Finland | The Global State of Democracy (original) (raw)
June 2025
Sámi Parliament welcomes long-awaited reforms
On 19 June, Parliament approved amendments to the 1995 Sámi Parliament Act, with 150 votes in favour and 27 against. The changes ensure voting rights and candidacy in Sámi Parliament elections are based on criteria set by the Sámi Parliament. The amendments aim to address the 2019 findings by the UN Human Rights Committee that Finland violated the rights of representatives to the Sámi Parliament by not allowing the Sámi Parliament to define eligibility for itself. An independent board will be established to consider appeals over the register, instead of the Board of the Sámi Parliament. The changes also introduce multiple polling stations per municipality and a mobile voting station to improve access to the ballot. The amendments, proposed by the Ministry of Justice following negotiations with the Sámi Parliament, were welcomed by Pirita Näkkäläjärvi, the Sámi Parliament’s President, as confirming the Sámi people’s right to self-determination. Näkkäläjärvi recognized the Sámi community’s mobilization efforts and activism.
Sources: Sámi Parliament, ConstitutionNet, Yle, Helsinki Times, Ministry of Justice, OHCHR
September 2024
Government approves measures to tackle racism and promote equality
On 5 September, the government approved an action plan to combat racism and promote equality, which aims to tackle racist violence and harassment, increase awareness of equality issues, and counter racism and discrimination in working life and education. The action plan comes after racist comments by three different ministers were uncovered by media in 2023. The plan includes increased funding to promote the integration of immigrant mothers into the labour market and a regional pilot project to support highly educated immigrants in accessing internship placements and career development. The government will assess the impact of the measures in 2025. On 27 August, the government launched the “Actions, not only words” (Me Puhumme Teoin) campaign encouraging commitments from partners, including trade unions and civil society to combat racism in organisational culture and advocate for non-discrimination in operations. Critics, including academics and JHL, the Trade Union for Public and Welfare Sectors, which has refused to participate in the campaign, claim that the government is promoting an anti-racism campaign, while also pursuing policies that undermine equality.
Sources: Finnish Government (1), Finnish Government (2), International IDEA, Ministry of Justice, Yle, JHL, Me Puhumme Teoin, Helsinki Times
Civil society organisations face cuts across many sectors
The government has announced cuts in state support to civil society organisations (CSOs). Cuts were first announced in April as part of austerity measures and were confirmed when the government released the state budget for 2025 in September. Reductions in funding have been announced by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Foreign Ministry among others, with impacts on CSOs across many sectors. In August, the government confirmed a reduction in funding to social welfare and health organisations by one third by the end of the government term, starting with a reduction of EUR 80 million in 2025. Impacts are expected on a range of organisations, from support services for victims of domestic and sexual violence to organisations providing legal aid to asylum-seekers and refugees. Additionally, the government halted grants for peacebuilding organizations from 2025.
Sources: Finnish Institute Benelux, Daily Finland, Finnish Government (1), Finnish Government (2), Yle (1), Yle (2), Yle (3), Finland Abroad, Maailma, Kalevi Sorsa Foundation
July 2024
Parliament approves emergency measures to restrict reception of asylum seekers
On 12 July, Parliament approved legislation providing for temporary border security measures. The law, which entered into force on 22 July, sets out conditions for the Finnish government, in cooperation with the President, to restrict the reception of applications for international protection. The Finnish government has accused Russia of instrumentalised migration, encouraging the movement of migrants in order to pressure Finland. The law makes exceptions in cases involving children, people with disabilities and especially vulnerable migrants. The proposal narrowly passed with 167 votes in favour and 31 against, and will be in effect for one year. Finland closed its border with Russia in November 2023 but continued to provide passage for asylum-seekers. The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights pointed to weak definition of the nature of a national security threat as well as lack of clarity on the extent to which the justification would be open to public or judicial scrutiny.
Sources: Reuters, Helsinki Times, Council of Europe, Politico, Finnish Government, Yle
June 2024
Children targeted in suspected racially motivated attack
On 13 June, two children were attacked at a shopping centre in Oulu, northern Finland. A 12-year-old child was stabbed, but both children survived the attack. Police suspect a former member of the Nordic Resistance Movement (PVL), an organization banned in 2020 by Finland’s Supreme Court for hate speech against immigrants and Jews. PVL has a past history of violence. Days later, on 18 June, a teenaged boy stabbed a man who has a foreign background at the same shopping centre in an apparent copycat attack. The police suspect both incidents were racially motivated. The events have sparked debate on right-wing extremist violence and have reportedly diminished feelings of safety among Finland’s immigrant communities. Hate crimes have increased in Finland compared to five years ago, and most are racist crimes according to the Ministry of the Interior, yet violent attacks remain rare. Politicians roundly condemned the attack. A public consultation on the government’s draft action plan for combating racism and promoting equality concluded on 10 June.
Sources: Yle (1), Yle (2), Yle (3), Finnish Government, BBC, International IDEA, Poliisi (1), Poliisi (2), Ministry of the Interior
See all event reports for this country
Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2024
Basic Information
Population
5 583 911
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (since 2023)
Head of government party
National Coalition Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
45.5%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2023
Effective number of political parties
6.65
Head of state
President Alexander Stubb
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
09/11/2022
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
73.36%
Human Rights Treaties
State party
Signatory
No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Performance by category over the last 6 months
Representation
Rights
Rule of law
Participation
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time