Prime Minister of Finland

The Prime Minister (Finnish Pääministeri, Swedish: Statsminister) is the Head of Government in Finland. In 1918 the Senate of Finland was transformed into the Cabinet of Finland, and the position as vice-chairman of the Senate's Economic Division was transformed into that of a prime minister.

The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is Head of State.

The President nominates Prime Minister, according to the (new) Constitution of Finland, after the parties of the Parliament (Eduskunta) have negotiated on distribution of seats in Cabinet and on its programme. The Parliament elects Prime Minister with absolute majority (in a voting without counter-candidate). If the nominee hasn't received sufficient support, then a new round of negotiations and a second nomination by the President follows. If also the second nominee fails to gain absolute majority, then a third voting occurs, in which all Members of Parliament can nominate candidates, and relative majority suffice for election. The President's formal appointment follows the Parliament's election.

The procedure above was first used to elect Anneli Jäätteenmäki into office in 2003, when it beforehand was assumed that the President would nominate the candidate who in a third voting would have gained relative majority, i.e. the leader of the largest party.

The previous 85 years full formal powers to appoint the Prime Minister and the rest of the Cabinet had been the privilege of the President, who for instance was free to diverge from principles of Parliamentarism, although the ministers must enjoy the confidence of the Parliament.

Since its independence (declared on December 6th, 1917), Finland has had 86 Cabinets, the longest lasting being the two Cabinets of Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, both lasting 1,464 days.

List of Prime Ministers

From-To	Prime Minister	Born/died	Party
1917–1918	Pehr Evind Svinhufvud	1861–1944	Young Finnish Party
1918	Juho Kusti Paasikivi	1870–1956	Finnish Party
1918–1919	Lauri Ingman	1868–1934	National Coalition Party
1919	Kaarlo Castrén	1860–1938	National Progressive Party of Finland
1919–1920	Juho Vennola	1872–1938	National Progressive Party
1920–1921	Rafael Erich	1879–1946	National Coalition Party
1921–1922	Juho Vennola	1872–1938	National Progressive Party
1922	Aimo Cajander	1879–1943	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1922–1924	Kyösti Kallio	1873–1940	Agrarian Party
1924	Aimo Cajander	1879–1943	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1924–1925	Lauri Ingman	1868–1934	National Coalition Party
1925	Antti Tulenheimo	1879–1952	National Coalition Party
1925–1926	Kyösti Kallio	1873–1940	Agrarian Party
1926–1927	Väinö Tanner	1881–1966	Social Democratic Party
1927–1928	Juho Sunila	1875–1936	Agrarian Party
1928–1929	Oskari Mantere	1874–1942	National Progressive Party
1929–1930	Kyösti Kallio	1873–1940	Agrarian Party
1930–1931	Pehr Evind Svinhufvud	1861–1944	National Coalition Party
1931–1932	Juho Sunila	1875–1936	Agrarian Party
1932–1936	Toivo Mikael Kivimäki	1886–1968	National Progressive Party
1936–1937	Kyösti Kallio	1873–1940	Agrarian Party
1937–1939	Aimo Cajander	1879–1943	National Progressive Party
1939–1940	Risto Ryti	1889–1956	National Progressive Party
1941–1943	Johan Wilhelm Rangell	1894–1982	National Progressive Party
1943–1944	Edwin Linkomies	1894–1963	National Coalition Party
1944	Antti Hackzell	1881–1946	None
1944	Urho Castren	1886–1965	National Coalition Party
1944–1946	Juho Kusti Paasikivi	1870–1956	National Coalition Party
1946–1948	Mauno Pekkala	1890–1952	Finnish People's Democratic League
1948–1950	Karl-August Fagerholm	1901–1984	Social Democratic Party
1950–1953	Urho Kekkonen	1900–1986	Agrarian Party
1953–1954	Sakari Tuomioja	1911–1964	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1954	Ralf Törngren	1899–1961	Swedish People's Party
1954–1956	Urho Kekkonen	1900–1986	Agrarian Party
1956–1957	Karl-August Fagerholm	1901–1984	Social Democratic Party
1957	Jussi Sukselainen	1906–1995	Agrarian Party
1957–1958	Rainer von Fieandt	1890–1972	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1958	Reino Kuuskoski	1907–1965	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1958–1959	Karl-August Fagerholm	1901–1984	Social Democratic Party
1959–1961	Jussi Sukselainen	1906–1995	Agrarian Party
1961–1962	Martti Miettunen	1908–2002	Agrarian Party
1962–1963	Ahti Karjalainen	1923–1990	Agrarian Party
1963–1964	Reino Ragnar Lehto	1898–1966	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1964–1966	Johannes Virolainen	1914–2000	Centre Party
1966–1968	Rafael Paasio	1903–1980	Social Democratic Party
1968–1970	Mauno Koivisto	1923-	Social Democratic Party
1970	Teuvo Aura	1912–1999	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1970–1971	Ahti Karjalainen	1923–1990	Centre Party
1971–1972	Teuvo Aura	1912–1999	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1972	Rafael Paasio	1903–1980	Social Democratic Party
1972–1975	Kalevi Sorsa	1930–2004	Social Democratic Party
1975	Keijo Liinamaa	1929–1980	None (Caretaker cabinet)
1975–1977	Martti Miettunen	1908–2002	Centre Party
1977–1979	Kalevi Sorsa	1930–2004	Social Democratic Party
1979–1982	Mauno Koivisto	1923-	Social Democratic Party
1982–1987	Kalevi Sorsa	1930–2004	Social Democratic Party
1987–1991	Harri Holkeri	1937-	National Coalition Party
1991–1995	Esko Aho	1954-	Centre Party
1995–2003	Paavo Lipponen	1941-	Social Democratic Party
2003	Anneli Jäätteenmäki	1955-	Centre Party
2003-	Matti Vanhanen	1955-	Centre Party

Prime Ministers of Finland

ImageSize = width:200 height:2000 PlotArea = width:150 height:1980 left:40 bottom:5

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:1917 till:2005 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:1917 ScaleMinor = unit:month increment:3 start:01/01/1917

Define $dx = 20 Define $dy = -3

PlotData=

 bar:PrimeMinisters color:blue width:25 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:S

 from:27/11/1917 till:27/05/1918 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
 from:27/05/1918 till:27/11/1918 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Juho Kusti Paasikivi
 from:27/11/1918 till:17/04/1919 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Lauri Ingman
 from:17/04/1919 till:15/08/1919 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Kaarlo Castrén
 from:15/08/1919 till:15/03/1920 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Juho Vennola
 from:15/03/1920 till:09/04/1921 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Rafael Erich
 from:09/04/1921 till:02/06/1922 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Juho Vennola 
 from:02/06/1922 till:14/11/1922 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Aimo Cajander 
 from:14/11/1922 till:18/01/1924 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Kyösti Kallio 
 from:18/01/1924 till:31/05/1924 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Aimo Cajander 
 from:31/05/1924 till:31/03/1925 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Lauri Ingman 
 from:31/03/1925 till:31/12/1925 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Antti Tulenheimo 
 from:31/12/1925 till:13/12/1926 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Kyösti Kallio 
 from:13/12/1926 till:17/12/1927 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Väinö Tanner 
 from:17/12/1927 till:22/12/1928 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Juho Sunila 
 from:22/12/1928 till:16/08/1929 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Oskari Mantere 
 from:16/08/1929 till:04/07/1930 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Kyösti Kallio 
 from:04/07/1930 till:21/03/1931 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Pehr Evind Svinhufvud 
 from:21/03/1931 till:14/12/1932 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Juho Sunila 
 from:14/12/1932 till:07/10/1936 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Toivo Mikael Kivimäki 
 from:07/10/1936 till:12/03/1937 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Kyösti Kallio 
 from:12/03/1937 till:01/12/1939 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Aimo Cajander 
 from:01/12/1939 till:27/03/1940 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Risto Ryti 
 from:27/03/1940 till:04/01/1941 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Risto Ryti
 from:04/01/1941 till:05/03/1943 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Johan Wilhelm Rangell 
 from:05/03/1943 till:08/08/1944 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Edwin Linkomies 
 from:08/08/1944 till:21/09/1944 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Antti Hackzell 
 from:21/09/1944 till:17/11/1944 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Urho Castrén 
 from:17/11/1944 till:17/04/1945 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Juho Kusti Paasikivi 
 from:17/04/1945 till:26/03/1946 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Juho Kusti Paasikivi 
 from:26/03/1946 till:29/07/1948 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Mauno Pekkala 
 from:29/07/1948 till:17/03/1950 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Karl-August Fagerholm 
 from:17/03/1950 till:17/01/1951 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Urho Kekkonen 
 from:17/01/1951 till:20/09/1951 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Urho Kekkonen 
 from:20/09/1951 till:09/07/1953 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Urho Kekkonen 
 from:09/07/1953 till:17/11/1953 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Urho Kekkonen 
 from:17/11/1953 till:05/05/1954 shift:($dx,$dy)  text:Sakari Tuomioja
 from:05/05/1954 till:20/10/1954 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Ralf Törngren
 from:20/10/1954 till:03/03/1956 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Urho Kekkonen
 from:03/03/1956 till:27/05/1957 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Karl-August Fagerholm
 from:27/05/1957 till:29/11/1957 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Jussi Sukselainen
 from:29/11/1957 till:26/04/1958 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Rainer von Fieandt
 from:26/04/1958 till:29/08/1958 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Reino Kuuskoski
 from:29/08/1958 till:13/01/1959 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Karl-August Fagerholm
 from:13/01/1959 till:14/07/1961 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Jussi Sukselainen
 from:14/07/1961 till:13/04/1962 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Martti Miettunen
 from:13/04/1962 till:18/12/1963 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Ahti Karjalainen
 from:18/12/1963 till:12/09/1964 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Reino Ragnar Lehto
 from:12/09/1964 till:27/05/1966 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Johannes Virolainen
 from:27/05/1966 till:22/03/1968 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Rafael Paasio
 from:22/03/1968 till:14/05/1970 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Mauno Koivisto
 from:14/05/1970 till:15/07/1970 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Teuvo Aura
 from:15/07/1970 till:29/10/1971 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Ahti Karjalainen
 from:29/10/1971 till:23/02/1972 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Teuvo Aura
 from:23/02/1972 till:04/09/1972 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Rafael Paasio
 from:04/09/1972 till:13/06/1975 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Kalevi Sorsa
 from:13/06/1975 till:30/11/1975 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Keijo Liinamaa
 from:30/11/1975 till:29/09/1976 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Martti Miettunen
 from:29/09/1976 till:15/05/1977 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Martti Miettunen
 from:15/05/1977 till:26/05/1979 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Kalevi Sorsa
 from:26/05/1979 till:19/02/1982 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Mauno Koivisto
 from:19/02/1982 till:06/05/1983 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Kalevi Sorsa
 from:06/05/1983 till:30/04/1987 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Kalevi Sorsa
 from:30/04/1987 till:26/04/1991 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Harri Holkeri
 from:26/04/1991 till:13/04/1995 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Esko Aho
 from:13/04/1995 till:15/04/1999 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Paavo Lipponen
 from:15/04/1999 till:17/04/2003 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Paavo Lipponen
 from:17/04/2003 till:24/06/2003 shift:($dx,$dy) text:Anneli Jäätteenmäki
 from:24/06/2003 till:end shift:($dx,$dy) text:Matti Vanhanen

</timeline>

External links

Categories: Lists of office-holders | Prime Ministers of Finland

Prime Minister of Finland

List of Prime Ministers

See also

External links