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Finland
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Finland performs in the high range across all categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. Compared to 2018, there has been little change, and Finland performs in the top 25 per cent globally in virtually all factors. Electoral Participation is the only exception and, despite recent improvements, voter turnout remains relatively middling vis-à-vis other forms of public participation (Finland still scores above the average for North/Western Europe in Electoral Participation). Finland’s mixed economy is highly industrialised and is dominated by the services sector, but also features some manufacturing, refining, and primary production.
Finland is a sparsely populated country that is fairly homogenous but also features three notable historic minorities (in addition to a small foreign-born population): the Sámi Indigenous peoples, the Swedish-speaking minority, and the Roma people. Finnish territory also encompasses the Åland islands, an autonomous region that hosts its own parliament and holds one seat in the national legislature. To some extent, and perhaps more so historically, the language divide (Finnish/Swedish) also carries explanatory power in terms of national political competition – with the Swedish People’s Party, which represents the interests of the minority Swedish-speaking Finnish population, remaining a frequent coalition partner.
The Finnish political culture is pragmatic, as actors often cooperate across traditional ideological divides. Finnish politics take place within the framework of a multi-party, parliamentary system that is distinctive for its oversized majority coalitions. Much in line with larger trends in Western Europe, sociocultural dimensions have increasingly come to drive Finnish politics – particularly in terms of post-materialist issues such as immigration, the promotion of gender equality, environmental protection, and minority rights - including with respect to the Sámi and the Roma populations. There has also been a rise in hate crimes, and allegations of racism among government officials have been worsening, triggering large-scale anti-racism protests in Helsinki in 2023. National security concerns have heightened following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, with claims that Russia is instrumentalizing migration into Finland as a way to exert political pressure. Finland’s decision to join NATO took place in this context of heightened security risks.
Finland is a leader in gender equality. Women’s political representation is a particular strength (the Eduskunta is among the legislatures with the highest female participation in Europe), and women’s rights were recently expanded following reforms easing access to abortion in 2022, and amendments making the definition of rape based on consent. Other advances in gender equality include the approval of legislation enabling legal gender recognition by self-declaration, with impacts on the rights of transgender people. However, gender-based violence remains a problem, with roughly one in three Finnish women having experienced intimate partner violence.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch Rights, especially in relation to the government’s anti-discrimination plan, devised in consultation with civil society and academics. Additionally, it will be important to watch debates on reforming the Sámi Parliament Act to enable the self-identification of Sámi people in Finland, for possible impacts on Social Group Equality. Planned social security cuts and labour reforms, which have triggered political strikes and industrial action, may impact labour rights and freedom of association. Finally, it will be important to pay attention to shifting immigration policy, in view of proposals to change border procedures and to temporarily restrict the reception of asylum-seekers via emergency measures.
Last updated: July 2024
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April 2024
Parliament approves restrictions on political strikes
On 8 May, Parliament passed legislation limiting the length of political strikes to 24 hours and introducing personal fines of EUR 200 for individual employees who continue to participate in strikes found illegal by courts. Additionally, maximum fines for unions found to be organizing illegal strikes were raised from EUR 37,400 to EUR 150,000. Political strikes comprise actions not aimed at collective bargaining, but rather targeting political decision-making. The government says the bill will help reduce labour market disruptions, after months of large-scale and protracted political strikes and industrial action in response to the government’s planned cuts to social security and controversial labour reforms. In mid-April, the International Labour Organization (ILO) sent a letter to the Minister of Labour Arto Satonen urging the government to negotiate with partners on any potential limitations on the right to strike.
Sources: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Yle (1), Yle (2), Yle (3), The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), Teollisuusliitto, Eduskunta (1), Eduskunta (2)
February 2024
Former PM Alexander Stubb wins run-off presidential election
On 11 February, Alexander Stubb from the center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) won 51.6 per cent of the vote in the run-off against Pekka Haavisto, who received 48.4 per cent. Haavisto is a member of the centre-left Green Party but ran as an independent candidate. Stubb previously served as Prime Minister from 2014 to 2015, as well as Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, and a Member of the European Parliament. The incumbent President, Sauli Niinistö (NCP), is retiring after serving the maximum two consecutive six-year terms. As head of foreign and security policy, the incoming President will define Finland’s defence planning and NATO cooperation following the country’s recent accession. The President-elect will be inaugurated on 1 March. Voter turnout in the run-off election was 70.7 per cent.
Stubb also won the first round of the elections on 28 January with 27.2 per cent of the vote, followed by Haavisto (25.8 per cent) and Jussi Halla-aho, of the far-right Finns party, who came third with 19 per cent. In the first round, three of the nine candidates were women.
Sources: Yle (1), Yle (2), Yle (3), Politico, Euronews, Statistics Finland, International IDEA, ODIHR
September 2023
Government outlines anti-discrimination plan
The Finnish government released a statement on promoting equality and non-discrimination in response to the multiple racism scandals that have rocked the government since its formation. In it, the government pledges to implement measures such as banning holocaust denial and prohibiting the use of Nazi and communist symbols. It was drafted by a newly convened working group for combatting racism in consultation with civil society and academics. The communique has been met with substantial criticism. Amnesty International has described the plans outlined as inadequate, the opposition Social Democrats called it “too little, too late” and on 3 September, 10,000 attended an anti-racism and anti-government protest in Helsinki. The racism scandal sparked a no-confidence vote on 8 September, which the government and its ministers survived.
Sources: Finnish Government, Amnesty International, Yleisradio Oy, Reuters, Politico, International IDEA
July 2023
Prime Minister urges parliamentary groups to review online behavior rules
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo expressed his opposition to online harassment and called on all parliamentary groups to reassess acceptable online behavior among their members, with the goal of upholding Finland as a role model for freedom of the press. The response comes following criticism of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, who issued a statement calling the online harassment of journalist Ida Erämaa a smear campaign. Erämaa was covering the racist scandals of Cabinet members (Vilhelm Junnila, Minister of Economic Affairs – who later resigned, Riikka Purra, the Finns Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister, and Wille Rydman the Minister of Economic Affairs), when she was subjected to online abuse, including threats of physical and sexual violence, as well as personal comments by MPs. The nonprofit Coalition for Women in Journalism has also condemned this.
Sources: Politico (1), Politico (2), The Guardian, Yleisradio Oy, Reuters, Coalition For Women in Journalism, Council of Europe
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GSoD Indices Data 2014-2023
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