Differences among parties could dilute reform of presidential powers

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The three largest parties, the Centre, the National Coalition, and the opposition Social Democrats, are in disagreement on how presidential powers should be defined when the constitution is amended.
     The distribution of powers between the president and the government are being revamped in a parliamentary committee headed by Christoffer Taxell.
     As the reforms involve amending the constitution, they require a qualified majority in Parliament. This means that the votes of government parties are not enough for passage of the measure, and that support from the opposition is necessary.
     
Veteran political scientist, Professor Emeritus Antero Jyränki feels that the prospects of reaching an agreement on the matter are “very poor”.
      “It is my guess that any matter that is opposed by the large parties, will fall away. This means that hardly anything is likely to change.
     One example is the role of the President as commander-in-chief of the defence forces. National Coalition Party leader, Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (Nat. Coalition Party) have proposed that the president should be relieved of the post. However, this does not suit the SDP.
     Jyränki feels that there is no sense in taking away the duties of leading foreign policy from the president, while retaining the responsibility of commander-in-chief. He says that there is no point in breaking away separate crumbs, because then there would be no boarder vision.
     
It could be that all that will be left will be the strengthening of the role of the prime minister in European Union matters, which is something that the SDP will agree to.
     Jyränki feels that EU policy needs some clarification, “That was the intention already in 2000, when the constitution was altered, but apparently the paragraphs were not written precisely enough.”
     Jyränki feels that clarity can only be achieved under the leadership of the prime minister, even at the expense of the powers of the president.
     “The starting point could be that the EU is not a matter for the president, no matter what kinds of issues are at hand”, Jyränki says.
     
The parliamentary committee is currently looking for compromises among the parties.
     The situation is quite sensitive apparently. One indication of this is that last week, when a report on EU policy was made public, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) refused to repeat his own view, when asked to do so.
     “It is in the archive”, he said.
     Before the Presidential elections of 2006 Vanhanen said that he would not take part in EU summits as eagerly as the current president.
     
The reforms need to be passed by two separate parliaments. First, by a simple majority in the current parliament, and a second time in the next one by a two thirds majority. The new power balance would therefore take effect in early 2012, when the campaign is on to find a successor for President Tarja Halonen.
     Halonen herself opposes cutting the existing powers of the president.
     Saturday, in an article in the Oulu-based newspaper Kaleva, Halonen called for a “time out”. In her view, changes should not be made before the term of at least her successor has passed.
     “No matter who my successor is, I hope that he or she would not end up in the same situation in which I have been, in which there are constant questions of whether or not a president can do this or that”, Halonen said.
     
Members of the committee do not feel that Halonen’s views negate their efforts.
     “There is no problem. We are just doing our own work”, says one of the members, veteran National Coalition Party politician Ilkka Suominen.
     “Halonen has logically taken the same view, I respect people who stick to their opinions”, Suominen concludes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Social Democrats ready to amend presidential powers (5.3.2009)
  Justice Ministry working party wants to restrict presidential powers (10.10.2008)

Links:
  The President of the Republic of Finland
  Finnish Constitution (Wikipedia)

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