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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Finland
Index
Helsinki's neo-classical quarter includes the Government
Palace, seen in the foreground. This building was constructed as the
Senate House and was the seat of government during most of the
tsarist period. After independence, it became the seat of the
Council of State.
Courtesy Embassy of Finland, Washington
Council of State Chamber, Government Palace
Courtesy Embassy of Finland, Washington
The Council of State shares executive power with the
president, and it is responsible for the management of the
governmental machinery. The Council of State prepares the
government bills presented to the Eduskunta and authors
most
legislation. In the late 1980s, it consisted of the prime
minister, the chancellor of justice, and up to seventeen
ministers who directed twelve ministries: foreign affairs,
justice, interior, defense, finance, education,
agriculture and
forestry, communications, trade and industry, social
affairs and
health, labor, and environment. Some of the ministries
have
second or deputy ministers, and occasionally a minister
holds two
portfolios. There have been no ministers without portfolio
since
the early 1950s. Ministers must be "native-born Finnish
citizens
known for their honesty and ability." The minister of
justice and
one other minister must be lawyers, but otherwise there
are no
formal qualifications for a cabinet post. Ministers
generally
enter the cabinet from the Eduskunta, but it has not been
uncommon for them to be drawn from the outside, especially
to
serve in caretaker governments composed largely of leading
private citizens and civil servants. Even prime ministers
have on
occasion come from outside parliament, as did Mauno
Koivisto in
1979. Ministers from the Eduskunta may continue to be
members of
that body, but they may not serve on any committee.
The prime minister heads the Council of State, sets its
agenda, nominates some members of the council's
committees,
settles tie votes, and, most important, dissolves it when
he sees
fit or if it can no longer govern. The prime minister also
represents the president when he is out of the country. If
the
president can no longer carry out his duties, the prime
minister
replaces him until a new presidential election can be
held. Other
than these rights and duties, a prime minister in the
1980s had
few formal powers and had only a very small staff to
assist him
in his work. His main responsibility was holding together
cabinets composed of a number of political parties that
frequently had opposing views on central issues. He could
manage
this through personal prestige or by force of character,
through
backstairs wrangling, or, ultimately, by threatening to
dissolve
the cabinet if it did not adhere to the government's
program.
A key member of the Council of State, although he is
not a
minister, is the chancellor of justice. Appointed for life
by the
president, he is obliged to attend all meetings of the
council
and to review its proceedings for legality. He has no
vote, but
his decisions about the legality of council proposals and
decisions are regarded as binding. The chancellor of
justice also
reviews the president's actions, and he reports
infractions to
the Council of State, or, if necessary, to the Eduskunta.
He is
also empowered to initiate proceedings according to the
Responsibility of Ministers Act. One of the formal
qualifications
for his position is that he be well versed in the law; and
within
the country's legal system he is the highest prosecutor
(see Legal System
, this ch.).
The Council of State must enjoy the confidence of the
Eduskunta in order to govern. The party composition of a
new
cabinet has to be acceptable to the Eduskunta, and it must
correspond, to some degree, to the relative political
strength of
the parties within the chamber. Formation of a cabinet has
often
been difficult because, in addition to the large number of
parties that participate in them, Finnish elections
usually give
no clear indication of how political realities should be
reflected by a governing coalition. Even the selection of
individual ministers can be troublesome, for the parties
themselves have much to say about who serves as minister,
and
even a prime minister may have to accept members of his
own party
not of his choosing. If a suitable constellation of
parties
cannot be formed to yield an effective majority
government, a
minority government, or even a caretaker government, may
be put
together if the Eduskunta agrees.
The Council of State is held legally responsible for
the acts
of its ministers, in accordance with the Responsibility of
Ministers Act of 1922. In addition to making ministers
accountable for their official actions, this law--which
has
constitutional status--is also a vital, if indirect, means
of
controlling the president's actions. Because many of his
decisions can be carried out only through the Council of
State,
ministers who approve an illegal presidential action are
liable
under the terms of this law. Ministers wishing to avoid
the law's
sanctions must refuse to be party to a presidential
decision that
they view as illegal. If ministerial consent is lacking,
the
president cannot act. In such a case, the president must
either
abide by the decision of the council, or he may dismiss it
and
attempt to form a new one amenable to his wishes. If this
is not
possible, he may dissolve the Eduskunta and call for new
elections with the hope of having the voters endorse his
decisions by returning an Eduskunta from which a compliant
government can be formed. If the council refuses to
approve a
lawful presidential decision, it is obliged to resign.
Ministers
can always resign individually, but the resignation of the
prime
minister means the end of a government.
A principal task of the Council of State is the
preparation
of legislative proposals, or government bills, that the
president
presents to the Eduskunta for ratification. Most of this
work is
done in an appropriate ministry, where, in addition to
ministry
personnel and civil servants, permanent and ad hoc
commissions of
experts and spokesmen for special interests can be
consulted.
In the 1980s, the Council of State had three committees
to
handle important questions: the ministerial committees for
finance, economic policy, and foreign affairs. The Finance
Committee, meeting on Wednesdays, consisted of the prime
minister, finance minister, and several other ministers.
It
prepared the government's budget and responded to the
financial
motions presented by individual members of the Eduskunta.
The
Economic Policy Committee met twice a week to discuss
issues
touching the country's economic life as a whole, broader
questions about the government's budget, and other
financial
concerns suggested by the prime minister. The Foreign
Affairs
Committee, least important of the three, met when needed
to
discuss issues concerning foreign policy.
Plenary meetings of the Council of State, for which a
quorum
of five was required, had three forms. The so-called
Evening
School meeting, on Wednesday evenings, was a closed,
informal
session where ministers, top civil servants, politicians,
and
leading figures from outside government freely discussed
decisions to be taken. It was thus a forum where the
country's
leaders met and exchanged opinions on important issues.
Instituted in the late 1930s as a means of speeding the
council's
work, the Evening School had no formal decision-making
power.
Votes were taken at the Thursday meeting. The Council of
State
worked as a collegial body, and unanimous votes were not
required. In case of a tie vote, the vote of the prime
minister
was decisive. Approved measures were presented to the
president
for signing at the Friday Presidential Meeting.
In accordance with its executive powers, the Council of
State
implemented its decisions and directed the ministries and
the
lower levels of the state administrative apparatus. This
was done
through presidential decrees and its own ordinances,
neither of
which could conflict with legislation passed by the
Eduskunta.
Ministers, aided by political secretaries drawn from their
own
parties, headed the country's twelve ministries. The
ministries,
which both formulated and administered policy, oversaw
about
eighty central boards that were wholly occupied with
implementing
policy. The central board system, inherited from the time
of
Swedish rule, had grown considerably, expanding by about
onethird between 1966 and 1975 because of the increase in
state
social services. The boards, such as the National Board of
General Education and the State Publishing Office, did
much of
the state's work. By tradition somewhat autonomous, they
decided
how legislation and ministerial decisions were to be
carried out.
Data as of December 1988
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