Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 20 and 21 March 1966.
Background
Centrist Prime Minister Johannes Virolainen had led a centre-right coalition government since September 1964. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic leader Rafael Paasio had moved the party somewhat more to the left, in order to attract back voters from the Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders (TPSL). Finnish society was undergoing radical criticism of the traditional values - Christianity, marriage, parents' authority over their children, teachers' authority over their students, patriotism and civil servants' (including judges') authority over the private citizens. The Social Democrats and the Communists tapped into this discontent at the expense of the centre-right parties. At the same time, leading Social Democrats, such as former Social Affairs and Interior Minister Väinö Leskinen, had promised to loyally support President Kekkonen's foreign policy towards the Soviet Union, and his continuance as President. Although the Communists performed quite well in the election, they lost six seats to the Social Democratic opposition, which formed an electoral alliance with the Communists. After the election, Rafael Paasio formed a "popular front" government of the Social Democrats, Centrists, Communists and Social Democratic opposition in May 1966.