Last modified: 2015-05-16 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: finland: political parties | star: red | fist | left alliance | left youth |
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Vasemmistoliitto/Vänsterförbundet (VAS)
image by M. Schmöger, 03 May 2015
image by M. Schmöger, 03 May 2015
The VAS was founded in 1990 as (more or less) a successor to the SKDL, a
left alliance dominated by the Finnish communists, the SKP. Originally,
it could reach about 20 seats in the 200-seat parliament, but dropped to
12 seats in the 2015 elections.
The former symbol, used until about 2010, showed a bird flying to the
left, its wings forming a distinct "V" hinting to the V in the party
name in both languages. This symbol is also used on the flags.
The main flag is divided diagonally wavy of red over green and shows the
"V"-shaped symbol in white in the center [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The red-green
diagonal pattern is a reference to the flags of the SKDL, that will be
discussed in separate mails. Some of the flags show additional red
streamers with white inscription, presumably distinguishing different
party branches [4,6].
Another version is a triangular-shaped banner, red with the "V"-shaped
symbol in white [7].
Sources:
[1]
http://www.arjenhistoria.fi/actions/objectinfo.php?id=1006672
[2]
http://www.kansanuutiset.fi/images/articleimages/3196232.jpg
[3]
http://www.vasemmistoliittoloimaa.fi/SIRA_Files/images/_mg_4015.jpg
http://joensuu.vas.fi/files/2013/05/vappumarssi2013.jpg
[4]
http://cstom.hu/vappu2010/DSC_7820.jpg
[5]
http://www.keravanvasemmisto.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_2491-0.jpg
[6]
http://cstom.hu/vappu2010/DSC_7772.jpg
[7]
http://www.12.fi/viikkosanomat/2008/10/28/kuvat/DSCI8309d20081025punalippuosa900shsh.JPG
M. Schmöger, 03 May 2015
Vasemmistonuoret/Vänsterunga
image by M. Schmöger, 04 May 2015
Vasemmistonuoret is the youth branch of the Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance).
Under this name it was founded in 1998, as a successor to the SDNL.
The symbol shows a worker with megaphone, in black on a yellowish circle. The
flag is brown/maroon with the symbol over the organization name in black
[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10].
Sources:
[1]
https://static.ylilauta.org/files/qo/orig/4u0jrpc4/punikki.jpg
[2]
http://cstom.hu/vappu2010/DSC_7835.jpg
[3]
http://www.taitaja2008.com/docimages/liittari2005_marssi_netti.jpg
[4]
https://kuopionvasemmistonuoret.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/p5161011.jpg
[5]
http://files.kotisivukone.com/jussi.ehdolla.fi/kuvat/sotademo05.jpg
[6]
http://www.vasemmistonuoret.fi/images/uploads/Vaellus2012.JPG
[7]
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDHsM4bWMAAYRx-.jpg:large
[8]
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44429096@N02/4085315823
[9]
http://www.vasemmistonuoret.fi/images/uploads/vappu08.jpg
[10]
http://www.vasenkaista.fi/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Vasemmistonuoret_Lippu_900x600_CM.jpg
M. Schmöger, 04 May 2015
Sosialistiliitto
image by M. Schmöger, 10 May 2015
The Sosialistiliitto (SL) is a Trotskyist party in Finland, founded in 1995
as Kommunistinuoret (Communist Youth), changing its name to the current one
around 1998/2000. It is not clear if the party still exists. SL has only
sporadically participated in elections, mainly by supporting leftist candidates
of different brands. The party is affiliated to the International Socialist
Tendency (IST).
The symbol therefore is the fist, used also by other IST branches, charged with
the party abbreviation "SL". The flag is red with the party symbol in black
[1,2]. Most (or all) of the flags look homemade.
Sources:
http://cstom.hu/vappu2010/DSC_7845.jpg
http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/sosialistiliitto/liput.jpg
M. Schmöger, 10 May 2015
Sosialistiliitto
image by Marcus Wendel, 25 August 1999
The flag of the Sosialistiliitto [Socialist league of Finland]
Marcus Wendel, 25 August 1999
Svenska folkpartiet i Finland (SFP) / Suomen ruotsalainen kansanpuolue (RKP)
image by M. Schmöger, 02 May 2015
The SFP is the main party of the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland.
Founded in 1906, it is a centrist and liberal party, member of the Liberal
International and the ALDE. It consistently reaches about 10 seats in the
200-seat parliament of Finland, thus currently being the seventh-largest party
with nine seats.
A flag used in 1982 is sourced only by a black-and-white photograph [1], so I am
not sure about the colours. It is a hanging flag (ratio about 10:7) with three
indentations at the bottom. The background of he flag is darker, the party
abbreviation (SFP) is shown in a lighter colour in somewhat cubic letters. The
"F" is very much elongated, so that the whole inscription forms a Scandinavian
cross (rotated, though).
The current symbol combines a stylized ladybeetle (in red and black) with the
party abbreviation in Swedish and Finnish, both in light blue, on a white field.
The flag used is a beach flag with the symbol rotated [2,3,4].
image by M. Schmöger, 02 May 2015
As the party was founded in 1906, there was a centenary to celebrate in 2006.
The flag devised for this was a table banner [5] that showed in base the
inscription "sfp" in lower-case letters over the smaller inscription
"1906-2006", all in light blue on white; in chief there was a purple field with
the golden Finnish lion from the coat-of-arms.
Sources:
[1]
http://areena-v3.yle.fi/static/mk/images/previews/1d/1d780f0b6ae44776ba279d584cbf06be/49971_preview_620.jpg
[2]
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/images/83/3502829_2048_1152.jpg
[3]
http://www.sfpivanda.fi/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/korvsoppa3.jpg
[4]
http://www.sfpivanda.fi/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/korvsoppa1.jpg
[5] standar2.jpg (image disappeared from WWW, since I had downloaded it)
M. Schmöger, 02 May 2015
Considering that the party represents the Swedish-speaking people, and
comparing the shades of gray with those of Finnish national flag, which is also
shown in the photo, the first idea to suggest itself is that the flag is in
Swedish national colors - yellow charges on blue field.
Tomislav Todoroviæ, 03 May 2015
This was my first idea as well, but we do not know for
sure. It is also possible that it's yellow on red, like the flag of the
Swedish minority in Finland.
M. Schmöger, 03 May 2015
Still in some use in 2012, apparently.
http://www.aldeparty.eu/en/news/carl-haglund-takes-reins-svenska-folkpartiet
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 03 May 2015
I have a photo in full color and the flag is red with stylized yellow
letters.
Jaume Ollé, 08 May 2015
image by M. Schmöger, 10 May 2015
In the meantime, I have found a catalogue of SFP's medals and decorations,
where there is a photograph of a table banner with two tongues and tassles that
is used as a decoration.
The text in the catalogue translates to:
"miniature banner with silver plaque. Instituted in 1959. Granted to party
members who have made particularly noteworthy and longstanding efforts in party
work on at least county level. Can also be granted to a member association or
other entity within the party or organization outside the party."
This is basically the same flag as the large version reported earlier by me, and
confirmed by others. So, tentatively, this flag (in the large and the miniature
version) can be dated back to at least 1959.
Source:
http://www.sfp.fi/sites/default/files/Dokument/sfp-foertjaensttecken.pdf
M. Schmöger, 10 May 2015
Svensk Ungdom/Rkp-nuoret
image by M. Schmöger, 10 May 2015
image by M. Schmöger, 10 May 2015
Svensk Ungdom is the youth branch of the SFP, founded in 1943. The flag is a
beach flag type and shows the organization's name (in white) on a unicoloured
(blue or magenta) field [1,2].
Sources: [1]
http://cdn1.hssmedia.fi/Newsmedia/2014/07/26/980/OM_IMG_20140726_122819.jpg
[2]
http://hbl.fi/sites/default/files/styles/block_630x352/public/2014/04/web-transport_2.jpeg?itok=u1mN9O4R&stmp=1398591055
M. Schmöger, 10 May 2015
VIHR - Vihreä liitto/Gröna Förbundet
image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2015
image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2015
image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2015
The Greens were founded in 1987, absorbing a couple of green organisations
over time. They currently hold 15 seats in the 200-seat parliament. They
participated in several government coalitions.
The symbol is simply the short party name in Finnish and Swedish (Vihreät De
Gröna), in white on green (or vice versa). The flags are green with the white
inscription. I have found three versions of the flag:
- a triangular pennant [1,2]
- a rectangular vertical flag [3]
- a beach flag [4,5,6]
Furthermore, there are portrait flags also in the beach flag format [7].
Sources:
[1]
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vihreiden_vaaliteltta_Isolla_Roballa.jpg
[2]
https://www.vihreat.fi/files/liitto/images/pyorailystartti.jpg
[3]
http://www.hameenlinnanvihreat.fi/files/2015/01/torilla.jpg
[4]
http://yhdistykset.vihreat.fi/vihdin.vihreat/files/2012/08/vuosisatamarkkinat-3.jpg
[5]
http://yhdistykset.vihreat.fi/vihdin.vihreat/files/2012/08/vuosisatamarkkinat-6.jpg
[6]
http://henkilot.vihreat.fi/tuija.ollikkala/files/2012/09/L10000233.jpg
[7]
http://www.aaltovihreat.fi/wp-content/10420049_864487536946244_7686898904103909170_n.jpg
M. Schmöger, 14 May 2015
This source
[6] suggests that there is also a flag for the women's wing of the party.
Tomislav Todoroviæ, 14 May 2015