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Left Alliance
Name in Finnish	Vasemmistoliitto
Name in Swedish	Vänsterförbundet
Leader	Martti Korhonen
Founded	1990
Headquarters	Viherniemenkatu 5 A FI-00530 HELSINKI
Political Ideology	Eco-socialism
Political Position	Left
European Affiliation	Nordic Green Left Alliance
International Affiliation
Colours	Red, Green
Website	www.vasemmistoliitto.fi
See also	Finnish Politics Finnish Parliament Finnish Government Finnish President Political parties Elections

The Left Alliance (Vasemmistoliitto or Vänsterförbundet) is a green socialist political party in Finland. Its current chair is Martti Korhonen, and it is a member of the Nordic Green Left Alliance. In parliamentary elections, Left Alliance share of the vote has been close to ten per cent. The Left Alliance had three portfolios in the two cabinets of Paavo Lipponen (1995-2003).

The party currently has 17 MPs in the Finnish Eduskunta, and one MEP in the European Parliament.

The party was founded as a result of a merger between the Finnish People's Democratic League (SKDL), the Finnish Women's Democratic League (SNDL), and the Communist Party of Finland (SKP). The founding meeting was held in April 1990 in Helsinki, following the publishing of the April Declaration, which emphasised the need for a party that would promote the ideals of the French Revolution - liberty, equality, and fraternity - in addition to peace and environmental values.

The party's short history has been characterised by internal disputes and bickering, as it was formed by people with very different views on society. There have been several large-scale defections from the Left Alliance to the Social Democratic Party and the newly formed Communist Party of Finland (Unity). In 2005, the party's former secretary and SAK's assistant head Matti Viialainen formed a society to promote a merger between the two largest Finnish left-wing political parties, the Left Alliance and the Social Democrats. This caused an outrage within the Left Alliance, and Viialainen was condemned of wanting to break up the party.

In 2006, the party's leader Suvi-Anne Siimes announced her resignation from the post as a result of long-standing feuds with the leftist section of the party. On May 13, 2006, Martti Korhonen was elected as the new party leader.

In spite of its origins, the party is attempting to break away from association to the ideologies of socialism and communism, and to associate more closely to the 'New Left' and Green socialism. The party's policy emphasises the link between social justice and the environment.

• Claes Andersson (1990–1998)
• Suvi-Anne Siimes (1998–2006)
• Martti Korhonen (2006–)

• Left Alliance website (Finnish)

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Centre Party - Christian Democrats in Finland - Green League - Left Alliance - National Coalition Party - Social Democratic Party of Finland - Swedish People's Party - True Finns Communist Party of Finland - Finnish Seniors' Party - For Peace and Socialism - Communist Workers Party - Workers Party of Finland
Portal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of Finland