Party or retired with Vennamo. The party's last chairman and MP Raimo Vistbacka (the only one elected in 1995) was among the founders of the Finns Party and became that party's first MP and chairman. The Rural Party's last party secretary Timo Soini likewise became the Finns Party's first party secretary. With the Finns Party's electoral success in the 2011 election three former Rural Party MPs returned to the parliament as Finns Party MPs (Anssi Joutsenlahti, Lea Mäkipää, Pentti Kettunen). It declared bankruptcy in 2003. Four supporters of the Rural Party of Finland, including Timo Soini and Raimo Vistbacka, established the Finns Party. The decision to establish this new party was made in a sauna in the village of Kalmari in the town of Saarijärvi. Ideology The party held anti-establishment or anti-elite views, and criticized other politicians and parties, the government, "bureaucrats", international corporations, academics, cultural elites and corruption, while idealizing the ordinary people and small-time entrepreneurs of the countryside. Vennamo attacked, for example, other members of the parliament for over-claiming daily allowances. The party was also anti-communist, and claimed established parties and the political leadership were too subservient to the Soviet Union. Vennamo was known for inventing and using pejorative terms, such as rötösherrat ("rotten gentlemen"), referring to allegedly corrupt politicians, and teoriaherrat ("theoretical gentlemen"), referring to academics allegedly lacking common sense. A slogan used by the party was Kyllä kansa tietää! ("Yes, the people know!"). The party professed to hold traditional Christian values, and, for example, opposed the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1971. Racism and xenophobia were not visibly part of the party's ideology. Prominent Ruralists Chairmen Veikko Vennamo (1959–1979) Pekka Vennamo (1979–1989) Heikki Riihijärvi (1989–1991) Tina Mäkelä (1991–1992) Raimo Vistbacka (1992–1995) Party Secretaries Köpi Luoma 1959–1960 Eino Poutiainen 1961–1970 Rainer Lemström 1970–1972 ja 1977–1979 Urpo Leppänen 1972–1977 ja 1979–1984 Aaro Niiranen 1984−1989 Tina Mäkelä 1989–1991 Reijo Rinne 1991−1992 Timo Soini 1992–1995 Deputy Chairpersons Tauno Lääperi 1959–? Aarne Jokela 1959–? Rainer Lemström 1. 1976–1977 Aune Rutonen 2. 1976–1982 Eino Poutiainen 1977–1979 Niilo Salpakari 1980–1982 Leo Lassila 1982–1983 Helvi Koskinen 1982–1985 Kalle Palosaari 1. 1983–1988 Lea Mäkipää 2. 1985– Timo Soini 1. 1991–1992 Toivo Satomaa 2. 1991– Marja-Leena Leppänen Jouko Kröger Chairpersons of the parliamentary group J. Juhani Kortesalmi (1979–1983, 1986–1987) Veikko Vennamo (1983–1986) Heikki Riihijärvi (1987) Urpo Leppänen (1987–1988) Sulo Aittoniemi (1988–1994) Lea Mäkipää (1994–1995) Raimo Vistbacka (1995) Party Congresses Perustava kokous (founding congress) 9.2.1959 Pieksämäki 1. puoluekokous