Prime Minister of Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Republic of Finland |
 This article is part of the series: |
|
|
|
Legislative
Foreign Policy
|
|
Other countries · Atlas Politics Portal |
The Prime Minister (Finnish: pääministeri, Swedish: statsminister) is the Head of Government of Finland. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is the Head of State. The current Prime Minister is Matti Vanhanen of the Centre Party.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Under the provisions of the new Constitution of Finland (enacted in 2000), the President nominates a Prime Minister after the parties in the Eduskunta (Parliament) have negotiated the distribution of seats in the new Council of State and the government's programme. Parliament must ratify the nominated Prime Minister with an absolute majority in a vote without other candidates. If the nominee doesn't receive sufficient support, then a new round of negotiations and a second nomination by the President follows. If the second nominee also fails to gain an absolute majority, then a third vote occurs, in which any member of Parliament can nominate a candidate; in this round a plurality is sufficient for election. The President's formal appointment follows Parliament's election.
The above procedure was first used to elect Anneli Jäätteenmäki to the Prime Ministership in 2003. Previously it was assumed that the President would nominate the candidate who in a third round of voting would have gained a relative majority, usually the leader of the largest party. Before the new Constitution came into force, full formal powers to appoint the Prime Minister and the rest of the Council of State had been the privilege of the President, who was free to diverge from parliamentary principles, although ministers appointed had to have the confidence of the Parliament.
The Prime Minister nominates the remaining members of the Council of State, who are then, with the consent of Parliament, appointed by the President.
In 1918, the Finnish Senate was transformed into the Council of State (or cabinet) of Finland, and the position of Vice-Chairman of the Economic Division of the Senate was transformed into that of a Prime Minister. Kesäranta (in Swedish Villa Bjälbo), located in the Meilahti area of Helsinki, has been the official residence of the Prime Minister of Finland since 1919.
Since its independence (declared on December 6th, 1917), Finland has had 86 cabinets, the longest lasting being the two cabinets of Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, both lasting 1,464 days.
[edit] List of Prime Ministers
[edit] Living former Prime Ministers
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
|
|
|---|
| Albania · Andorra · Armenia1 · Austria · Azerbaijan2 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus1 · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia2 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan2 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia3 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey3 · Ukraine · United Kingdom (Northern Ireland · Scotland · Wales) · Vatican City |
|
1 Entirely in Southwest Asia; included here because of cultural, political and historical association with Europe. 2 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border between Europe and Asia. 3 Mostly in Asia. |
 European Council |
|---|
| President: Janša (SI) · Gusenbauer (AT) · Leterme (BE) · Stanishev (BG) · Topolánek (CZ) · Christofias (CY) · Merkel (DE) · Rasmussen (DK) · Ansip (ET) · Vanhanen (FI) · Sarkozy (FR) · Karamanlis (GR) · Gyurcsány (HU) · Ahern (IE) · Prodi (IT) · Godmanis (LV) · Kirkilas (LT) · Juncker (LU) · Gonzi (MT) · Balkenende (NL) · Tusk (PL) · Sócrates (PT) · Popescu-Tăriceanu (RO) · Fico (SK) · Zapatero (ES) · Reinfeldt (SE) · Brown (UK) · Barroso (EC) |
