment worse or unemployment better in the area'.

The regional background variables are as follows:

• employment
• business structure
• degree of urbanisation
• proportion of pensioners
• support of parties: KESK - KOK - SDP - LEFT