The document provides an overview of the Finnish political system and culture. It discusses how decisions are made through a multi-level system of the EU, national government, regions, and municipalities. Power is distributed among the prime minister, parliament, president and judiciary. Decisions aim to address societal changes and are made through a consensus-oriented and pragmatic approach. Finnish political culture values trust in government, distinct small-nation identity, and reaching agreements through compromise.

1. The Finnish Political System
and Culture
Ilmari Nalbantoglu, Communications Agency Avara

2. Aims
• Political decision-making consists of the system, culture, people, and the
subject of decisions. In this presentation, I aim to concisely address the
system and the culture. People and subjects change, and can easily be
familiarised with from e.g. the media.
• My point of view is personal, but I refer to the broader discourse when
relevant and possible.
• The focal aim is to give a concise but wider, deeper and more systematic view
of Finnish politics - and thus of Finland as a society - than is achievable merely
through following the media.

3. Benefits
Understanding Finnish politics will make it easier to:
• follow what’s going on in Finnish society,
• understand why decisions are made as they are made
• report from Finland
• work in Finnish societal sphere

5. 1The Political System in a Nutshell

6. Themes in this section:
• How are decisions made?
• Why are decisions made?
• Who are the decision makers?
• When are decisions made?

7. How are decisions made?
EU
• The most steering decisions from the EU-level
concern economic and monetary issues, single
market and agriculture
• 1/5 of Finnish legislation originates at the EU-
level1
• Finnish views are represented in the EU decision-
making by 13 MEPs (not a Finnish delegation,
though) and Finland’s 7 votes in the council of EU
State
• Decides on general issues: laws and budget
• Budget: 55,2 bn. € (2017)
• Determines the responsibilities of regions and
communities
• Focal operators are 12 ministries and the
government, parliament, and the President
(especially in foreign policy issues)
Regions
• Decide especially on healthcare and social services
• 18 regions (‘maakunta’, plural: ‘maakunnat’)
• Legal entity with regional autonomy
• No right to collect taxes
• Regional democracy (in the making: first elections
in 2018)
Municipalities
• Decide especially on education and culture
• Budget: 44,3 bn. € (2016; changes drastically after
regional government reform in 2020)
• 311 municipalities (‘kunta’, plural: ‘kunnat’)
• Legal entity with regional autonomy
• Right to collect taxes
• Municipal democracy: municipality has almost the
same kind of democratic structure as the republic
How
Why
Who
When

8. 1. The Prime Minister's Office (www.vnk.fi/english)
2. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs
(formin.finland.fi/english)
3. The Ministry of Justice (www.om.fi/en)
4. The Ministry of the Interior
(www.intermin.fi/en)
5. The Ministry of Defence
(www.defmin.fi/english)
6. The Ministry of Finance
(www.ministryoffinance.fi)
7. The Ministry of Education and Culture
(www.minedu.fi)
8. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
(www.mmm.fi/en)
9. The Ministry of Transport and Communications
(www.lvm.fi/web/en)
10. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy
(www.tem.fi)
11. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
(www.stm.fi/en/)
12. The Ministry of the Environment
(www.environment.fi/ym)
How are decisions made?
Ministries
How
Why
Who
When

9. How are decisions made?
How a Finnish law is born2
• Practically all initiatives – especially ones that end up as
laws – come from the government.
• Around 250 government initiatives per year.
• Generally takes 2-4 months to consider an initiative.
• MPs can craft initiatives as well.
• 50 000 voters can make a citizens’ initiative.
• MP’s roles: 1) special roles, e.g. president of a
committee, 2) part of a collective (parliamentary group)
that represents voters’ views, 3) member of a
committee, 4) others.
• In the parliament: 15 special committees and the grand
committee (originally designed as the parliament’s
second chamber, now serves as a committee for EU
matters).
• Most parliamentary committees have 17 members.

10. How are decisions made?
How a Finnish law is born2
• Practically all initiatives – especially ones that end up as
laws – come from the government.
• Around 250 government initiatives per year.
• Generally takes 2-4 months to consider an initiative.
• MPs can craft initiatives as well.
• 50 000 voters can make a citizens’ initiative.
• MP’s roles: 1) special roles, e.g. president of a
committee, 2) part of a collective (parliamentary
group) that represents voters’ views, 3) member of a
committee, 4) others.
• In the parliament: 15 special committees and the grand
committee (originally designed as the parliament’s
second chamber, now serves as a committee for EU
matters).
• Most parliamentary committees have 17 members.

11. How are decisions made?
How a Finnish law is born2
• Practically all initiatives – especially ones that end up as
laws – come from the government.
• Around 250 government initiatives per year.
• Generally takes 2-4 months to consider an initiative.
• MPs can craft initiatives as well.
• 50 000 voters can make a citizens’ initiative.
• MP’s roles: 1) special roles, e.g. president of a
committee, 2) part of a collective (parliamentary
group) that represents voters’ views, 3) member of a
committee, 4) others.
• In the parliament: 15 special committees and the grand
committee (originally designed as the parliament’s
second chamber, now serves as a committee for EU
matters).
• Most parliamentary committees have 17 members.

12. How are decisions made?
How a Finnish law is born2
• Practically all initiatives – especially ones that end up as
laws – come from the government.
• Around 250 government initiatives per year.
• Generally takes 2-4 months to consider an initiative.
• MPs can craft initiatives as well.
• 50 000 voters can make a citizens’ initiative.
• MP’s roles: 1) special roles, e.g. president of a
committee, 2) part of a collective (parliamentary
group) that represents voters’ views, 3) member of a
committee, 4) others.
• In the parliament: 15 special committees and the grand
committee (originally designed as the parliament’s
second chamber, now serves as a committee for EU
matters).
• Most parliamentary committees have 17 members.

13. How are decisions made?
How a Finnish law is born2
• Practically all initiatives – especially ones that end up as
laws – come from the government.
• Around 250 government initiatives per year.
• Generally takes 2-4 months to consider an initiative.
• MPs can craft initiatives as well.
• 50 000 voters can make a citizens’ initiative.
• MP’s roles: 1) special roles, e.g. president of a
committee, 2) part of a collective (parliamentary
group) that represents voters’ views, 3) member of a
committee, 4) others.
• In the parliament: 15 special committees and the grand
committee (originally designed as the parliament’s
second chamber, now serves as a committee for EU
matters).
• Most parliamentary committees have 17 members.

14. How are decisions made?
How a Finnish law is born2
• Practically all initiatives – especially ones that end up as
laws – come from the government.
• Around 250 government initiatives per year.
• Generally takes 2-4 months to consider an initiative.
• MPs can craft initiatives as well.
• 50 000 voters can make a citizens’ initiative.
• MP’s roles: 1) special roles, e.g. president of a
committee, 2) part of a collective (parliamentary
group) that represents voters’ views, 3) member of a
committee, 4) others.
• In the parliament: 15 special committees and the grand
committee (originally designed as the parliament’s
second chamber, now serves as a committee for EU
matters).
• Most parliamentary committees have 17 members.

15. How are decisions made?
How a Finnish law is born2
• Practically all initiatives – especially ones that end up as
laws – come from the government.
• Around 250 government initiatives per year.
• Generally takes 2-4 months to consider an initiative.
• MPs can craft initiatives as well.
• 50 000 voters can make a citizens’ initiative.
• MP’s roles: 1) special roles, e.g. president of a
committee, 2) part of a collective (parliamentary
group) that represents voters’ views, 3) member of a
committee, 4) others.
• In the parliament: 15 special committees and the grand
committee (originally designed as the parliament’s
second chamber, now serves as a committee for EU
matters).
• Most parliamentary committees have 17 members.

16. • Parties decide on political aims
• Citizens choose parties to represent
them in the parliament
• Parties form a (coalition)
government and decide on its
programme
• The government issues legislative
proposals
• Parliament (’eduskunta’) confirms
laws
• Ministries (and governmental
agencies) enforce laws
• The Judiciary monitors lawfulness
• The Chancellor of Justice of the
Government, along with the
Parliamentary Ombudsman,
ultimately guard the law
How are decisions made?
A nutshell
How
Why
Who
When

17. Why are decisions made?
Ideological reasons
Traditionally: left-wing challenges, right-wing defends
At the moment: right-wing challenges, left-wing defends
environmentalists and populists challenge traditional left and right
Societal changes
1) Societal development, 2) special challenges, 3) demand for higher economical growth, 4)
technological change, 5) global megatrends, 6) other input from the international sphere
And to some extent: because we have hired people to make decisions
How
Why
Who
When

18. Why are decisions made?
Societal changes
1) Societal development:
amount of wealth; level of education and understanding of the world; social and physical safety;
work and self-actualization; social interaction and transport; the relationship of the citizen and the
state, administration and/or the authorities; and environmental protection have all changed in the
last years, decades and centuries (in my opinion: generally for the better).
New situations always create a demand for policy changes.
2) Special challenges: at the moment, aging and low birth-rate3
3) Societal demand for higher economical growth4
4) Technological change: its effects on work, culture, social interaction and life in general
5) Global megatrends such as the sustainability crisis and climate change, global interconnectedness,
globalisation.5
6) Other changes in the international community and examples from other countries
Societal changes
How
Why
Who
When

19. Who make the decisions?
In a Party
• Party leader and his/her
trusted persons
• Distinguished politicians
• Parliamentary group
• Officials in the
parliamentary group and
party office
• Board
• Council
• Regional associations
• Local associations
• Special role: political
working groups, that
prepare the policies
• Members
In the Government
• Prime minister and
his/her trusted persons
• The leaders of the
government parties. At
the moment ”the trio” –
can also be a quartet,
quintet, etc.
• Ministers
• Minister groups of
government parties
• High ranking officials
• Political (’special’)
advisors and political
secretaries of the state
In the Parliament
• Distinguished politicians
• Leaders of the
parliamentary groups
• Group of parliamentary
group leaders of the
government parties
• Chairpersons of the
committees
• Committees
• Speaker, deputy
speakers and Speaker’s
Council, who coordinate
the work of the
parliament
• Plenary
• Voters, who elect the
MPs
How
Why
Who
When

20. CD
Who make the decisions?
Centre Party 49
Coalition Party 37
Social Democrats 35
“New Alternative” 20
Finns 17
Greens 15
Left Alliance 12
Swedish Group 10
Christian Democrats 5
Parliamentary Groups
How
Why
Who
When

21. When are decisions made?
Parties
• Party conferences every
2-4 years
• Party leaders are elected
in party conferences
every 2-4 years
• Councils twice a year
• Board meetings approx.
once a month
• Parliamentary group
once a week
Government
• Government programme
crafted in the beginning
of the electoral term
• A halfway check-point of
the programme
(’puoliväliriihi’) in the 2nd
year
• General Government
Fiscal Plan (for 4 coming
years) is prepared every
spring
• Budget preparation
every autumn: the
government gives its
proposal in September,
the parliament approves
it in December
Parliament
• Speaker elected in
theory at the 1st plenary
session of a year; in
practice elected at the
beginning of the
electoral term
• Chairmen and members
of the committees are
elected every 4 years at
the beginning of the
electoral term
Recurring events
How
Why
Who
When

22. When are decisions made?
Party conferences
• Held every 2-4 years
• Elects the party leader,
Secretary General, board,
and council
• Parties build their goals,
policies and strategies
• Usually decisions are well
prepared and the
leadership of the party
can steer decisions, but:
democracy does apply
and ultimately delegates
(members) make the
decisions
• Determines the internal
and external image of
the Party.
Government programme
• Negotiations on the
government programme
are held at the beginning
of every electoral term
(or whenever a new
government is formed)
• The progress of the
government programme
is monitored during the
electoral term and
thoroughly checked
halfway into the
electoral term
• If needed, adjustments
are made if e.g.
consistence of the
government is changed
Elections
• Parliamentary elections
every 4 years (next:
2019)
• Municipal elections every
4 years (next: 2021)
• European parliament
elections every 4 years
(next: 2019)
• Regional elections every
4 years (next: 2018)
• Presidential elections
every 6 years (next:
2018)
How
Why
Who
When

23. 2The Political Culture

24. Themes in this section:
The Balancing Act in Finnish Political Culture
Humane
Peripheric
Conciliatory
Communal
Centrally lead
Systematic
World’s top
Divided
Factual
Decentrally controlled

25. Trust
• Service mentality: compared to many countries,
decision-makers have low personal gain
through their positions.
• Politicians seem to have a genuine will to
change society and the world for the better.
But interest in personal power and recognition
do play a role.
• In many ways, politicians are part of the
populace.
• Media focuses more and more on personal
matters. What kinds of motivators does this
encourage for future decision-makers?
Keyword:
Humane
Peripheric
Conciliatory
Communal
Centrally lead
Systematic
World’s top
Divided
Factual
Decentrally controlled
• A virtuous circle: Systems – also the political
system – do work by default, and thus are
respected, and respect is part of why they
work.
• Rules, such as the constitution, are respected in
politics. E.g. social and welfare service renewal
has taken so long partly because of this.
• One indication of a functioning system: Finland
repeatedly is among the least corrupted
countries in the world (at the moment nr. 3).6
• Free press and transparent governance play key
roles in a functioning system.6

26. Distinctiveness
Keyword:
Humane
Peripheric
Conciliatory
Communal
Centrally lead
Systematic
World’s top
Divided
Factual
Decentrally controlled
• A small country on the fringes of Europe
• Not a significant player in European history –
not to mention world history.
• There’s a small amount of Finnish speakers in
the world – it’s a small language group.
• Only few cultural feats.
• A long history under Swedish or Russian rule.
• Sweden has often been looked to as an
example: in society, culture, and economy.
Top of the class in many ways:
• Social welfare / equality 7
• Health8
• Economy9
• Administration / governance10
• Environment11
• Education12
• Safety13
• Overall.14

27. Consensus15
Keyword:
Humane
Peripheric
Conciliatory
Communal
Centrally lead
Systematic
World’s top
Divided
Factual
Decentrally controlled
• Tradition of coalition governments.
• Tradition of flowing cooperation between
parties in municipalities.
• Ideological similarities between parties.
• Politicians generally respect one another, and
citizens respect each other’s political views.16
• Associations have close ties to the state.
• A tradition of a unifying national interest in
securing independence.
• Internal pressure after WWII.17
• There is a tendency for the actors in party
politics to see own reference group as opposed
to some other group. These dividing lines
include:
country folk / agricultural producers vs. city
dwellers;
blue-collar workers vs. bourgeoise;
native Finns vs. immigrants; etc.18
• For long, the echoes of the civil war (1918
between leftist ’red’ and right ’white’ troops)
were present in Finnish politics. This
contributed to politics being an avoided topic in
everyday discussions.

28. Meritocracy
Keyword:
Humane
Peripheric
Conciliatory
Communal
Centrally lead
Systematic
World’s top
Divided
Factual
Decentrally controlled
• Personal relations matter, as in every culture,
but it is easy to get to know ’everyone’ in the
political sphere after few years in profession.
• On the other hand, personal relations are often
formed early on: politicians and other political
actors know each other from student politics.
• Social media enhances the formation of
different “bubbles”: bubbles are formed around
ideological alignments, with leftist-
environmentalist and populist bubbles being
perhaps most widely recognized/discussed.
• Fact-based decision making is highly
appreciated.
• (On the state level) different stakeholders
expect factual arguments on policy options as
opposed to (and often in addition to)
arguments based on emotions, ideals, or
authority positions.
• Personal relations are easy to form based on
professional position.
• Political actors appreciate public servants.

29. Democracy
Keyword:
Humane
Peripheric
Conciliatory
Communal
Centrally lead
Systematic
World’s top
Divided
Factual
Decentrally controlled
• Concentrated power on the state level:
Power is in most ways in the hands of the
government (issues laws and budget,
parliament only confirms them – and with
practice of forming majority governments, it
almost always does confirm); power in the
government is in the hands of the party leaders
and ultimately the PM.
• Concentrated power in parties:
Although in theory members of the party make
the key decisions, in practice, the party leader
can guide key decisions on ideological or policy
choices as well as on person selections in many
cases as he/she wishes.
• Democratic processes at every turn: e.g. a party
leader can easily have 3-6 meetings a day where
she/he will explain the decisions that the
party/government is making.
• The Government is controlled by the
parliament (parliamentary groups, committees);
parties (members, party organs); media and
NGOs.
• Telling detail: All the parliamentary discussions,
including laughter or coughs, are published on
the internet in both national languages.

30. 1) According to popular estimations 70-90% of the legislation originates from
the EU-level. However, a study by professors M. Wiberg and T. Raunio show
that only about 17.8% of the legislation originates from the EU-level.
Source: Wiberg M. & Raunio T. (2017) The Impact of the European Union on
National Legislation. Zentrum für Europäische Integrationsforschung
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn.
Publication in English can be found here.
2) Source: Edited and summarized from the brochure Eduskunta (2015)
Parliament of Finland. Publication in English can be found here.
3) Three converging societal problems occur: a) the proportion of people of
working age decreases, b) proportion of elderly people increases, and c) the
birth rate is low and is projected to remain so. According to Statistics
Finland, the proportion of people of working age in the population will
diminish from 64% (2015) to 59% by 2030 and to 57% by 2060. The
proportion of persons aged 65 and over in the population is estimated to
rise from the present 19.9 to 26% by 2030 and to 29% by 2060. The birth
rate would remain constant in future. The total fertility rate is assumed to
be 1.70, i.e. under the renewal rate. Converging with low economic growth
and immigration, low population density and vast distances, these facts
form a severe challenge especially in health and welfare services, as well as
in general financing of the public sector.
Source: Statistics Finland (2015) Share of young people in the population is
in danger of diminishing further. Web article, Published: in 30 October 2015.
Article in English can be found here.
References and Notes
4) Growth has been negative to sluggish from the financial crisis of 2008 and on.
At the moment, forecasts are relatively bright. The Bank of Finland forecasts
2.1% growth in 2017. This is a significant improvement, as a few years ago
(2015) growth was around zero. However, the Bank of Finland forecasts a
slowing growth period in 2019, due to ”weak structural factors present in the
Finnish economy”.
Sources and more information:
Bank of Finland (2017) BOF Forecast: Finland grows, and gathers more debt.
Web article, published in 29 June 2017. Article in English can be found here.
Statistics Finland: Findicator (2017) Economic growth. Web article published in
1 June 2017. Article in English can be found here.
5) Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA has an ongoing project on mapping out
megatrends affecting Finnish society. More information can be found here.
6) Source: Transparency International (2017). Information in English can be found
here.
7) E.g. different gini-index comparisons, such as compiled in this article:
Inequality index: where are the world's most unequal countries? The Guardian
26.4.2017. Article can be found here.
8) E.g. OECD’s Health at a Glance 2015 – report portrays Finnish overall public
health and healthcare as ’generally very good’.
9) Finland ranks in e.g. WEF’s Global Competitiveness Index 2016-2017 as
number 10, having been in the top 10 for many years.

31. 10) Indicators include: very high index value in World Bank political stability index
(2015); one of the best index numbers in EIU’s Democracy Index (2006-2016)
11) E.g. number one in Yale University’s Environmental Performance Index (2016)
12) E.g. good overall results in Pisa surveys
13) E.g. least fragile state in comparison of Fund for Peace’s Fragile States Index in
2013-2017
14) One describing overall indicator is UN’s World Happiness Index, in which
Finland ranks 5th this year (2017).
15) The finding that Finnish politics is and has been highly consensual is widely
shared in Finnish political history. Political scientist Pasi Saukkonen (2012)
summarizes the features of ”Consensus-Finland” – a quality of Finnish politics
that peaked in the 1980s – as follows:
”Principles of [Consensus-Finland] were representative democracy and
municipal autonomy combined with advancing the democracy, capitalism and
market economy combined with the structures, values and aims of a welfare
state, national culture based on Finnish language and Evangelical Lutheran
religion combined with strong juridical protection of the Swedish speaking
minority.” Saukkonen then notes that Finland has changed severely after the
1980s: national sovereignty has diminished, inequality has grown, and ethnic
and cultural diversity has increased.
Source: Saukkonen, Pasi (2012) Suomalaisen yhteiskunnan poliittinen
kulttuuri. Article in Paakkunainen, Kari (ed.) Suomalaisen politiikan murroksia
ja muutoksia. Helsingin yliopisto. Politiikan ja talouden tutkimuksen laitos.
Helsinki.
References and Notes
16) Tellingly: In the Finnish parliament it is prohibited to accuse another MP of
lying. Generally, an MP should act in a “stable and dignified way”
17) Finland was industrialised quickly after WWII, partly due to war-reparations to
the Soviet Union. Relatively rapid industrialisation allowed for swift societal
developments with its welfare systems. This process, where the majority of the
people benefitted, and were able to look towards a brighter future as one
nation after a divisive civil war, must have created a strong consensual element
in the Finnish society as well as the political culture.
A concise Economic History of Finland by professor Riitta Hjerppe can be found
on the website of the Economic History Association.
18) Already in 1960s, Finnish Sociology’s grand old man Erik Allardt described the
”fundamental conflicts of Finnish society” as Finnish vs. Swedish speakers;
countrymen vs. city dwellers; working class vs. bourgeoisie; and communists vs.
everyone else. In my experience, there are still echoes of all of these, except
the last one, and added with native Finns vs. immigrants, which seems to be a
general European societal confrontation at the moment.
Source: Allardt, Erik. (1964) Yhteiskunnan rakenne ja sosiaalinen paine. Porvoo:
WSOY.

32. Thank you!