The Greens in Finland

Join us in making tomorrow greener!

The Greens are working on behalf of an equal, safe and fair future. We give a voice to those who would not otherwise be heard – nature, future generations, the vulnerable.

To build a better future, everyone is needed.

The Greens in Finland are a political party and social movement, uniting people from diverse backgrounds to change the world.

Maria Ohisalo is the leader of the Greens. She is the Chairperson of the party, a Member of the Finnish Parliament, Finland’s Minister of the Interior, and a Doctor of Social Sciences, and has worked as a researcher on poverty and inequality.

Background information about the Greens

The Greens have their roots in the green citizens’ movement of the early 1980s, which involved environmental activists, feminists, representatives of organisations for the disabled, and other active groups. The Greens were founded on 28 February 1987 and registered as a party in the following year. From the beginning, equality issues, the Nordic welfare state model, environmental protection and open democracy were important themes for the Greens in Finland.

The Greens’ first two parliamentary representatives were elected in 1983, before the party was even registered. In 1995, the Greens in Finland became the first Green Party in Europe to be part of a state-level Cabinet.

The Greens currently have 13 members of parliament. They also have a strong influence in local decision-making around the country: in the 2021 local elections, the Greens won 10.6% of the national vote and 433 local green councillors were elected in 146 municipalities.

The Greens have also an English speaking association that offers an easygoing community for people sharing green values, regardless of their mastery of Finnish or Swedish: Green Sisu.

European Green Party

Finnish Greens is a member of the European Green Party. European Greens brings together national parties that share the same Green values. The member parties are active across the entire European continent – both within the European Union and beyond. Finnish Greens is active in formulating common European positions and contributing to the Green movement around Europe. Read more about Greens in Europe here.