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Parliament name (generic / translated) Eduskunta - Riksdagen / Parliament More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Unicameral Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1920 - LEADERSHIP President Eero Heinäluoma (M)  Notes Elected on 23 June 2011. Secretary General Seppo Tiitinen (M)  COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 200 / 200 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 85 (42.50%) Mode of designation directly elected 200 Term 4 years Last renewal dates 17 April 2011 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address Parliament of Finland Mannerheim str. 30 00102 HELSINKI (Export mailing lists) Phone (358 9) 43 21 Fax (358 9) 432 35 29 E-mail int.dep@parliament.fi Website http://www.parliament.fi/

Parliament name (generic / translated) Eduskunta - Riksdagen / Parliament Structure of parliament Unicameral LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 10 February 1998 Mode of designation directly elected 200 Constituencies - 14 multi-member (6 to 33 seats) provincial constituencies - 1 single-member constituency (province of Aland) Voting system Proportional: - 199 members are elected in 14 constituencies by proportional representation. Seats are distributed among the individual parties, or alliances of several parties, in accordance with the d'Hondt method. For the distribution of seats within each list, candidates are ranked according to the number of personal votes they have polled. - one member is elected by simple majority vote in the province of Aland Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by individuals who are "next in line" on the list of the party which formerly held the seat. Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements - age: 18 years - Finnish citizenship CANDIDATES Eligibility Qualified electors - ineligibility: persons under guardianship, active military service Incompatibilities - Chancellor of Justice and his/her deputy - Ombudsman of Parliament and his/her deputy - Prosecutor General - Members of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court Candidacy requirements - nomination by registered political party or constituency association of at least 100 voters (30 in the province of Aland)

Parliament name (generic / translated) Eduskunta - Riksdagen / Parliament Structure of parliament Unicameral BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 17 April 2011 Timing and scope of renewal Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. Following amendments to the Electoral Act, which came into force in 2010, the 2011 elections were held in April instead of March (see note). In the previous elections held in March 2007, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's Centre Party (KESK) took 51 of the 200 seats at stake. In April, he formed a new coalition government comprising his KESK, the National Coalition Party (KOK, 50 seats), the Green League (15 seats) and the Swedish People's Party (nine seats). Other parties that won parliamentary representation were the Social Democratic Party (SDP, 45 seats), the Left Alliance (17 seats), the Christian Democrats (KD, seven seats) and True Finns (five seats). As a result of the global economic crisis, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk by 8.1 per cent in 2009 but grew by 3.1 per cent in 2010. In June 2010, Mr. Vanhanen stepped down as KESK leader and Prime Minister following funding scandals in his party. Ms. Mari Kiviniemi took over both posts, becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Finland. She led the same four-party coalition government until the 2011 elections. On 16 February 2011, the outgoing legislature voted to approve several constitutional amendments, with 144 votes in favour and 29 against. In order to take effect, however, they needed to be approved by the new legislature, to be elected in April. One of the amendments specifically states that Finland is a member of the European Union (EU). Another stipulates that any disagreement between the country's President and the Government must be resolved by the Parliament. Parliament was dissolved on 15 March in view of elections in which 2,315 candidates, including 903 women, were running. Major election issues at the beginning of the campaign included taxation and compulsory teaching of Swedish. Swedish speakers live mainly in the south and west of the country and account for 5.5 per cent of the country's 5.3 million inhabitants. Swedish has been an official language in the country's schools since 1919 and accounts for 10 per cent of air time on the two main State TV channels. The Swedish People's Party draws its support from the Swedish community. The KESK and the KOK called for an increase in value-added tax (VAT) except on foodstuffs and medicines and a reduction in corporate tax, two proposals rejected by Ms. Jutta Urpilainen's SDP. Prime Minister Kiviniemi suggested that Swedish-language education be replaced by Russian in the east of Finland. The True Finns, led by Mr. Timo Soini, called for fewer programmes in Swedish on State television. The debates on taxation and the Swedish language were pushed to the backburner after 6 April, when Portugal officially requested a financial bailout from the EU. Finland's financial contribution to the EU became the focus of the election campaign. Finland had granted a loan of 1.48 billion euros to Greece and 160 million euros to Iceland as part of the EU bailout to these countries. The EU was planning to increase the loan capacity of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to 440 billion euros, 8 billion of which were to be borne by Finland. Parties in the outgoing government said they would support the bailout for Portugal. Prime Minister Kiviniemi (KESK) underscored the need for the Finnish contribution to the bailout, stating that the debt crisis would have a serious impact on export-driven countries such as Finland. Opposition parties were more reluctant. The SDP said it would not support the bailout unless the responsibility of banks and investors was recognized. The True Finns, a populist euro-sceptic party, termed the 2011 elections a "referendum on the euro". It said it would oppose the EFSF's loan-capacity increase. Mr. Soini said a key condition for his party to participate in a new government was to scrap the proposed constitutional amendment that made specific mention of Finland as an EU member. The True Finns also argued that social protection should only be offered to Finns and that social benefits for foreign nationals should be reduced. In all, 67.37 per cent of the 4.4 million registered voters turned out at the polls. The KOK came in first with 44 seats, followed by the SDP with 42. The True Finns more than quadrupled its share to 39. Prime Minister Kiviniemi's KESK came in fourth with 35 seats. The Left Alliance and the Green League took 14 and 10 seats respectively. The Swedish People's Party and the KD took nine and six seats respectively. A record 85 women were elected, up from 84 in 2007. President Tarja Halonen (SDP) opened the new parliament on 27 April. On 17 June, the KOK, the SDP, the Left Alliance, the Swedish People's Party, the Greens and the KD agreed to form a new government under the premiership of KOK leader Katainen. On 22 June, parliament elected Mr. Katainen as the new Prime Minister. The following day, it elected Mr. Eero Heinäluoma (SDP) as its new Speaker. Note: Election day was changed from the third Sunday in March to the third Sunday in April. The amendment aims to boost turnout by holding elections in better weather conditions. STATISTICS Voter turnout Round no 1 17 April 2011 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes 4'387'701 2'955'865 (67.37%) 16'294 2'939'571 Notes Distribution of votes Round no 1 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes National Coalition Party (KOK) 232 599'138 20.40 Social Democratic Party (SDP) 238 561'558 19.10 True Finns (PS) 238 560'075 19.10 Center Party (KESK) 233 463'266 15.80 Left Alliance (Vas) 236 239'039 8.10 Green League (Vihr) 228 213'172 7.30 Swedish People's Party (RKP) 83 125'785 4.30 Christian Democrats (KD) 191 118'453 4.00 Others 22 11'763 2.00 Distribution of seats Round no 1 Political Group Total of seats Gain/loss Number of women National Coalition Party (KOK) 44 -6 15 Social Democratic Party (SDP) 42 -3 27 True Finns (PS) 39 34 11 Center Party (KESK) 35 -16 12 Left Alliance (Vas) 14 -3 6 Green League (Vihr) 10 -5 5 Swedish People's Party (RKP) 9 0 5 Christian Democrats (KD) 6 -1 3 Others 1 0 1 Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 115 85 42.50% Distribution of seats according to age Distribution of seats according to profession Comments Sources: Statistics Finland (17.05.2011, 01.07.2011, 05.07.2011) http://web.eduskunta.fi/Resource.phx/pubman/templates/56.htx?id=4102 http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/evaa/2011/evaa_2011_2011-04-29_tie_001_en.html http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/evaa/tau_en.html

Parliament name (generic / translated) Eduskunta - Riksdagen / Parliament Structure of parliament Unicameral APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE Title Speaker of Parliament Term - duration: 1 year (election of Speaker takes place every year in February, one day before the opening session of the Eduskunta) - reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death Appointment - elected by all Members of Parliament - the election is held at the first sitting of the newly elected Parliament - after members' mandates have been validated Eligibility - any Member of Parliament may be a candidate Voting system - formal vote by secret ballot - an absolute majority is required for the first two rounds; the candidate who has obtained the largest number of votes is elected in the third round. In case of a tie, lots are drawn Procedures / results - the senior Member presides over Parliament during the voting - the senior Member supervises the voting - the senior Member announces the results without delay - the results cannot be challenged STATUS Status - ranks second in the hierarchy of the State - represents Parliament with the authorities - is ex officio Chairperson of the Speaker's Council and the Parliamentary Offices Committee - represents Parliament in international bodies - in the absence of the Speaker, one of the Deputy Speakers can assume his/her role and functions Board - the Speaker's Council consists of the Speaker, the two Deputy Speakers and the chairpersons of the 14 parliamentary committees - his/her term is one year - generally meets 1/2 hour before plenary sittings - is only responsible for assisting and supporting the Speaker Material facilities NA (no information received) FUNCTIONS Organization of parliamentary business - convenes sessions - establishes and modifies the agenda - has made recommendations to set speaking time - refers texts to a committee for study Chairing of public sittings - can open, adjourn and close sittings - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - makes announcements concerning Parliament, sometimes aided by the Clerk - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak - establishes the order in which amendments are taken up and selects which amendments are to be debated - calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities - checks the quorum - interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of Parliament - has discretionary power to give the floor to an MP outside the agenda only during Question Hour Special powers - recruits, assigns and promotes staff as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Office Committee - can play an important role in the organization of the services of Parliament - may be responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in Parliament Speaking and voting rights, other functions - signs laws before transmitting them to the Head of State for enactment - may refuse to take up or put a matter to a vote; in such cases, the matter can be referred to the Constitutional Committee for resolution - must be consulted in certain circumstances (dissolution, etc.)

Parliament name (generic / translated) Eduskunta - Riksdagen / Parliament Structure of parliament Unicameral NATURE Nature of the mandate · Free representation (S. 11 of the Parliament Act) Start of the mandate · When the results are declared. Procedure (S. 9, 90, and 95 of the Electoral Act). Validation of mandates · Validation by the Chancellor of Justice or by Parliament, or, in case of challenge by election appeals, by a court (S. 23 and 24 of the Parliament Act) · Procedure (S. 23 and 24 of the Parliament Act, S. 3 and 63 of the Procedure of Parliament) End of the mandate · When the results of new elections are declared Can MPs resign? No · See 10 (1) of the Parliament Act). Exceptions (S. 10 (1) of the Parliament Act · Procedure (S. 10 (1) of the Parliament Act, S. 63 of the Procedure of Parliament, S. 88 and 91 (2) of the Electoral Act) · Authority competent to accept the resignation: Parliament Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes (a) Definitive exclusion from Parliament by the latter: - Sentence to imprisonment for certain offences (S. 8 (4) and 17 (2) of the Parliament Act) - Loss of mandate for not attending sessions of Parliament (S. 17 (1) of the Parliament Act) - General procedure (S. 63 of the Procedure of Parliament) (b) Loss of eligibility (S. 8 (1) in connection with S. 7 of the Parliament Act) (c) Loss of mandate for incompatibilities (S. 8 (2) and 9 of the Parliament Act) STATUS OF MEMBERS Rank in hierarchy · Within Parliament: 1. The Speaker 2. The Deputy Speakers 3. The chairpersons of parliamentary committees 4. The other MPs · Outside Parliament: the official order of precedence ranks the Speaker in the 2nd position. Indemnities, facilities and services · Official passport · Basic salary (S. 16 (1) and (2) of the Parliament Act): in accordance with years of service + Expense Allowance: percentage of basic salary + Expense Allowance for the Speaker: FIM 5,000 (ECU 880/USD 1,100) per month + Holiday pay (in July): FIM 8,500 to 10,800 (ECU 1,500 to 1,900/USD 1,900 to 2,400) depending on length of service · No exemption from tax for the basic salary. The Expense Allowance for the Speaker is tax exempt. For the Expense Allowance for regular MPs, see Expense Allowance - Percentage of basic salary. · Pension scheme (S. 16 (3) of the Parliament Act) · Other facilities: (a) Secretariat (b) Assistants (see also S. 8 and 9 of the Procedure of Parliament) (c) Official car for the Speaker (d) Postal and telephone services (e) Travel and transport (S. 16 (1) of Parliament Act) (f) Others Obligation to declare personal assets No Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept does exist (S. 13 of the Parliament Act; see also S. 57 (3) of the Parliament Act). · Parliamentary non-accountability is limited to words spoken or written by MPs and votes cast within Parliament. (Parliamentary non-accountability applies to words spoken and written by MPs both within and outside Parliament.) · Derogations: waiver of immunity by Parliament by a majority vote of five-sixths of the votes cast; offence or insult (S. 58 of the Parliament Act, see Discipline). · Non-accountability takes effect on the day when the mandate begins. Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept does exist (S. 14 (1) of the Parliament Act). · It covers all offences and protects MPs from arrest, from being held in preventive custody, and from being subjected to a travel ban before the charges against them have been taken up for consideration. In other cases, the Speaker shall be immediately informed of the apprehension and detention. · Derogations: when being caught in flagrante delicto, committing an offence for which the minimum penalty is a period of imprisonment not less than six months, MPs can be apprehended. The Speaker shall be immediately informed (S. 14 of the Parliament Act). · Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted (S. 14 (1) of the Parliament Act): - Competent authority: Parliament EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE Training · There is a training/initiation process on parliamentary practices and procedures for MPs. It consists of familiarisation courses. · It is provided by the Central Office of Parliament and by parliamentary groups. · Handbooks of parliamentary procedure: - Parliamentary Memorandum Participation in the work of the Parliament · It is not compulsory for MPs to be present at plenary sittings and committee meetings. For leave of absence, see S. 64 of the Procedure of Parliament. · Penalties foreseen in case of failure to fulfil this obligation: - Plenary sittings: forfeiture of the whole or a part of the salary, loss of mandate (S. 17 (1) of the Parliament Act) - Committee meetings: forfeiture of the whole or a part of the salary, forfeiture of membership of the committee (S. 51 (3) of the Parliament Act) · Body competent to judge such cases/to impose penalties: Parliament Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in S. 55 (1) and 58 of the Parliament Act and S. 39 of the Procedure of Parliament. · Disciplinary measures foreseen: - Call to order (S. 58 of the Parliament Act) - Warning for irrelevance (S. 39 of the Procedure of Parliament) - Denial of the floor (S. 58 of the Parliament Act, S. 39 of the Procedure of Parliament) - Admonition and warning (S. 58 of the Parliament Act) - Suspension from Parliament (S. 58 of the Parliament Act) - Bringing of charges against an MP in a court of law (S. 58 of the Parliament Act) · Specific cases: - Offence or insult (S. 58 of the Parliament Act): call to order, denial of the floor, admonition and warning, suspension from Parliament, bringing of charges against an MP in a court of law · Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties (S. 55 (1) of the Parliament Act): - Call to order, warning for irrelevance, denial of the floor, offence or insult: the Speaker - Admonition and warning, suspension from Parliament, bringing of charges against an MP in a court of law, offence or insult: Parliament The admonition and warning are imposed by the Speaker. · Procedure (S. 58 of the Parliament Act and S. 39 of the Procedure of Parliament) Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does not exist in the country's juridical system. Relations between MPs and pressure group · There are no legal provisions in this field.

This page was last updated on 5 July 2011
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