BACKGROUND: Problems of two-headed leadership
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The practice of having both the Prime Minister and President represent Finland at summits of the European Union is not without its problems. The following is a list of issues which are raised in connection with EU summits by the current, somewhat vague situation.
Presidential authority
The letter of the constitution is unambiguous: EU affairs belong to the government. Parliament’s Constitutional Law Committee has also taken the view that the EU’s common foreign and security policy are matters that belong to the government. The President of the Republic is to take part in meetings “in matters involving the presidential jurisdiction”. The practice that has been established is that the President has left the determination of what might constitute matters of presidential jurisdiction to be very vague. So why does the President attend?
Presidential responsibility
Finland is represented at meetings of the European Council [EU summits] by the Prime Minister, and not the President. The President occupies a seat reserved for an assisting minister. The Prime Minister briefs Parliament on matters related to the summit both before and after the meetings.
So who does the President answer to?
The Foreign Minister’s role
At meetings of the European Council, each member state has two seats, one for the head of government, and one for an assisting minister. If the Finnish President takes part in a meeting, the assisting minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has to leave the room. This constitutes a weakening of the position of the Finnish Foreign Minister compared with those of other member states.
The real leader
The President takes part in the dinner for the leaders, even though the formation of EU’s internal positions, which take place at the dinners, is a matter for the government. Other countries could get wrong impressions of the leadership of Finnish EU policy. Why does Finland have to send a president to the dinner table without the needed authority?
Preparation
Finnish preparations for meetings of the European Council are made within the government. The President is also not involved in the pre-summit preparations that take place in political groups. This means that familiarity with matters at the meeting can be limited.
President’s entourage
The maximum size of the delegations of member states at EU summits is 20. The Finnish President usually travels with an aide de camp, press attache, chief of staff, a security guard and a maid. The chief of staff and the aide de camp are present at meetings, and require ID badges, which would otherwise go to government experts.
More on this subject:
 President and PM seek common stance on representation at EU summits
Links:
President of the Republic of Finland website
Finnish Government website - EU
Helsingin Sanomat
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