Unlike Fennomans, who were largely liberal on other matters than the language question, the Svecoman were conservative.

The party receives its main electoral support from the Swedish speaking minority, which makes up about 5.5% of Finland's population.

Despite its position as one of the minor political parties in the Finnish parliament, it has frequently been one of the partners forming the governing coalition cabinets.

For this reason, the SPP is often criticized for being a single-issue party that allegedly accepts nearly all other policies as long as its own vital interest, the status of the Swedish language is maintained.

However, although Vanhanen's first cabinet made Swedish a voluntary subject in the upper secondary schools' matriculation exam, the SPP remained in the government.

[19] Recently, the SPP has emphasized the liberal part of its programme, attempting to woo voters outside its traditional Swedish-speaking electorate.

The SPP has as its main purpose the protection and strengthening of the position of the Swedish language in Finland.

Its members and supporters chiefly include: Although the SPP represents a small minority of Finland, having Swedish as a mother tongue is not much of a political handicap in and of itself.