Republic of Finland
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Finland Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Finland. ... Finland has a primarily parliamentary system, although the president also has some notable powers. ...
State Government
Constitution Declaration of Independence
Executive
President (list) Tarja Halonen Finland is a republic with a representative democracy governed according to the principles of Parliamentarism. ... The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. ... The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. ... Tarja Kaarina Halonen (IPA: ) (born December 24, 1943, in Helsinki, Finland) is the President of Finland. ...
Prime Minister (list) Matti Vanhanen The Prime Minister (Finnish Pääministeri, Swedish: Statsminister) is the head of government in Finland. ... The Prime Minister (Finnish Pääministeri, Swedish: Statsminister) is the head of government in Finland. ... Matti Taneli Vanhanen ( ) (born November 4, 1955, in Jyväskylä) is the current Prime Minister of Finland, as well as Chairman of the Centre Party. ...
Executive Departments Council of State (Cabinet) The Council of State (Finnish: Valtioneuvosto, Swedish: Statsrådet) is Finlands cabinet; it directs the Government of Finland. ... The Council of State (Finnish: Valtioneuvosto, Swedish: Statsrådet) is Finlands cabinet; it directs the Government of Finland. ...
Legislative
35th Parliament Speaker Sauli Niinistö A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... The Eduskunta (in Finnish), or the Riksdag (in Swedish), is the Parliament of Finland. ... The Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (Finnish Eduskunnan puhemies, Swedish Riksdagens talman), along with two Deputy Speakers, is elected by Parliament during the first plenary session each year. ... Sauli Niinistö Sauli Väinämö Niinistö (born August 24, 1948, Salo, Finland) is a Director at the European Investment Bank, a lawyer, former Finnish finance minister and was the Kokoomus candidate in the 2006 presidential election. ...
Elections in Finland
Parliamentary 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 Politics of Finland See also [[List of political parties in Åland|political parties in Åland]]. Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Finland | Finnish politics ... Politics of Finland See also [[List of political parties in Åland|political parties in Åland]]. Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Finland | Finnish politics ... Categories: | ... Categories: | | ... The 2003 Finnish parliamentary election was held on Sunday, 16 March 2003, with the aim of determining the composition of the Finnish parliament, or Eduskunta, for the parliamentary period between 2003 and 2007. ... The 2007 Finnish parliamentary election was held on March 18, 2007. ... Presidential 1994 | 2000 | 2006 Politics of Finland See also [[List of political parties in Åland|political parties in Åland]]. Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Finland | Finnish politics ... The 2006 Finnish Presidential election saw the reelection of Tarja Halonen as President of Finland for a second six-year term. ... European Parliament 1996 | 1999 | 2004 Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild... Elections to the European Parliament were held in Finland on June 13, 2004. ... Referendum EU Membership Referendum Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...
Judicial system
General Courts Supreme Court Courts of Appeal District Courts Under the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. ... Under the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. ... The Supreme Court of Finland (in Finnish: korkein oikeus, in Swedish: högsta domstolen), located in Helsinki, consists of a President and 18 other Justices, usually working in five-judge panels. ... Under the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. ... Under the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. ...
Administrative Courts Supreme Administrative Court Regional Administrative Courts Under the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. ... The Supreme Administrative Court of Finland is the highest court in the Finnish administrative court system, parallel to the Supreme Court of Finland. ... Under the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. ...
Prosecutor General Matti Kuusimäki The Prosecutor General of Finland (Finnish: Valtakunnansyyttäjä) is the supreme prosecutor and the head of the prosecution service. ... Matti Kuusimäki (born May 3, 1943 in Turku, Finland) is the current Prosecutor General of Finland (in office since 1997). ...
Administrative divisions
Provinces (Läänit) Regions (Maakunnat) Sub-regions (Seutukunnat) Municipalities (Kunta) Finland consists of 6 provinces (Finnish: läänit, Swedish: län). ... Finland is divided into 20 regions (maakunta/landskap in Finnish/Swedish). ... In 2005 Finland is divided into 77 sub-regions (seutukunta in Finnish, ekonomisk region in Swedish). ... The municipalities (kunta in Finnish, kommun in Swedish) represent the local level of administration in Finland and act as the fundamental administrative units of the country. ...
Political parties
KESK (Centre Party) KOK (National Coalition Party) SDP (Social Democratic Party) VIHR (Green League) VAS (Left Alliance) KD (Christian Democrats) PS (True Finns) RKP (Swedish People Party) Political parties in Finland lists political parties in Finland. ... The Centre Party (in Finnish: Suomen Keskusta, ) is a centrist political party in Finland. ... The National Coalition Party (Kansallinen Kokoomus or Samlingspartiet) is a political party in Finland. ... The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) is one of the most influential political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the Coalition Party. ... The Green League (Finnish: Vihreä liitto, Swedish: Gröna förbundet), is a green political party in Finland. ... The Left Alliance (in Finnish: Vasemmistoliitto, ; in Swedish: Vänsterförbundet) is a political party in Finland. ... The Christian Democrats (Kristillisdemokraatit or Kristdemokraterna) is a political party in Finland. ... True Finns (Perussuomalaiset in Finnish or Sannfinländarna in Swedish) is a small party in Finland, founded in 1995 on the ruins of The Finnish Rural Party. ... The Swedish Peoples Party (Swedish: ; Finnish: ) is a Swedish speaking minority and mainly liberal party in Finland. ...
Politicians Chancellor of Justice Foreign relations Ambassadors Human rights EU Politics The Chancellor of Justice of Finland (Finnish: Oikeuskansleri, Swedish: Justitiekanslern) is a Finnish government official who supervises authorities (such as cabinet ministers and other public officials) compliance with the law and advances legal protection of Finnish citizens. ... Finland’s basic foreign policy goal, from the end of the Continuation War with the U.S.S.R. in 1944 until 1991, was to avoid great-power conflicts and to build mutual confidence with the Soviet Union. ... This is a list of ambassadors from Finland. ... Human rights in Finland are protected by extensive domestic safeguards, in addition to the countrys active membership in most international human rights treaties. ... The European Union or EU is a supranational and international organization of 27 member states. ...
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The Bolshevist government led by Lenin approve Finland's independence

The Finnish declaration of independence was adopted by the Parliament of Finland on 6 December 1917. It aimed at elevating Finland from being an autonomous Russian Grand Duchy into an independent and sovereign nation-state. Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 477 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (500 × 628 pixel, file size: 99 KB, MIME type: image/png) The Bolshevik governments recognition of Finnish independence was the first concrete expression of Lenins demand for the right of nations to... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 477 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (500 × 628 pixel, file size: 99 KB, MIME type: image/png) The Bolshevik governments recognition of Finnish independence was the first concrete expression of Lenins demand for the right of nations to... The Eduskunta (in Finnish), or the Riksdag (in Swedish), is the Parliament of Finland. ... December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... A grand duchy is a territory whose head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess. ... “Sovereign” redirects here. ... The term nation-state, while often used interchangeably with the terms unitary state and independent state, refers properly to the parallel occurence of a state and a nation. ...

Revolution in Russia

The February Revolution, 1917, and even more so Lenin's Bolshevist October Revolution, had ignited hopes also in the Grand Duchy of Finland. After abdication of Tsar Nicholas II on 15 March 1917, the personal union between Russia and Finland lost its legal base – at least according to the view in Helsinki. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... For other uses, see October Revolution (disambiguation). ... The Grand Duchy of Finland was a state that existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... “Nicholas II” redirects here. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... It has been suggested that Dynastic union be merged into this article or section. ... Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Province Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government  - City manager Jussi Pajunen Area  - City 187. ...

On 5 November, the Parliament had consequently declared itself to be "the possessor of supreme State power" in Finland, based on Finland's Constitution, and more precisely on §38 in the old Instrument of Government of 1772, which had been enacted by the Estates after Gustav III's bloodless coup. is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Swedish Constitution consists of four fundamental laws (Swedish: grundlagar): The Instrument of Government (1974) The Act of Succession (1810) The Freedom of the Press Act (1766) The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (1991) There is also a law on the working order of the Parliament with a special... The Riksdag of the Estates, or Ståndsriksdagen, was the name used for the Estates of the Swedish realm, or Rikets ständer, when they were assembled. ... Gustav III (13 January (O.S.) or (24 January (N.S.) 1746 – March 29, 1792) was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. ...

On November 15, 1917, the Bolsheviks declared a general right of self-determination, including the right of complete secession, "for the Peoples of Russia". On the same day the Finnish Parliament issued a declaration by which it assumed, pro tempore, all powers of the Sovereign in Finland. is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Bolshevik (disambiguation). ... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Declaration of Rights of Peoples of Russia (Деклара́ция прав наро́дов Росси́и) was a document promulgated by the Bolshevik governement of Russia on November 15... Pro tempore or pro tem is a latin phrase which best translates to for the time being in English. ... Grand Duke of Finland, more correctly Grand Prince of Finland, (Finnish: Suomen suuriruhtinas, Swedish: Storfurste av Finland) was a title in use, sometimes sporadically, between 1584 and 1808. ...

The old Instrument of Government was however no longer deemed suitable. Leading circles had long held monarchism and hereditary nobility to be antiquated, and advocated a republican constitution for Finland. Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ...

The Senate of Finland, the government the Parliament had appointed in November, came back to the Parliament with a proposal for a new republican Instrument of Government on 4 December. The Declaration of Independence was technically given the form of a preamble of the proposition, and was intended to be agreed by the Parliament. The Senate of Finland combined the functions of cabinet and supreme court in the Grand Duchy of Finland between 1816 to 1917. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On December 18 (December 31 N. S. ) the Soviet government issued a Decree, recognizing Finland's independence, and on December 22 (January 4, 1918 N. S.) it was approved by the highest Soviet executive body - VTsIK. In Britain and countries of the British Empire, Old Style or O.S. after a date means that the date is in the Julian calendar, in use in those countries until 1752; New Style or N.S. means that the date is in the Gregorian calendar, adopted on 14 September... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Decrees (Russian: ) were legislative acts of the highest Soviet institutions, primarily of the Council of Peoples Commissars (the highest executive body) and of the Supreme Soviet or VTsIK (the highest legislative body), [1] issued between 1917 and 1924. ... The term Central Executive Committee refers to governing bodies with executive power of various parties and governments. ...

The Declaration

With reference to the declaration of November 15, the declaration says:

The people of Finland have by this step taken their fate in their own hands; a step both justified and demanded by present conditions. The people of Finland feel deeply that they cannot fulfil their national and international duty without complete sovereignty. The century-old desire for freedom awaits fulfilment now; Finland's people step forward as a free nation among the other nations in the world.

(...) The people of Finland dare to confidently await how other nations in the world recognize that with their full independence and freedom, the people of Finland can do their best in fulfilment of those purposes that will win them a place amongst civilized peoples.

Aftermath

Hardship burdened the common people, which already had resulted in alarming polarization, and soon would ignite the Civil War. The declaration actually addresses this problem: Combatants Whites: White Guards, German Empire, Swedish volunteers Reds: Red Guards, Russian SFSR Commanders C.G.E. Mannerheim Ali Aaltonen, Eero Haapalainen, Eino Rahja, Kullervo Manner Strength 80,000–90,000 Finns, 550 Swedish volunteers, 13,000 Germans[1] 80,000–90,000 Finns, 4,000–10,000 Russians[1...

The Government will approach foreign powers to seek the recognition of our political independence. All the complications, famine and unemployment ensuing from the present external isolation make it urgent for the Government to tie direct contacts with foreign powers without delay. Urgent, concrete assistance in the form of necessities for living and industry is our only rescue from imminent famine and industrial standstill.

On 6 December the Parliament adopted the Declaration, which is why that day is the national holiday Finland Independence Day. December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

During the 1939 Soviet-Finnish War, Finland lost some of its territory to the Soviet Union. Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Winter War (also known as the Russo-Finnish War) broke out when the Soviet Union attacked Finland on November 30, 1939, three months after the start of World War II. As a consequence, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations on December 14th. ...

Context

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania also declared their independence from Russia during the same period. See Estonian Liberation War, Latvian Independence and Freedom wars of Lithuania. The Estonian Liberation War (Estonian: Vabadussõda, literally freedom war), also called the Estonian War of Independence, in 1918-1920, was Estonias struggle for independent state in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution. ... The proto-Baltic forefathers of the Latvian people have lived on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea since the third millennium BC [1]. At the beginning of this era the territory known today as Latvia became famous as a trading crossroads. ... Freedom wars refers to the three wars Lithuania had to fight defending its independence from the opposing forces at the end of World War I. Since 1795 Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire. ...

These three countries were occupied by, and annexed into, the Soviet Union (1940-1941, 1944-1991). See Occupation of Baltic Republics. This term is generally used for the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) in the first phases of World War II. // History of the occupation Before the beginning of World War II Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed an ostensible non-aggression treaty known as...

See also

• History of Finland
• Politics of Finland

The land area that now makes up Finland was settled immediately after the Ice Age, beginning from around 8500 BC. Finland was part of Kingdom of Sweden from the 13th century to 1809, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire becoming the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. ... Finland has a primarily parliamentary system, although the president also has some notable powers. ...

External links

• Declaration of independence (Finnish) - Wikisource
• Declaration of independence (Swedish) - Wikisource
• Instrument of Government (Swedish) - Wikisource
• Audio recording of Svinhufvud reading the speech in 1937 - (YLE)