Häme loses a seat, tightening Räsänen’s re-election race

Häme will elect 13 members of parliament next spring, down from 14, making re-election harder for Christian Democrat Päivi Räsänen, Yle reports. Räsänen is the only Christian Democrat representing the Häme electoral district and is seeking another term.

The number of seats is falling because the region’s population has declined. Häme last elected 13 MPs in 1999, when the reduction was linked to changes in electoral district boundaries.

Based on the results of the last parliamentary election, Räsänen’s seat would be at risk. She said she was entering the campaign with enthusiasm but humility, and would need to do better campaign work than ever before.

The Christian Democrats have announced an electoral alliance with Liike Nyt in Häme. Räsänen said the alliance would improve the party’s chances of keeping its seat, but added that the loss of a seat in the district meant votes would need to be concentrated behind the Christian Democrats.

Other parties in the district said they had anticipated the reduction. The Social Democrats’ regional director, Jarkko Nissinen, said the change had been taken into account in the party’s plans and expected campaigning to become more intense. He also voiced concern about the increasingly hostile tone of political debate and hoped the election campaign would be conducted in good spirits.

The Centre Party and the Left Alliance each have one MP from Häme and say they will seek to win a second seat. The Left Alliance’s regional director, Kaisa Vallavuori, said the party would need to do more grassroots work to reach voters. The Centre Party’s regional director, Miia-Mari Leman, said it would focus on its own campaign and aim for the strongest possible result.