
Last modified: 2026-10-03 by christopher oehler
Keywords: left alliance | finland |
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Finnish and Swedish inscription |
images by Tomislav Todorovic, 26 September 2026
Finnish inscription |
Since 2018, the logo has been a highly simplified bird shape facing
the right-hand side, which also forms the letter V, accompanied with
the Finnish and Swedish words for "the left", the latter inscribed
beneath the former and both placed beneath the bird; both words being
inscribed in the same typeface; all charges are depicted in magenta
color [8]. On the flags, the logo is white on a magenta field and may
comprise both words [9] or only the Finnish one [10, 11].
Tomislav Todorovic, 26 September 2026
See also:
The VAS was founded in 1990 as (more or less) a successor to the SKDL, a
left alliance dominated by the Finnish communists, the SKP. Originally,
it could reach about 20 seats in the 200-seat parliament, but dropped to
12 seats in the 2015 elections.
M. Schmöger, 3 May 2015
image by Tomislav TodorovicFrom 2010 to 2018, the party logo consisted of four diagonal brush
strokes, each in a different color (red, orange, light green and dark
green), with the Finnish word for "the left" (i.e. the noun)
vasemmisto inscribed below in dark red and the same word in
Swedish vänstern inscribed beneath it in black; two words were
inscribed in different typefaces [8]. On the flag, the logo was all
white, on a red field [12].
Tomislav Todorovic, 26 September 2026
image by M. Schmöger
The former symbol, used until about 2010, showed a bird flying to the
left, its wings forming a distinct "V" hinting to the V in the party
name in both languages. This symbol is also used on the flags.
The main flag is divided diagonally wavy of red over green and shows the
"V"-shaped symbol in white in the center [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The red-green
diagonal pattern is a reference to the flags of the SKDL, that will be
discussed in separate mails. Some of the flags show additional red
streamers with white inscription, presumably distinguishing different
party branches [4,6].
Another version is a triangular-shaped banner, red with the "V"-shaped
symbol in white [7].
M. Schmöger, 3 May 2015
The bird flying to the left, its wings forming the V-shape, was
appearing in the party logos from 1996 to 2010. It was either green or
red and was accompanied with the party name, either in Finnish only or
both in Finnish and Swedish. Consequently, the same dates define the
period in which the flags were used.
Tomislav Todorovic, 26 September 2026
image by M. Schmöger, 3 May 2015
Sources
[1] http://www.arjenhistoria.fi/actions/objectinfo.php?id=1006672 [not archived]
[2] http://www.kansanuutiset.fi/images/articleimages/3196232.jpg [not archived]
[3]
http://www.vasemmistoliittoloimaa.fi/SIRA_Files/images/_mg_4015.jpg [retrieved]
[?]
http://joensuu.vas.fi/files/2013/05/vappumarssi2013.jpg
[4]
http://cstom.hu/vappu2010/DSC_7820.jpg
[5] http://www.keravanvasemmisto.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_2491-0.jpg [not archived]
[6]
http://cstom.hu/vappu2010/DSC_7772.jpg
[7]
http://www.12.fi/viikkosanomat/2008/10/28/kuvat/DSCI8309d20081025punalippuosa900shsh.JPG
[8] Left Alliance at Wikipedia (in Finnish) Logos:
https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasemmistoliitto#Nimi_ja_tunnukset
[9] Verkkouutiset website: https://www.verkkouutiset.fi/a/talta-tulevaisuuden-vasemmisto-nayttaa/#e6e957ad
[10] KU.fi website Article published on 2023-05-01:
https://www.ku.fi/artikkeli/4864823-...
[11] KU.fi website Article published on 2024-08-08:
https://www.ku.fi/artikkeli/5046470-...
[12] Keskipohjanmaa newspaper website:
https://www.keskipohjanmaa.fi/artikkeli/vasemmistoliitto-tasa-arvoistaisi-tyoelamaa-palkkatietokannalla-ja-laiminlyontisakolla