# Young Finnish Party > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Young_Finnish_Party > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Young_Finnish_Party.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Finnish_Party > Source revision: 1345324899 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the political party known as Young Finns, see [Young Finns](/source/Young_Finns). Political party in Finland Young Finnish Party Leader Pehr Evind Svinhufvud Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg Jonas Castrén Founded 1878 Dissolved 1918 Split from Finnish Party Succeeded by National Coalition Party National Progressive Party Ideology Liberalism Finnish nationalism Politics of Finland Political parties Elections Politics of Finland State Constitution Declaration of Independence Human rights Law enforcement Military Executive President (list) Alexander Stubb Prime Minister (list) Petteri Orpo Government Ministries (list) Legislative Parliament Speaker: Jussi Halla-aho Judiciary General Courts Supreme Court Courts of Appeal District Courts Administrative Courts Supreme Administrative Court Regional Administrative Courts Prosecutor General Chancellor of Justice Recent elections Presidential: 2006 2012 2018 Parliamentary: 2015 2019 2023 European: 2014 2019 2024 Political parties Social Democratic Party (SDP) Finns Party (PS) National Coalition Party (KOK) Centre Party (KESK) Green League (VIHR) Left Alliance (VAS) Swedish People's Party (RKP) Christian Democrats (KD) Movement Now (LIIK) Administrative divisions Regions (Maakunnat, Landskap) Wellbeing services counties (Hyvinvointialueet, Välfärdsområde) Sub-regions (Seutukunnat, Ekonomiska regioner) Municipalities (Kunnat, Kommuner) Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Elina Valtonen Diplomatic missions of / in Finland Ambassadors Politics of the European Union Finland portal Other countries v t e The **Young Finnish Party** or **Constitutional-Fennoman Party** ([Finnish](/source/Finnish_language): *Nuorsuomalainen Puolue* or *Perustuslaillis-Suomenmielinen Puolue*) was a liberal and nationalist political party in the [Grand Duchy of Finland](/source/Grand_Duchy_of_Finland). It began as an upper-class reformist movement during the 1870s and formed as a political [party](/source/Party) in 1894. ## Background Industrialization and opening of the Finnish economy by Emperor [Alexander II](/source/Alexander_II_of_Russia) gave room for liberal economic thinking. The Young Finns opposed on constitutional basis [Russification](/source/Russification_of_Finland) efforts commenced by Emperor [Nicholas II](/source/Nicholas_II_of_Russia) during 1899–1905. During that period various political factions joined the movement and they were held together by a common opponent, the autocratic Russian Empire. The movement separated itself from the main [Fennoman movement](/source/Fennoman_movement), the [Finnish Party](/source/Finnish_Party) due to political competition between two political generations that had differing views on Finland's constitutional status in the [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire). In 1907, after a general strike that finished the first [Russification](/source/Russification) period and brought parliamentary democracy with universal suffrage and a unicameral parliament to Finland, the Young Finnish Party took part in the first Finnish parliamentary election as a [liberal](/source/Liberalism)-minded centrist party.[1] However, already during the 19th century there had been disputes inside the party over its political line, and after the pressure by Russia eased the major differences between the separate groups became open and there was even discussion of establishing two completely separate factions or parties. The party was formally kept together, but was split in two major groups: the "sparrows" (*varpuset*) led by [Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg](/source/Kaarlo_Juho_St%C3%A5hlberg) and the "swallows" (*pääskyt*) led by [Jonas Castrén](/source/Jonas_Castr%C3%A9n) and [Pehr Evind Svinhufvud](/source/Pehr_Evind_Svinhufvud). The "sparrows" were a liberal faction seeking [social liberalism](/source/Social_liberalism) and social reforms. They were initially oriented in foreign policy toward the United Kingdom and France, but after the [Finnish Civil War](/source/Finnish_Civil_War) of 1918 their support for Germany substantially increased. The members of the "swallows" were mainly conservative, part fundamentally conservative and part economically liberal, who did not emphasize the need for social reforms. During World War I and especially after the Civil War, they leaned on Germany. Svinhufvud strongly favored the German Empire and supported a monarchist political system for Finland. Ståhlberg urged full democracy and the formation of a republic in Finland. During the hegemony of Germany in 1918, the monarchists won the political battle and a clear majority of the Young Finns voted for a German prince [Friedrich Karl](/source/Prince_Frederick_Charles_of_Hesse) to become the King of Finland. Only Ståhlberg and few other Young Finns voted against monarchy during the crucial election. ## End of the party After Germany's defeat in the Great War in late 1918, the Young Finnish Party finally split into two new parties. A minority of members joined Svinhufvud in forming the conservative, monarchist [National Coalition Party](/source/National_Coalition_Party_(Finland)) (together with the majority of the Finnish Party), while the majority joined Ståhlberg in forming the liberal, republican [National Progressive Party](/source/National_Progressive_Party_(Finland)). After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, the monarchist policy had collapsed and Ståhlberg, as the first President of Finland elected on July 25, 1919, became the leader of the [Republic of Finland](/source/Republic_of_Finland). A small economically right-wing party with the same name, [Young Finns](/source/Young_Finns), was established in the 1990s. The newer party gained two seats in the Parliament, but lost them in the next elections. ## See also - [Liberalism](/source/Liberalism) - [Contributions to liberal theory](/source/Contributions_to_liberal_theory) - [Liberalism worldwide](/source/Liberalism_worldwide) - [List of liberal parties](/source/List_of_liberal_parties) - [Liberal democracy](/source/Liberal_democracy) - [Liberalism and centrism in Finland](/source/Liberalism_and_centrism_in_Finland) ## References This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Ihalainen, Pasi (2017). *The Springs of Democracy*. Finnish Literature Society - SKS. p. 277. ## Literature - Vesa Vares (2000): *Varpuset ja pääskyt. Nuorsuomalaisuus ja Nuorsuomalainen puolue 1870-luvulta vuoteen 1918*. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [951-746-161-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/951-746-161-5) v t e Young Europe Young Bosnia Young Czechs Young France Young Finns Young Germany Young Ireland Young Italy Young Latvians Young Ottomans Young Turks Young Poland Young Romanians Young Slovenes Young Switzerland Young Ukraine [uk] Young Wales Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National United States Finland --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Young Finnish Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Finnish_Party) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Finnish_Party?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.