FINLAND: No Change

Finns trudged through swirling snows last week to the polling places, seeking an Eduskunta with enough courage to tackle the country’s economic mess. The last parliament had kept right on voting child-welfare allowances and farm subsidies, though the national till was all but empty. It had refused to lower wages, though high costs priced Finland’s products out of the world market, causing unemployment and a decline in national income.

But when the election results came in, reform hopes went out. The new, 200-member Eduskunta remained essentially unchanged. Finns gave their Communists more votes (21% against 16% last election), but the same number of seats (43) in the parliament. The Social Democrats picked up one seat (54); the Agrarians gained two (53); the liberal Finnish National Party gained 3 (13); the right-wing Swedish People’s lost 2 (13); the Conservatives lost four (24).