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Parliament of Finland 2011 Annual Report

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Parliament of Finland 2011 Annual Report of Following an amendment of the Election Act, the crisis countries in the euro zone, among other things. would remain in the opposition. Subsequently nego- tiations went on in different compositions for over a month, including all the other parties. Negotiators representing the National Coalition parties' relative strengths changed. The National Coa- Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Alliance, lition Party became the largest parliamentary group the Greens, the Swedish People's Party and the Chris- tian Democrats reached an agreement on a govern- prise was the Finns Party, whose parliamentary group just before Midsummer. change was the biggest in Finland's political history. Once the government base had been decided, the The Centre Party, which won the most seats in parliamentary groups agreed on the division of minis- terial posts and other important tasks. The composi- tion of the Speaker's Council was also changed, with Eero Heinäluoma (Social Democratic Party) being elected as Speaker, Pekka Ravi (National Coalition Parliamentary Group as an independent. Party) as First Deputy Speaker and Anssi Joutsenlahti According to established practice the Prime Minister comes from the largest party following elections and the Speaker from the second largest party. The First Deputy Speaker comes from the Prime Minister's The next day Ben Zyskowicz (National Coalition Party) was elected as Speaker, Jutta Urpilainen (Social Democratic Party) as First Deputy Speaker and Anssi Joutsenlahti (Finns Party) as Second Deputy Speak- Kauko Tuupainen (Finns Party) chaired the plenary session until the speakers were elected. Lengthy government negotiations nen iataK ikryJ iataK nen , with the task of forming a government. Katainen sent the parliamentary groups a list of questions to deter- mine parties' attitudes towards major issues in the electoral term. and Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi (Centre Party) sub- mitted the outgoing Government's resignation to the President of the Republic. the middle) was elected Speaker of The government negotiations proved unusually Parliament, Pekka Ravi (right) as First complex, with parties failing to reach an agreement Deputy Speaker and Anssi Joutsenlahti on economic policy in the coming years or support for (left) as Second Deputy Speaker. party and the Second Deputy Speaker from the third the plenary session approved a loan guarantee for largest party. Portugal required to raise funds for the European Parliament approved the government programme In the autumn Parliament approved an increase in Alliance voted against the Government and were con- sequently expelled from their parliamentary group. As on it was found that the justifications in the govern- a result the number of parliamentary groups increased ment proposal had not clearly stated whether interest by one compared with the situation before the elec- was included in the total. After a statement from the Constitutional Law Committee, the Government re- group called the Left Faction in the autumn. vised its proposal, which was reconsidered at the be- In November the Finns Party submitted an inter- Attention focused on the euro crisis pellation concerning the euro crisis. The first inter- throughout the year pellation in the autumn was submitted by the Centre The euro crisis kept Parliament busy throughout the Party and concerned ensuring municipal services. year, particularly in the Grand Committee, which is Citizens' initiative introduced Committee, the Finance Committee and the Constitu- tional Law Committee. The first decision on support A reform of the Constitution that was set in motion for euro countries was made by Parliament in May, during the last electoral term was brought to comple- tion after the elections. According to the Constitution The first annual session of the electoral period The second annual session of the electoral period The third annual session of the electoral period The fourth annual session of the electoral period ............................................... Staff expenses ................................................................................................................... Renovation and estate expenses ............................................................................. Information management expenses .................................................................... ................................................................................................................ amendments must be left in abeyance until after an election unless an amendment is declared urgent and Assembly approved by a five-sixths majority of votes. Finnish Delegation to the Conference of Parliament approved amendments to the Constitu- Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region Finnish Delegation to the Baltic Sea Parliamentary President's powers and improve citizens' participatory Conference rights by introducing a new citizens' initiative. Finnish Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union The Act on Citizens' Initiatives was approved at Finnish Delegation to the Asia-Europe the beginning of December and entered into force be submitted to Parliament if it is signed by at least Assembly Finnish Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean In addition to the state budget and three supple- Parliamentary Assembly mentary budgets, during the autumn term Parliament approved Finland's accession to the Ottawa Conven- tion banning anti-personnel mines and an exten- carpenters, secretaries, records clerks, custodians, data ry handling of the budget. The largest increases were processors, librarians, security personnel and compu- made in the main title of the Ministry of Transport ter technicians. and Communications. Two-thirds of the employees of the Parliamentary Office are women. The largest category of personnel is floor space. parliamentary organizations, in addition to which bi- Parliament appointed nine delegations to multilateral The Parliamentary Office's operational expendi- international organizations: ture includes personnel, real estate and information management costs. Parliament's total costs also in- Finnish Delegation to the Nordic Council Finnish Delegation to the Council of Europe ating in connection with Parliament (the Parliamen- Members of the Government appointed by tary Ombudsman, the National Audit Office and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs). The Office Commission, which is headed by the Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen (National Coalition Party) Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance Jutta Urpilainen (Social Democratic Party) develops Parliament's administration and financial Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja (Social Democratic management. It appoints Parliament's highest officials Party) and resolves significant matters regarding Parliament's Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb administration and financial management. (National Coalition Party) Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala (Greens) Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (Swedish People's Party) er Eero Heinäluoma, Deputy Speakers Pekka Ravi Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen (Christian Democratic Jouni Backman (Social Party) Democratic Party), Pietari Jääskeläinen (Finns Party), Minister of Defence Stefan Wallin (Swedish People's Party) Timo Kalli (Centre Party) and Petteri Orpo (National Minister of Public Administration and Local Government Henna Coalition Party). Deputy members were Johanna Virkkunen (National Coalition Party) Minister of Education and Science Jukka Gustafsson (Social Karimäki (Greens), Mikaela Nylander (Swedish Peo- Democratic Party) ple's Party), Leena Rauhala (Christian Democratic Minister of Culture and Sport Paavo Arhinmäki (Left Alliance) Party) and Erkki Virtanen (Left Alliance). Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Koskinen (National Coalition Party) Minister of Transport Merja Kyllönen (Left Alliance) Renovation of the Parliament buildings continues Minister of Economic Affairs Jyri Häkämies (National Coalition Party) All of Parliament's buildings except for the Little Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen (Social Democratic Party) Minister of Social Affairs and Health Paula Risikko (National Coalition Party) the main building and Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu. Un- Minister of Health and Social Services Maria Guzenina-Richardson (Social Democratic Party) derground facilities were excavated and preparations Minister of the Environment Ville Niinistö (Greens) Minister of Housing and Communications Krista Kiuru (Social an agreement was also reached so that Parliament can Democratic Party) hold plenary sessions in the Sibelius Academy's facili- ties during the renovation of the Parliament Building Government proposals ...................................................... ...................... ..................... ..................... ..................... Government reports ............................................................ .......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... Government statements ................................................... ........................... – .......................... .......................... .......................... Interpellations ........................................................................ .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... Prime Minister's announcements ................................ .......................... .......................... .........................
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