Prime Minister of Finland

The Prime Minister or Pääministeri/Statsminister is the Head of Government in Finland. In 1918 the Senate of Finland was transformed into the Cabinet of Finland, and the position as vice-chairman of the Senate's Economic Division was transformed into that of a Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is Head of State.

The President nominates Prime Minister, according to the (new) Constitution of Finland (of year 2000)[?], after the parties of the Parliament (Eduskunta) have negotiated on distribution of seats in Cabinet and on its programme. The Parliament elects Prime Minister with absolute majority (in a voting without counter-candidate). If the nominee hasn't received sufficient support, then a new round of negotiations and a second nomination by the President follows. If also the second nominee fails to gain absolute majority, then a third voting occurs, in which all Members of Parliament can nominate candidates, and relative majority suffice for election. The President's formal appointment follows the Parliament's election.

The procedure above was first used to elect Anneli Jäätteenmäki into office in 2003, when it beforehand was assumed that the President would nominate the candidate who in a third voting would have gained relative majority, i.e. the leader of the largest party.

The previous 85 years full formal powers to appoint the Prime Minister and the rest of the Cabinet had been the privilege of the President, who for instance was free to diverge from principles of Parliamentarism, although the ministers must enjoy the confidence of the Parliament.

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.

External links

From Senate to independent Government (http://www.valtioneuvosto.fi/vn/liston/base.lsp?r=749&k=en)