Finnish Government

The Government is the most important executive body of Finland composed of the ministers.[5][6][7] Its supreme powers are based on Section 3, Chapter 1 of the Constitution of Finland (and the subordinate Government Act of 2003[8]):

The governmental powers are exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government, the members of which shall have the confidence of the Parliament.[9]

Vanhanen II Cabinet in a session of Finnish Parliament in 2007.

The Government initiates the majority of legislation. A proposed act (Finnish: laki; Swedish: lag) is drafted in the respective ministry under the direction of its minister, after which it is reviewed by the Government and forwarded as a government proposal (Finnish: hallituksen esitys; Swedish: regeringens proposition) to Parliament for processing and possible amendments. However, since coalition governments have become the norm in Finland, the parties represented in the Government usually form the majority in the parliament, making the process somewhat more harmonious. Since 1957, all governments have been majority governments. Before a proposal is enacted into law, it must be confirmed by the President of Finland. As such, the president has the power of a delaying veto as a check against majority politics and potential violations of international agreements. Periods of cohabitation, wherein the president and the government represent different political positions, can create strife. The president's veto can be overridden by the Parliament, although this is in practice not done. Parties can also agree to not to vote along party lines but to leave the decision to individual MPs, although this is uncommon.[5]

Smolna, located in Kaartinkaupunki, Helsinki, is used as a banquet hall of the Finnish Government.

While the Parliament passes acts, the Government or an individual ministry issues decrees (Finnish: asetus; Swedish: förordning) as delegated legislation. Decrees clarify, specify, and guide the implementation of an act of Parliament, but cannot contradict it. They are similar to US standing executive orders. A typical example is specifying the actual monetary sums for benefits described in general terms in an act.[5] Decrees form an important body of law alongside acts of Parliament.

State funds can be spent only in the framework of the state budget (Finnish: valtion talousarvio; Swedish: statsbudget), which must be confirmed by Parliament. The Government drafts the annual budget and introduces it to Parliament for discussion and approval. If the Government requires more funds mid-year, they have to submit an additional budget proposal to Parliament.[5] For 2018, the central state budget was €55.8 billion, not including municipal budgets and non-departmental bodies like state-owned enterprises.[13]

The current Marin cabinet is Finland's 76th Government, which was inaugurated on 10 December 2019. It consists of 19 ministers and 5 parties: Social Democratic Party, Centre Party, Green League, Left Alliance and Swedish People's Party.[14]

The following is a list of all Finnish governments since 1917.[16]

• Politics of Finland
• Diet of Finland
• Finnish Civil War

• Official website
• Finnish Government Termbank Valter