title: Kansalaisliitto
text: # Kansalaisliitto
  
  Kansalaisliitto (KaL; formerly Independence Party (Finnish: Itsenäisyyspuolue, IPU; Swedish: Självständighetspartiet) is a minor Eurosceptic political party in Finland. It was founded in 1994 as Alliance for Free Finland. The party supports membership in the European Economic Area as an alternative to Finland's membership in the European Union and the Eurozone. The party also opposes NATO.
  
  ## Party organization
  
  Based in Laitila, Kansalaisliitto is a registered party. The party has two out of 31 city counselors in Laitila, elected at the 2017 Finnish municipal elections. Kansalaisliitto is a minor political party; it has never had any MPs in the Finnish Parliament. Membership in the party is around 1,200. The youth wing is called Independence Youth. The party is a member of The European Alliance of EU-critical Movements (TEAM).
  
  ## History
  
  Kansalaisliitto was founded in 1994 as Alliance for Free Finland (Finnish: Vapaan Suomen Liitto, VSL; Swedish: Förbundet för det Fria Finland, FFF). Its chairman from its founding until 2004 was Ilkka Hakalehto.
  
  Antti Pesonen served as the party's chairman from 2004 until his resignation for health reasons in 2015. He was re-elected chairman 2016, but resigned again in 2017 shortly before his death in April. He had previously been a city councilor of the party in Alajärvi. Henri Aitakari followed Pesonen as the chairman.
  
  Kansalaisliitto has been admitted into the party register four times, the latest re-admission having taken place in January 2017. Only Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism has dropped out and been re-admitted as many times. The party was de-registered again in 2023 after failing to win seats in two consecutive parliamentary elections.
  
  