Majority of people would retain Presidential powers

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A recent survey conducted by Suomen Gallup and commissioned by the Finnish newspapers Keskisuomalainen, Ilkka, Pohjalainen, Karjalainen, and Savon Sanomat, indicates that some 61 per cent of Finns reject the idea of reducing the present powers of the President.
      Only one-third of the respondents would be willing to cut back on Presidential powers.
      In fact, the majority of the supporters of all political parties except for the National Coalition Party oppose further cuts in the constitutional powers of the President.
      The poll involved telephone interviews with more than a thousand Finns at the turn of the months of January and February. All respondents were over the age of 15. The margin of error was three percentage points in either direction.
     
When the new Finnish Constitution was introduced in March 2000, it brought to a close a period of gradual dismantling of presidential powers in favour of majority parliamentarism. The President of the Republic no longer, for instance, has the powers to dissolve Parliament except under specifically limited circumstances, and the role of selecting the Prime Minister was removed from the President and given to Parliament.
      Whilst the formerly wide-ranging executive powers of the head of state have been reduced more or less across the board, the document still contains the important sentence: "The foreign policy of Finland is directed by the President of the Republic in cooperation with the Government." This has occasionally led to awkward moments at international summits, where Finland has called for "two chairs" to accommodate both the President and Prime Minister.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Opposition calls for clarification of Finnish EU affairs´ management (16.6.2006)
  President and Prime Minister oppose further cuts in Presidential powers (28.2.2005)

Links:
  Constitution of Finland

Helsingin Sanomat