The Swedish Assembly of Finland (Swedish: Svenska Finlands Folkting, Finnish: Suomenruotsalaiset kansankäräjät, although often referred to as Folktinget even in Finnish) is an official consultative parliament representing the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland.
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Elections
Elections are held every four years, and candidates are nominated by the political parties which are either bilingual or Swedish-speaking. The assembly has 75 seats, where 70 are filled on the basis of municipal election results, and five are appointed by the Parliament of Åland (Swedish: Lagtinget).
Purpose
The assembly is a forum for political discussion on issues concerning Swedish speakers, and it also functions as an interest group for Swedish-speaking population. It also engages in research on demographic issues and publishes information to the public about the situation of the Swedish-speaking Finns.
Leadership
Astrid Thors was chairperson of the Swedish Assembly of Finland 2005 – 2007. She was succeeded by Ulla-Maj Wideroos in 2007, by Anna-Maja Henriksson in 2009 and by Christina Gestrin in 2011 and by Thomas Blomqvist in 2015.