e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu
e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu
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