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P 261025Z MAY 06
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: THE FAR LEFT SLOWLY IMPLODES 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary:  Finland's only far-left party, the Left 
Alliance (LA), is struggling in the wake of the resignation 
of its popular chairperson, Suvi-Anne Siimes.  An 
extraordinary congress elected a radical labor leader as the 
new chairperson, alienating some party leaders and leading to 
the resignation/defection of the number two and three LA 
Members of Parliament behind Siimes.  Other MPs, activists, 
and youth leaders have been quietly approaching the Social 
Democrats and Greens about defecting too.  If the LA's new 
leadership is unable to quickly stem the tide, the Alliance 
may completely unravel.  At the very least, its relevance to 
Finland's political system is probably already significantly 
diminished. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Finland's far left party, the Left Alliance (LA), 
appears to be in the process of slowly disintegrating.  An 
unstable collection of former communists, labor activists, 
greener-than-Green environmentalists, and anti-EU populists, 
the LA has, surprisingly, remained a force in Finnish 
politics over the past 6 years and is currently the fourth 
largest party (19 seats out of 200) in Finland's Parliament. 
Much of the LA's success can be attributed to the personal 
appeal and popularity of several of its leading members. 
Former party chair Suvi-Anne Siimes, a charismatic social 
scientist with close-cropped platinum-blond hair and a 
media-savvy approach to politics, has fueled the party's 
popularity for the past few years; however, Siimes stepped 
down as party chair two months ago amidst internal bickering. 
 Siimes' proactive and centrist views on security policy 
(including cooperation with NATO) and the EU put her at odds 
with the LA's parliamentary group that often seems more 
comfortable with the role of permanent opposition than as 
serious contenders for junior coalition partnership. 
 
 
Seems Like Old Times 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  Siimes' resignation led to an extraordinary party 
congress last week and the election as party chair of Martti 
Korhonen, a mechanic and longtime far-left labor activist. 
Korhonen was backed by the colorful and foul-mouthed Jaako 
Laakso, the sole remaining holdover in Finland's Parliament 
of the old pro-Soviet faction during the Cold War. 
Korhonen's election signals a definite turn toward the far 
left for the LA and a rejection of Siimes' more moderate line 
that was designed to reach beyond the Alliance's shrinking 
traditional base.  But whether Korhonen will have much of a 
party left following the defection and retirement of several 
other leading LA politicians is an open question. 
 
 
Jumping Ship 
------------ 
 
¶4.  (U)  The biggest surprises at the hastily called LA party 
congress were announcements that several leading LA Members 
of Parliament were stepping down.  Outi Ojala, a well known 
feminist and arguably the most popular LA politician after 
Siimes, will not run for re-election next year (March 2007) 
and plans to retire from politics.  Two other MPs, including 
the party's floor leader, announced that they were leaving 
the party, possibly for the Social Democrats (SDP).  It is 
quite possible that several additional Alliance MPs will 
follow suit, defecting to either the Social Democrats or 
Greens.  One senior Green party MP told Poloff that they 
(Greens) have already received feelers from at least two 
additional Alliance MP's about jumping ship; moreover, 
activists from party organizations like the LA Youth League 
have been in touch with SDP and Green counterparts, 
indicating that the erosion which began at the top is now 
eating in to the Alliance's working-level cadres and 
supporters.  Finland's next Parliamentary elections are still 
10 months away, but the far left's current disarray suggests 
the party may face a looming disaster next spring; in fact, 
if the current erosion continues, the general election could 
well be the Alliance's last. 
WARE