Finland is a parliamentary democracy with a directly elected President. Knowing who decides what is the backbone of the citizenship test – and of everyday life in Finland.
The Constitution
The current Constitution came into force on 1 March 2000. It sets out how power is divided and lists the fundamental rights of everyone in Finland, such as equality, freedom of expression and freedom of religion.
Parliament – Eduskunta
- 200 members, elected every four years by proportional representation in 13 electoral districts.
- Passes laws, approves the state budget and chooses the Prime Minister.
- The government must have Parliament's confidence.
The President
The President is elected directly for six years and may serve at most two consecutive terms. The President leads foreign policy together with the government and is the commander-in-chief of the defence forces. Alexander Stubb has been President since March 2024.
The government
The government (Valtioneuvosto) is led by the Prime Minister and runs the country through the ministries. Petteri Orpo has been Prime Minister since June 2023. The next parliamentary election is due in spring 2027.
Courts and oversight
Courts are independent. Ordinary cases go from district courts to courts of appeal and the Supreme Court; administrative cases go to administrative courts and the Supreme Administrative Court. The Chancellor of Justice and the Parliamentary Ombudsman oversee that authorities follow the law.
Local and regional government
- Municipalities (around 300) run schools, early childhood education, local planning and many other services, and collect municipal tax.
- Wellbeing services counties have organised healthcare, social services and rescue services since 2023. Helsinki organises these itself.
- Åland is an autonomous, Swedish-speaking and demilitarised region with its own parliament.
Who can vote
Citizens vote in parliamentary and presidential elections. Foreign residents who meet the conditions can vote in municipal and county elections. Practise these topics with our democracy questions.