President of Finland

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The President of Finland (Suomen Tasavallan Presidentti) is the Head of State in Finland. The office was created in 1919. The president is elected for a term of six years. Since 1994, no president may be in office for more than two consecutive terms. Under the constitution the president cannot be born in a foreign country.

After Finland's independence and the Civil War in Finland the matter of republic or constitutional monarchy was much debated (see Väinö I of Finland), and the outcome was a compromise: a rather monarchy-like, strong presidency with great powers over Finland's foreign affairs and appointment of cabinet and officers of the civil service. The constitution was changed in year 2000, to distribute some of this power to the parliament and the cabinet. The new constitution specifies how principles of Parliamentarism are to be followed (which Finland's presidents have done since 1937 anyway).

Between 1919 and 1987, the president was elected indirectly by an electoral college made up of electors chosen by voters in the presidential election. In the 1987 presidential election, a direct and an indirect election were conducted in parallel: if no candidate would gain majority, the president was elected by an electoral college formed in the same elections. Since then the president has been elected by a direct popular vote. The elections are two-staged: if no candidate wins the majority in the first stage, the top two candidates rerun in the second stage.

There have been several exceptional presidential elections. The first president (Ståhlberg) was chosen by the parliament due to the transition rule of the constitution. In 1940 and 1943, the 1937 electoral college chose the president, as it was felt that a popular election could not be arranged due to the war. In 1946 and 1973 the parliament appointed the president under special laws.

In the first years of Finland's independence Finland had two regents (or protectors of state) and an elected king, although the latter renounced the throne:

• Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, regent (May–December 1918)
• Väinö I of Finland, renounced the throne after Germany's defeat in World War I
• Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, regent (December 1918–July 1919)

List of Presidents of Finland

1. Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg (1919–1925)
2. Lauri Kristian Relander (1925–1931)
3. Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (1931–1937)
4. Kyösti Kallio (1937–1940)
5. Risto Ryti (1940–1944)
6. Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1944–1946)
7. Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1946–1956)
8. Urho Kekkonen (1956–1981)
9. Mauno Koivisto (1981–1994)
10. Martti Ahtisaari (1994–2000)
11. Tarja Halonen (2000–)

See also

• Prime Minister of Finland
• Politics of Finland
• Parliament of Finland
• Government of Finland
• Elections in Finland
• Political parties in Finland
• Lists of incumbents

External links

• Official site
• The Constitution of Finland

es:Presidente de Finlandia fr:Liste des présidents de Finlande fi:Suomen presidentti