The Finnish Political Science Association

The aim of the Finnish Political Science Association (FPSA) is to promote political science and the public interest for political science in Finland. FPSA is also actively participating in international political science research. The most essential forms of activities of the FPSA are publishing and organizing lectures and discussions. The Early Scholars Network is the Finnish Political Science Association’s platform that connects emerging political scientists from across Finland. 

The association was founded in 1935, which makes it one of the oldest associations in its field. FPSA is a member of both the International Political Science Association IPSA and the Nordic Political Science Association NoPSA. The association is active in The Federation of Finnish Learned Societies and the Finnish Association for Scholarly Publishing. It’s also a member of the UN Association of Finland and UN Women.

The FPSA is the responsible publisher of the peer reviewed Politiikka journal and the Politiikasta website as well as the peer reviewed Pro et Contra book series.

FPSA Annual Conference 2027

The main annual scientific event of the Finnish Political Science Association will be held in Vaasa (ÅA) 12th – 14th May 2027. 

The theme of the conference is The Happy Democracy – Myth or Reality? In 1966, Swedish political scientist Herbert Tingsten described the “happy democracy,” in which ideological divisions had given way to consensus. Sixty years later, democracy is under pressure. According to V-Dem’s Democracy Report 2026, the level of democracy experienced by the average person worldwide has fallen back to where it stood in 1978.

What is democracy – free elections, rights, or the ability to influence political decisions? Does democracy make people happier, and does a happy population mean that democracy is healthy? The theme The Happy Democracy – Myth or Reality invites discussion on trust, participation, and well-being, but also on polarization, discontent, and the future of democracy. 

The Nordic Political Science Association (NoPSA) congress, held every three years since 1966, is returning to Finland after a long hiatus! The congress will take place at Tampere University from August 10 to 13, 2027. Further information is available on the event website: https://nopsa.net/nopsaconference

New book in Pro et Contra series! Emilia Palonen’s The Birth and Death of Liberal Democracy in Hungary; The Populist Logic of Polarisation as Hegemony explores the transformation of Hungary’s political landscape in the post-communist era and demonstrates how political populism and polarisation became mainstream in the country. How did a nation once regarded as a model of democratic transition become an electoral autocracy and an exemplar for populist, illiberal, post-liberal, and radical-right leaders across the globe? See https://doi.org/10.33134/pro-et-contra-4