2003/08/14 by Heikki Paloheimo · 48 citations
Social Sciences · Business, Management and Accounting · #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Political Influence and Corporate Strategies #Political Systems and Governance #Presidential system #Cabinet (room) #Constitution #Political science #Politics #Ideology #Public administration #Corporate governance #Political economy #Good governance #Law #Sociology #Economics #Management #Geography
paper · doi:10.1111/1467-9477.00086
published in Scandinavian Political Studies 26(3), 219-243 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2003/08/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
During the past two decades, the Finnish political system has gradually changed from a semi‐presidential to a nearly parliamentary one. This process was finalized with the drafting of the new constitution in 2000. Four factors in particular contributed to the parliamentarization of the Finnish constitution. Firstly, the breakdown of the Soviet Union also broke down the tradition of highly personalized, presidential rule in Finnish–Soviet relations. Secondly, Finnish membership of the European Union increased the need to integrate the Finnish cabinet in decision making on foreign affairs. Thirdly, because of the stabilization of cabinets, based on the increased coalition elasticity and coalition capacity of the political parties, there was not as much need, or room, for presidential intervention as in earlier decades. Fourthly, after the highly personalized tenure of President Urho Kekkonen, there was, among the political parties, a reaction against personalized presidential rule. The new constitution is to a large extent based on cabinet‐centred governance, although steps towards ministerial governance have also been taken. There are, however, many non‐constitutional factors giving rise to a new kind of prime‐ministerial governance. Among these are: (1) internationalization of politics, (2) growth of the public sector, (3) convergence of party ideologies, and (4) a new kind of personalized political publicity.