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e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu

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7 APPENDIX<br />

7.1 Appendix 1: Finland’s political and administrative system<br />

467. In 2000, public administration consumption in Finland was 19.6% of GDP. This compares with<br />

17.6% for OECD countries in general, 19.3% for the European Union and 21.8% for Nordic countries. 64<br />

468. Table 6 provides a brief summary of the main characteristics of the Finnish administrative and<br />

political system, based on a classification by Geert Bouckaert. 65<br />

Table 7.1. Classification of Finnish politico-administrative regime<br />

Form of government Finland is a republic. With its new, explicitly parliamentary constitution and<br />

hence a president with more modest powers, differences with other Nordic<br />

countries are less noticeable.<br />

State structure Unitary: no federation.<br />

Executive government Consensual: tradition of grand coalitions.<br />

Centralised/decentralised Decentralised: municipalities enjoy considerable independence,<br />

safeguarded by the Constitution.<br />

Fairly fragmented: ministries are quite independent and each minister is<br />

individually responsible to parliament.<br />

Minister/mandarin relations Separate: mandarins and ministers have “separate” career paths. Fairly<br />

politicised: top civil servants often openly refer to their political sympathies.<br />

Administrative culture Tending to Rechtsstaat: Origin in a Rechtsstaat tradition, but moving<br />

towards mixed forms with a public interest model.<br />

Public management Responsibility split between Ministry of Finance (co-ordinator and<br />

responsible for central level) and Ministry of the Interior (responsible for<br />

regional government administration).<br />

Diversity of policy advice Mainly civil service: Not much input from academic or trade/business<br />

organisations.<br />

Major affiliations European Union<br />

64 OECD, National Accounts of OECD Countries, 1989-2000, Vol. II.<br />

65 Classification from G. Bouckaet et al.( 2000), p. 77.<br />

147

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