Abstract
The chapter provides an introduction to Finnish public administration by examining the country’s politico-administrative system and the main institutions forming the division of power in Finland. The focus is primarily on the government’s role as both a political institution and an administrative apparatus. The chapter discusses the government’s definition, trends and traditions, as well as associated risks for government reforms and administrative traditions. The Government programme is also examined as the most important political document for mid-term development plans in Finnish public administration. Finally, the chapter looks at civil service ethics as an essential grassroots-level instrument for supporting the viability of the politico-administrative system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arter, D. (2013). The ‘Hows’, not the ‘Whys’ or the ‘Wherefores’: The role of intra‐party competition in the 2011 breakthrough of the true Finns. Scandinavian Political Studies, 36(2), 99–120.
Chancellor of Justice. (n.d.). What does the Chancellor of Justice do? https://oikeuskansleri.fi/en/frontpage
Constitution of Finland 11 June 1999 (731/1999). https://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990731.pdf
Eduskunta. (2022). Välikysymykset vuodesta 1907 alkaen [Interpellations since 1907]. https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/naineduskuntatoimii/kirjasto/tietopalvelulta-kysyttya/Documents/V%C3%A4likysymykset%20vuosittain%201907%20l%C3%A4htien.pdf
Finnish Courts. (2022). https://oikeus.fi/tuomioistuimet/en/index.html
Finnish Government. (2022). https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/government
Finnish Parliament. (2022). Eduskunta hallituksen muodostajana [Parliament in the formation of Government]. https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/naineduskuntatoimii/kirjasto/aineistot/yhteiskunta/hallituksen-muodostaminen-suomessa/Sivut/eduskunta-hallituksen-muodostajana.aspx.
Hidén, M. (2019). Juridiikkaa ja muotoja eduskuntatyössä [Forms of law in parliament]. Eduskunta. https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/naineduskuntatoimii/julkaisut/Documents/ekj_6+2019.pdf.
Jyränki, A. (2000). Uusi perustuslakimme [Our new Constitution]. Iura nova.
Kestilä, E. (2006). Is there demand for radical right populism in the Finnish electorate? Scandinavian Political Studies, 29(3), 169–191.
Kulovesi, K. (2000). International relations in the new Constitution of Finland. Nordic Journal of International Law, 69(4), 513–522.
Mattila, M. (1997). From qualified majority to simple majority: The effects of the 1992 change in the Finnish Constitution. Scandinavian Political Studies, 20(4), 331–346.
Mattila, M. (2014). Valiokuntalaitos [Committee Structure]. In T. Raunio & M. Wiberg (Eds.), Eduskunta: Kansanvaltaa puolueiden ja hallituksen ehdoilla [Democracy conditioned by parties and government] (pp. 119–131). Gaudeamus.
Ministerin käsikirja. (2019). Tietoa valtioneuvoston toiminnasta [Information on the functioning of the Government]. Valtioneuvoston julkaisuja 2019:21.
Ministry of Finance. (2000). Civil Service Ethics: A study of the ground of civil service ethics, its present state and areas of development (Working Group Memoranda No. 8:2000).
Ministry of Finance. (2004). Values to be part of daily job: The experiences of pilot organisations and conclusions of the working group (MoF Working Paper No. 6b:2004).
Ministry of Finance. (2005). Values in the daily job: Civil servant’s ethics. A handbook for the state administration.
Ministry of Finance. (2014). Valtion virkamieseettisen toimikunnan raportti VM 3/2014 [Committee on the Ethics of State Civil Servants, MoF 3/2014, recommendations in English].
Ministry of Finance. (2017). The state of civil servants’ ethics and morals: Citizens’ survey results (Ministry of Finance Publication No. 2c/2017). Kantar Public was commissioned to conduct a new citizen survey in 2022, and its findings will be released in 2023.
Ministry of Finance. (2021). Korruptiontorjuntaan liittyviä ohjeita valtion virastoille ja laitoksille [MoF 2021, Anti-corruption guidelines for government agencies].
Ministry of Finance. (2022a). Central government guidance and direction. https://vm.fi/en/systems-for-guidance-and-direction
Ministry of Finance. (2022b). Central government spending limits. https://vm.fi/en/central-government-spending-limits2022a
Ministry of Finance. (2022c). Valtion aluehallinnon virastorakenteen ja tehtävienjaon selvityshankkeen loppuraportti [Government report on the regional administration] (Ministry of Finance Publication No. 2022:36).
Ministry of Finance. (2022d). Structures, guidance and direction of administration. https://vm.fi/en/structures-guidance-and-direction-of-administration
Ministry of Justice. (2021). Government resolution on the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan 2021–2023 (Ministry of Justice of the Finnish Government Publication No. 2021:68).
Moilanen, T. (2017). State of civil-service ethics in Finland: A survey of the ethical values and principles of central government employees (Ministry of Finance Publication No. 30:2017).
Nousiainen, J. (2001). From semi-presidentialism to parliamentary government: Political and constitutional developments in Finland. Scandinavian Political Studies, 24(2), 95–109.
Office of the President of the Republic of Finland. (2022). https://www.presidentti.fi/en/
Paine, L. S. (1994). Managing for organizational integrity. Harvard Business Review, 72(2), 106–117.
Paloheimo, H. (2003). The rising power of the prime minister in Finland. Scandinavian Political Studies, 26(3), 219–243.
Parliament of Finland. (2022). Parliament at work. https://www.eduskunta.fi/EN/naineduskuntatoimii/eduskunnan_tehtavat/Pages/default.aspx
Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland. (n.d.). https://www.oikeusasiamies.fi/en/eoa
Peiponen, M. (2007). Arvot virkamiehen arjessa [Values in the everyday work of the civil servant]. Ministry of Finance. Tutkimukset ja selvitykset, 4, 2007.
Pekonen, K. (2011). Puhe eduskunnassa [Speech in Parliament]. Vastapaino.
Raunio, T. (2004). The changing Finnish democracy: Stronger parliamentary accountability, coalescing political parties and weaker external constraints. Scandinavian Political Studies, 27, 133–152. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9477.2004.00101.x
Raunio, T. (2005). Finland: One hundred years of quietude. In M. Gallagher & P. Mitchell (Eds.), The politics of electoral systems (pp. 471–493). Oxford University Press.
Raunio, T. (2010). Kenen pitäisi johtaa ulkopolitiikkaa [Who should lead the foreign policy]. In M. Wiberg (Ed.), Perustuslakihaasteet (pp. 33–59). Edita.
Raunio, T. (2021). Committees in the Finnish Eduskunta: Cross-party cooperation and legislative scrutiny behind closed doors. In S. T. Siefken & H. Rommetvedt (Eds.), Parliamentary committees in the policy process (pp. 79–97). Routledge.
Raunio, T., & Wiberg, M. (2014). Johdanto: Eduskunta Suomen Poliittisessa Järjestelmässä [Parliament in the Finnish political system]. In T. Raunio & M. Wiberg (Eds.), Eduskunta: Kansanvaltaa puolueiden ja hallituksen ehdoilla (pp. 7–38). Gaudeamus.
Tiihonen, S. (2007). Ruhtinaan kesyttäminen eli tahto ministeriön johtamiseen [Domestication the Prince aka will to lead the Ministry]. Hallinnon tutkimus, 26(1), 3–21.
Tiihonen, S. (2016). Kohti yhteistä valtioneuvostoa? [Toward unified Government]. Hallinnon Tutkimus, 35(3), 244–252.
Tiihonen S., & Ylikangas H. (1992). Virka valta kulttuuri. Suomalaisen hallintokulttuurin kehitys [The Development of Finnish Administrative culture]. VAPK-kustannus.
Tuori, K. (2005). Vallanjako: vaiettu oppi [Separation of powers. Silenced lessons]. Lakimies, 103(7–8), 1021–1049.
Valtioneuvosto. (2019). Project on developing strategic leadership instruments in government: Recommendations (Finnish Government Publication No. 2019:20).
Valtioneuvosto. (2022a). Hallituskausien pituudet [The lenght of Government terms]. https://valtioneuvosto.fi/tietoa/historiaa/hallitukset-ja-ministerit/hallituskausien-pituudet
Valtioneuvosto. (2022b). Hallitusohjelmat vuodesta 2017 [Government programmes since 2017]. https://valtioneuvosto.fi/tietoa/historiaa/hallitusohjelmat
Valtioneuvosto. (2022c). Hallituksen toimintasuunnitelma [Government action plan]. https://valtioneuvosto.fi/marinin-hallitus/hallitusohjelman-seuranta/toimintasuunnitelma
Valtioneuvosto. (2022d). Valtioneuvoston termit [Concepts of Government]. https://valtioneuvosto.fi/tietoa/valtioneuvoston-termit#hallitusohjelma
Valtioneuvoston kanslia. (2011). Hallituspolitiikan johtaminen 2010-luvulla [The management of Government in the 2010’s]. (Prime Minister’s Office Publication No. 7:2011).
Venho, T. (2014). Eduskuntaryhmät ja puoluerahoituksen julkisuus [Parliamentary groups and publicness of the party financing]. In T. Raunio & M. Wiberg (Eds.), Eduskunta: Kansanvaltaa puolueiden ja hallituksen ehdoilla (pp. 109–118). Gaudeamus.
Virtanen, P., Uusikylä, P., Jalava, J., Tiihonen, S., Laitinen, L., & Noro, K. (2016). Valtioneuvoston yhtenäisyys – kansainvälinen vertaileva tutkimus [The unity of government. A Comparative study]. Valtioneuvoston selvitys ja tutkimustoiminnan julkaisusarja, 49, 2016.
Wiberg, M. (2014). Puolueryhmät eduskunnassa [Parliamentary groups in parliament]. In T. Raunio & M. Wiberg (Eds.), Eduskunta: Kansanvaltaa puolueiden ja hallituksen ehdoilla (pp. 163–183). Gaudeamus.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Johanson, JE., Kujala, EN., Moilanen, T., Pekkola, E., Pekonen, O. (2023). The Finnish Politico-Administrative System. In: Pekkola, E., Johanson, JE., Mykkänen, M. (eds) Finnish Public Administration. Governance and Public Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34862-4_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34862-4_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-34861-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-34862-4
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)