Social:Taistoism

Taistoism (Finnish: taistolaisuus) was an orthodox pro-Soviet tendency in the mostly Eurocommunist Finland 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. Although they were sometimes identified as "Stalinists", this was not a central part of their orthodoxy.

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.

Some of the former Taistoists later joined the Left Alliance or have since abandoned Communism altogether.

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

• Kaj Chydenius
• Kristiina Halkola
• Heikki Kinnunen
• Kaisa Korhonen
• Marja-Leena Mikkola
• Aulikki Oksanen
• Pirkko Saisio

Socialist student movement

• Yrjö Hakanen, chairman
• Satu Hassi, member

Journalists

• Urho Jokinen, Tiedonantaja newspaper main editor 1969–1984
• Jaakko Laakso, Tiedonantaja main editor toimittaja 1976–1991
• Leif Salmén
• Erkki Susi, Tiedonantaja editor 1971–1984, main editor a 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

Further reading

• Hermannschlacht, Taistoismus und unpolitischer Finne by Andreas Dörner, Matti Hyvärinen and Kari Palonen (in German)
• Taistolaisuuden musta kirja (The Black Book of Taistoism) by Ilkka Kylävaara (in Finnish)
• The Finnish Communist Party in the Finnish Political System 1963-1982 by Jukka Paastela