Taistoism

1970s–1980s Finnish pro-Soviet tendency

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Taistoism (Finnish: taistolaisuus) was an orthodox pro-Soviet tendency^[1] in the mostly Eurocommunist Finnish communist movement in the 1970s and 1980s. The Taistoists were an interior opposition group in the Communist Party of Finland. They were named after their leader Taisto Sinisalo, whose first name means "a battle", "a fight" or "a struggle". Sinisalo's supporters constituted a party within a party, but pressure from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union prevented the party from formally splitting. The term taistolaisuus was a derogatory nickname invented by Helsingin Sanomat and was never used by the group themselves.^[2]

Although the Taistoists were sometimes identified as "Stalinists", this was not a central part of their orthodoxy. Sinisalo himself was quite critical of Stalin,^[3] though he did credit Stalin with the establishment of socialism in the USSR. The opposition was expelled from the party 1985–1986 and it formed the Communist Party of Finland (Unity), which took the name "Communist Party of Finland" after the original party's bankruptcy in 1992.^{[citation needed]} Some of the former Taistoists later joined the Left Alliance or have since abandoned Communism altogether.^{[citation needed]}

Notable former Taistoists

Members of Parliament

Markus Kainulainen (1975–1979)
Lauri Kantola (1962–1975)
Mikko Kuoppa (1979–1987, 1995–2011)
Ensio Laine (1968–1995)
Pentti Liedes (1954–1966, 1970–1983, 1983–1985)
Marja-Liisa Löyttyjärvi (1979–1991)
Pauli Puhakka (1954–1983)
Irma Rosnell (1954–1987)
Taisto Sinisalo (1962–1979)
Marjatta Stenius-Kaukonen (1975–1994, 1999–2003)
Oili Suomi (1970–1972, 1977–1979)
Sten Söderström (1979–1987)
Esko-Juhani Tennilä (1975–2011)
Seppo Toiviainen (1979–1987)
Mirjam Tuominen (1970–1979)
Pentti Tiusanen (1995–2011)
Pirkko Turpeinen (1983–1987)
Rainer Virtanen (1954–1972)

Cultural movement

Socialist student movement

Yrjö Hakanen, chairman
Satu Hassi, member

Journalists

Urho Jokinen, Tiedonantaja chief editor 1969–1984
Jaakko Laakso, Tiedonantaja chief editor 1976–1991
Leif Salmén
Erkki Susi, Tiedonantaja editor 1971–1984, chief editor 1984–?
Esko-Juhani Tennilä
Nils Torvalds, Arbetartidningen Enhet editor

Other

Ilkka Kylävaara
Johannes Pakaslahti
Veikko Porkkala
Rauno Setälä
Seppo Toiviainen
Björn Wahlroos, CEO of Sampo Group

References

^ ""Eteenpäin O.W. Kuusisen viitoittamaa tietä" – Taistolaiset" (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-02-08.
^ Rentola, Kimmo (1970). Ghost of the Revolution. Helsinki: Otava. p. 410.
^ Sinisalo, Taisto (1978). Niin muuttuu maailma (in Finnish). Tammi. pp. 92–93. ISBN 9789513044619.