Finland's Government: Monarchy Or Republic?

Finland has never been an independent sovereign monarchy, despite a brief flirtation with the idea following its independence from Russia in 1917. The Finnish Constitution of 1919 designated Finland as a constitutional monarchy, and German-born Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse was chosen as King. However, his reign was short-lived, ending with his abdication in 1918, and Finland ultimately became a republic. While Finland has never had its own royal family, it has been part of monarchical states ruled by Sweden and Russia. Today, Finland is a republic with a democratically elected president as its head of state.

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Finland's short-lived monarchy

Finland has never been an independent sovereign monarchy and no attempt to establish a monarchy has been successful. However, Finland has been part of monarchical states as a subunit of a monarchy based outside of Finland. After the 13th-century Swedish conquest, Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden and later became an autonomous state under the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland.

There were a few attempts to establish a monarchy in Finland. In 1742, following the Russian occupation of Finland in the Russo-Swedish War, the four estates gathered in Turku and decided to ask Empress Elizabeth of Russia if Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp could be proclaimed King of Finland. However, the idea of Finnish independence quickly evaporated.

Another attempt to establish a monarchy in Finland took place in 1918 after Finland declared its independence from Russia in December 1917. The Finnish Civil War that followed ended in victory for the Whites, who were supported by Imperial Germany. In an effort to cement the alliance with Germany, the Finnish parliament elected Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse as the King of Finland. However, Frederick Charles never took the position nor travelled to Finland as Germany was about to lose World War I, and he declined the throne due to the collapse of the Central Powers. Finland became a republic following subsequent election victories by republicans.

Finnish independence

Finland has never been an independent sovereign monarchy. Instead, it has been part of monarchical states as a subunit of a monarchy based outside of Finland. After the 13th-century Swedish conquest, Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden, with some brief feudal characteristics in the 16th century. In 1742, following the Russian occupation of Finland in the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743), Finland briefly considered the idea of independence and monarchy, but this soon evaporated.

Finland was then captured from Sweden by Russia in 1809, becoming an autonomous state known as the Grand Duchy of Finland, controlled by the Russian Empire. The Russian Emperor wielded the powers formerly held by the King of Sweden as Grand Duke of Finland. During this time, Finland developed its governing bodies and national identity, becoming a nation among nations.

In 1900, the gradual imposition of Russian as the third official language was ordered, and in 1901, Finns were ordered to serve in Russian units, causing discontent. This led to a complete reform of the parliamentary system in 1906, resulting in a unicameral Parliament elected by universal suffrage. However, the importance of Parliament was diminished as it was frequently dissolved by the Emperor, threatening Finnish autonomy.

During World War I, the Finnish liberation movement sought support from Germany, and a group of young volunteers formed the Jägar Battalion, receiving military training. After the Russian Revolution in March 1917, Finland regained its autonomy, and a Senate assumed rule of the country. On November 15, 1917, the Finnish Parliament issued a declaration, assuming all the powers of the Sovereign in Finland and declaring its independence from the Russian Empire on December 6, 1917, shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution. This declaration was recognized by Lenin and his government on December 31, 1917, marking the official independence of Finland as a republic.

Finland's modern status as a republic

Finland has never been an independent sovereign monarchy. After the Swedish conquest in the 13th century, Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden, with some brief feudal characteristics in the 16th century. In 1742, following the Russian occupation of Finland in the Russo-Swedish War, there was a brief flirtation with the idea of Finnish independence and monarchy. However, this idea quickly evaporated.

Finland's status as a republic was confirmed in 1919, following its declaration of independence after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and a civil war in 1918. The country's constitution was first adopted on 17 July 1919 and has been updated several times since, with the most recent version being enacted on 1 March 2000. This constitution outlines the legislative, governmental, and judicial powers of the country, with the final legislative power vested in the Parliament, in conjunction with the President of the Republic.

Finland has had a semi-presidential system of government for most of its independence, but in recent decades, the powers of the president have become more limited. The country is now considered a parliamentary republic, with the president primarily serving a ceremonial role. The president appoints the prime minister, as elected by Parliament, and appoints and dismisses other ministers of the Finnish Government on the recommendation of the prime minister. Finland was the first territory in Europe to grant universal suffrage in 1906 and the first in the world to allow all adult citizens to run for public office.

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The Finnish Constitution of 1919

Finland has never been an independent sovereign monarchy. The Finnish Constitution of 1919, also known as the Instrument of Government, was enacted soon after Finland declared its independence in 1917. The fundamental principles of the Constitution Act of 1919 and the Parliament Act of 1906 (amended in 1928) remained unchanged during the first fifty years of Finnish independence. The Finnish Constitution is flexible due to the use of "exceptive laws", which allow for ad hoc exceptions to the Constitution without amending it.

The Finnish Constitution consists of 131 sections divided into 13 chapters. It affirms Finland's status as a sovereign republic, the inviolability of human dignity, the rights of the individual, and the sovereignty of the Finnish people. It also affirms the principle of representative democracy and the position of Parliament as the highest organ of government, with legislative power shared by Parliament and the President of the Republic. The Constitution outlines the structure and organisation of the government, the relationship between different constitutional organs, and the fundamental rights of Finnish citizens.

The Constitution Act of 1919 was one of four separate statutes that made up the Finnish constitutional provisions before they were enshrined in a single statute: the Constitution of Finland (731/1999), which came into force on 1 March 2000. The other three statutes were the Parliament Act of 1928, the Ministerial Responsibility Act of 1922, and the Act on the High Court of Impeachment of 1922.

The Finnish Constitution delegates some issues to be governed by ordinary Acts, which are not considered constitutional laws but concern constitutional rights. For example, the universal obligation to participate in national defence is provided in § 127 and delegated to regular legislation. The constitutionality of laws is reviewed by the Parliament's own Constitutional Law Committee, which has been criticised for potentially undermining respect for Constitutional provisions and failing to guarantee separation of powers.

Finland's history as part of monarchical states

Finland has never been an independent sovereign monarchy. While there is no record of ancient kings of Finland, the nation has been a part of monarchical states as a subunit of a monarchy based outside of Finland.

Following the Swedish conquest in the 13th century, Finland was a part of the Kingdom of Sweden and was occasionally a nominal duchy, with some brief feudal characteristics in the 16th century. In 1581, Finland was elevated to a Grand Duchy, but this had no effect on its position. From 1607 to 1611, King Charles IX of Sweden briefly used the title "King of Finns" as part of his official titulary, but this change did not impact the official status of Finns or Finland.

In 1741, the Russo-Swedish War began, and Russia occupied Finland. Russia made vague promises of making Finland independent, and in 1742, the four estates gathered in Turku and decided to ask Empress Elizabeth of Russia if Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, the grand-nephew of the late King Charles XII of Sweden, could be proclaimed King of Finland. However, the idea of Finnish independence soon evaporated as the political situation changed.

In 1809, Russia captured Finland from Sweden, and Finland became an autonomous state within the Russian Empire, known as the Grand Duchy of Finland or the Grand Principality of Finland. Finland retained the Swedish constitution formally, and the Russian Emperor wielded the powers formerly held by the King of Sweden as the Grand Duke of Finland.

After declaring independence from the Russian Empire in December 1917, Finland became a republic in 1919 following its civil war. During this period, there were attempts to establish a monarchy in Finland, with Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse elected as King. However, due to Germany's defeat in World War I and the collapse of the Central Powers, Frederick Charles never ascended the throne, and Finland ultimately adopted a republican constitution.

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