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Finland | Freedom House Page 1 of 13 Finland | Freedom House Page 1 of 13 FinlandFREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2020 100 FREE /100 Political Rights 40 Civil Liberties 60 100 Free Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology. TOP Overview https://freedomhouse.org/country/finland/freedom-world/2020 7/24/2020 Finland | Freedom House Page 2 of 13 Finland’s parliamentary system features free and fair elections and robust multiparty competition. Corruption is not a significant problem, and freedoms of speech, religion, and association are respected. The judiciary is independent under the constitution and in practice. Women and ethnic minority groups enjoy equal rights, though harassment and hate speech aimed at minority groups does occur. Key Developments in 2019 • In March, the right-leaning coalition government, headed by Juha Sipilä of the Center Party, resigned after failing to push through a reform of the health care system. • A general election was held in April, with the Social Democratic Party receiving the largest share of the vote. A new left-leaning coalition government was formed in June, comprising the Social Democratic Party, Center party, Green League, Left Alliance, and Swedish People’s Party of Finland. • Following criticism within the coalition about Prime Minister Antti Rinne’s handing of a strike by postal workers in November, he resigned in December. The Social Democratic Party chose Sanna Marin to replace him. • The parliament in March completed passage of a package of bills that empowered the intelligence service and defense forces to conduct communications surveillance on national security matters. Political Rights A. Electoral Process TOP A1 0-4 pts Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 4 https://freedomhouse.org/country/finland/freedom-world/2020 7/24/2020 Finland | Freedom House Page 3 of 13 The president, whose role is mainly ceremonial, is directly elected for up to two six-year terms. In 2018, former finance minister and incumbent president Sauli Niinistö, originally of the center-right National Coalition Party (KOK), won a second presidential term with 62.6 percent of the vote, defeating several challengers. The election was considered broadly free and fair. The prime minister, the head of government, is selected by Finland’s freely elected parliament. Following parliamentary elections in April 2019, Antti Rinne of the Social Democratic Party became prime minister in June. However, he resigned due to criticism within the governing coalition over his handling of a postal workers’ strike in November, and Sanna Marin was chosen by the party to replace him in December. A2 0-4 pts Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 4 Representatives in the 200-seat, unicameral parliament, the Eduskunta, are elected to serve four-year terms. After a preliminary needs-assessment mission to Finland before the April 2019 parliamentary elections, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) expressed “a high level of confidence in all the aspects of the electoral process” and concluded that it was not necessary to send an election observation mission. The Social Democratic Party won the largest share of the vote, taking 40 seats. The right-wing Finns Party placed second with 39 seats. The new government formed in June comprised the Social Democratic Party, the Center Party (31 seats), the Green League (20 seats), the Left Alliance (16 seats), and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland (9 seats). The remainder of seats went to KOK (38), the Christian Democrats (5), the new MovementTOP Now (1), and the Åland Coalition (1). A3 0-4 pts https://freedomhouse.org/country/finland/freedom-world/2020 7/24/2020 Finland | Freedom House Page 4 of 13 Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented 4 impartially by the relevant election management bodies? Finland’s electoral laws are robust and generally well implemented by the relevant authorities. The OSCE in 2019 found no new electoral problems to address since its previous review. B. Political Pluralism and Participation B1 0-4 pts Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these 4 competing parties or groupings? There are no significant constraints on political parties’ ability to organize and operate, and they compete freely in practice. B2 0-4 pts Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 4 Finland regularly experiences peaceful transfers of power between rival political parties through elections, with governments typically consisting of multiparty coalitions. The 2019 elections produced the country’s first Social Democratic prime minister since 2003. TOP B3 0-4 pts 4 https://freedomhouse.org/country/finland/freedom-world/2020 7/24/2020 Finland | Freedom House Page 5 of 13 Are the people’s political choices free from domination by forces that are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ extrapolitical means? People’s political choices are generally free from undue interference by forces that are not democratically accountable. B4 0-4 pts Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights 4 and electoral opportunities? Citizens from the Finnish majority and all ethnic minorities enjoy full political rights. The Åland Islands—an autonomous region located off the southwestern coast whose inhabitants speak Swedish—have their own 30- seat parliament, as well as one seat in the national legislature. The Sámi of northern Finland, an Indigenous people who number about 10,000, have a legislature with limited powers, but they do not have guaranteed representation in the parliament. Members of the Sámi community continue to call for greater inclusion in political decision-making processes. Women and women’s interests are reasonably well represented in politics, as are LGBT+ people and their respective interests. Prime Minister Marin was the third woman to serve as Finland’s head of government. Her installation also marked the first time that all parties in a Finnish governing coalition were headed by women. C. Functioning of Government C1 0-4 pts TOP Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? 4 https://freedomhouse.org/country/finland/freedom-world/2020 7/24/2020 Finland | Freedom House Page 6 of 13 Finland’s freely elected government and lawmakers are generally able to develop and implement policy without undue interference from unelected entities. In March 2019, the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Sipilä of the Center Party, which had been in power since 2015, resigned after failing to secure parliamentary support for a reform of the health care system, one of its key priorities. The move triggered the elections held in April. C2 0-4 pts Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 4 Corruption is not a significant problem in Finland and is generally punished under relevant laws when discovered. However, in 2018 the Council of Europe’s anticorruption body urged Finland to bolster corruption prevention and detection policies within government and law enforcement agencies, including by increasing whistleblower protection. It further warned of possible conflicts of interest between the public and private sectors in the Sipilä government’s planned health care and social service reforms. C3 0-4 pts Does the government operate with openness and transparency? 4 Laws permitting access to public information are generally well enforced, though there are some limits on the disclosure of information related to national security, foreign affairs, trade secrets, and criminal investigations. All citizens, including government officials, are required by law to make public asset declarations, though there are no penalties for noncompliance. While companies perceive corruption risks and favoritism within public procurementTOP as low, informal networks and personal associations, notably at the local level, are still believed to hold influence over procurement decisions. https://freedomhouse.org/country/finland/freedom-world/2020 7/24/2020 Finland | Freedom House Page 7 of 13 Civil Liberties D. Freedom of Expression and Belief D1 0-4 pts Are there free and independent media? 4 Freedom of expression is protected by Article 12 of the constitution and the 2003 Act on the Exercise of Freedom of Expression in Mass Media. Media outlets in Finland are typically independent and free from political pressure or censorship. However, journalists sometimes face harassment for their work, notably those who cover topics related to immigrants and immigration. Journalists also face the risk of defamation charges. In April 2019, investigative reporter Johanna Vehkoo was convicted of defaming a far-right politician and order to pay more than $7,000 in fines and compensation. D2 0-4 pts Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? 4 Religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution and generally respected in practice. However, far-right hate speech and incidents of vandalism directed at the Jewish and Muslim communities are ongoing concerns. TOP D3 0-4 pts Is there academic
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