Copyright by Raymond Henry Kaaret 1958 THE GOVERNMENT OF FINLAND by Raymond H. Kaaret Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Signatures/p£ Q°mmit£ee s Chairmani I f e / ..y a 7 I /y 6. (\iO—’ m L 1958 Date; ' / / 7 / WHrRtOfcW k♦ m WEFSITV MAY 211958 “8«on, d .c . WAttnimm *n. o. a ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The co-operation of various persons directly or indirectly concerned with the Finnish Government in granting personal interviews and in offering guidance and assistance is gratefully acknowledged. Especial thanks is offered to Professors V. Merikoski and Jan-Magnus Jansson and Maisterl Kauko Sipponen, of Helsinki University, Professor Paavo Kastari, of Helsinki University and Second Minister of the Ministry of Communications and Public Works, Professor Eino Saari, of Helsinki University and Chairman of the Finnish Peoples party and member of the Diet, and Professor Tuttu Tarkiainen, of the Institute of Social Sciences of Helsinki (Yhteiskunnallinen Korkeakoulu). Appreciation is also expressed for the information and answers to interview questions received from Mr. Kaarlo Pitsinki, Secretary of the Social Democratic party, Mr. A. Korsimo, Secretary of the Agrarian Union, Mr. Matti Tuovinen, Secretary of Information of the Agrarian Union, Mrs. Hertta Kuusinen, Chief Secretary of the Finnish Peoples Democratic Union and member of the Diet, Mr. E. Hyvdnen, Press Secretary of the Finnish Peoples Democratic Union, and Mr. Kalevi Terasalmi, Secretary of the National Coalition party. Thanks is also extended to Mr. Yrjb Va.iina.nen, of the Finnish Embassy in Washington, ii H i D. C., who offered valuable suggestions in the early stages, and to Dr, Schuelke, Cultural Attach^ of the American Embassy in Helsinki, who arranged several of the introductions that led to personal interviews with Finnish political leaders, government officials, and other persons concerned with Finnish governmental affairs* The kind assistance rendered by the staffs of the Library of Parliament, the Helsinki Municipal Library, and.the Helsinki University Library is fully appreciated. Finally, the counsel of Dean Catherine Seckler-Hudson, Chairman, and the other members of my Dissertation Advisory Committee, Drs. William E. Biggs, Mary E. Bradshaw, and Aldo L. Raffa, and Mr, Karl E. Olsoni, is gratefully acknowledged. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION .......................... 1 The Problem .................... 3 Statement of the problem............. 3 Importance of the s t u d y ............. 3 Research methods and materials....... 4 Review of the literature ............. 5 Outline of the remainder of the study . 12 The Land and the P e o p l e . 13 Geographical setting . ............. 14 Population and ethnological background . 15 Culture, education and religion • • . • 17 Economy.................... 20 War reparations 23 Social welfare ........ ....... 25 Political Heritage ....... ....... 26 Early beginnings ................ 26 The Russian period: Awakening of the national spi r i t ......... 31 The independent republic • •••...• 39 II. THE FINNISH CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM ..... 51 Basic Landmarks and Fundamental Laws . 53 iv CHAPTER PAGE Basic Constitutional Principles and Characteristics.................. 57 General principles .................. 57 Rights and obligations of citizens • • • 60 Constitutional amendment • .......... 61 The Constitutional Framework: A General Survey 62 The D i e t ............................ 62 The Council of State and the Prime Minister ........... 69 The Chancellor of Justice............. 72 The President • » .................... 74 The Judiciary .............. 77 General and local administration • • . • 79 Civil s e r v a n t s ...................... 81 Church autonomy...................... 83 Political parties .................... 84 III. THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.................. 92 The Principals in the Legislative Process • 93 The Legislative Role of the President . 95 The Legislative Role of the Cabinet .... 96 General authority ...... 96 The preparation of legislation in the Cabinet ............ 97 Vi CHAPTER PAGE The D i e t ........................... 99 Status and functions ......... 99 Membership and organization ............. 101 Organs and facilities of the Diet • • • • 103 Parliamentary debates ••••• ....... 107 Legislative committees Ill The Committee on Constitutional Laws . « • 117 The Grand Committee • «.•••••••• 119 Legislative Procedure * . • ......... 121 Preliminary stages ............... 121 Readings and decision ........... 124 Transmittal, sanction, and publication • • 126 Special forms of procedure . ........... 126 Financial and budgetary procedure . • • 132 Diet-controlled units concerned with finance........... 135 The power of decree • . • •••••»•• 137 The Role of the Political Parties in the Legislative Pro cess »*•••. • 139 The Legislative Interrelationships Among the President, Cabinet, and Diet: A Summary.......................... 144 IV. THE CABINET SYSTEM .................. 147 Prime Minister and Cabinet........... 148 vii CHAPTER PAGE The Cabinet: Status and functions . • 148 The Cabinet: Organization ........ 149 Cabinet procedure • • • .............. 153 Decrees and regulations ••••••••• 158 The Prime Minister ...•••.••••• 160 Parliamentary Supervision and Control of Administration •••••••••••. 162 Means of supervision and control • • • • • 162 Ministerial crises and governmental instability ......... .. ......... 167 Governments of officials................ 175 National Administration •••••••••• 178 National administration: General characteristics ......... ...... 178 National administration: Organization and powers ••••••.. 179 The conduct of foreign relations ..... 189 The Civil Service •• ......... ••••• 192 The civil service: Characteristics and organization «••••• ........... 192 Executive and Administrative Relation­ ships Among the President, Cabinet, and the Diet: A Summary.................... 200 viii CHAPTER PAGE President and Cabinet ....... • 200 The Executive and the Diet .«•••.. 202 V. THE PRESIDENT................. 204 Historical Background ..••••••••• 205 The Office: Its Nature, Functions, and Responsibilities ......... 210 Electing the President ......... 210 Presidential decisions • ............. 214 The President as Chief of S t a t e ....... 221 The Presidents Position in the Consti­ tutional System: A Summary ..••••• 225 VI.’ POLITICAL PARTIES AND NATIONAL ELECTIONS . 228 The Parties: Background ••••....... 229 The Social Democratic party • ....... 229 The Agrarian Union •••••.••••• 235 The Finnish Peoples Democratic Union . • 238 The National Coalition party ....... • 243 The Finnish Peoples party 245 The Swedish Peoples party •••.••.« 246 Party Organization •••••••.••.. 247 The Basic Issues •••.•• ........... 252 National Elections ............ 262 The conduct of Diet Elections ••.••• 262 ix CHAPTER PAGE General elections In 1948, 1951, and 1954 266 Party representation In the Cabinet • • • 269 The Parties and the Trade Unions 272 Summary 276 VII, LOCAL GOVERNMENT......................... 278 Historical Background 279 Local Government: Organization and Status ••••«••••••••••••• 284 General characteristics ••,•••••« 284 Municipal economy .............. 294 Inter-munic ipal co-operation......... • 296 National Government Supervision •••••• 296 General characteristics 296 Municipal police and judicial authorities 299 Summary and Observations ••»••••••• 301 VIII. THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM •••*•'•• ....... 305 General Characteristics . ............ 305 Background and general charac­ teristics ••••••••• 305 The Ordinary Courts ......... 307 General........... 307 Courts of the first Instance ......... 309 X CHAPTER PAGE Courts of Appeal ••••• ........ ••• 312 The Supreme Court ............ 313 The Administrative Courts »•««••••• 315 The Supreme Administrative Court • • • • • 315 The Provincial Courts ................. 318 The High Civil Service Court ••••••• 321 Other Special Courts and Judicial Units . 322 The Labor C o u r t ....................... 322 The National Court of Impeachment .... 323 Other courts •••••... ............. 324 Quasi-judicial units ••••• ......... 325 Judicial supervision .................... 325 Summary ...................... 326 IX. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................... 328 Summary ................ 328 Conclusions ................... 335 Recommendations.......................... 347 Areas for Further Research ••••••••• 350 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY........................... 354 xi LIST OP TABLES TABLE PAGE I. Elections to the Finnish Diet* 1948-1954 . « 268 II# Party Representation In the Cabinet, 1946-1958 ......... 270 III. Number and Size of Finnish Municipalities, 1955 286 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Government of Finland................. 68 2# Post-War Cabinets in Finland ......... 171 3# Simplified Organization Chart of the Major Finnish Political Parties . • 249 4. Municipal Government in Finland ...... 290 5# Court System of Finland •••••....# 308 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION "No, the heroes have not perished, Kaleva's great race has died not, When one dies, is born another, And the best of staves they carry, Longer sticks to sound the water, And their nets are twice as fearful."1 Finland's great national epic— Kalevala— reflects today, as it has for many years past, the Indomitable spirit of a people who have had to fight a grim battle for existence, not only against the forces of nature, but also against her neighbors. By force