Government Information Unit
Bulletin 326/2005
(Translation from Finnish language)

19.10.2005

At its meeting on 19 October, the Government reviewed the key policy lines in its Citizen Participation Policy Programme and issued directions for follow-up measures.

The fourth policy programme launched by the Government under Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen is a national democracy project to strengthen citizens’ participation in decision-making processes and improve the effectiveness with which democracy functions. The goal is that Finland will assume a place among the best democracies where citizen participation is concerned.

Bringing representative democracy up to date

This autumn and next spring, the Ministry of the Interior will be drafting reforms aimed at strengthening municipal democracy and ensuring that holders of elective office are provided with more auspicious conditions in which to do their work.

The intention is to strengthen the prerequisites for the so-called mayor model. This would mean the mayor being elected by the city or municipal council for the same term as the council itself. The mayor would then be a holder of elective office rather than an appointed official as at present. In addition, a municipality could also have deputy-mayors.

The Ministry of the Interior is proposing that persons assuming elective office be given the right to take unpaid leave-of-absence from their regular posts.

Based on submissions on the report of the Democracy 2007 committee and the Civil Society 2006 final report, the Ministry of Justice will in the course of next spring determine further measures with the aim of implementing reforms of elections and the electoral system.

Strengthening the activities of civil society

In collaboration with several other ministries, the Ministry of Education will in the course of next spring draft a legislative amendment to clarify the provisions concerning the activities of nongovernmental organisations. The recommendations made in the Civil Society 2006 committee’s report, which is due for completion towards the end of the year, will form the basis for this work.

Two points emphasised at the Government meeting were the importance of NGOs and the necessity of defining their public utility character more clearly than at present.
With the centenary of Finnish democracy in 2006 in mind, the Ministry of Education is exploring possibilities of establishing an innovation network to support civic activities and the work of organisations as well as democracy-related research and development.

One of the tasks assigned to the Citizen Participation Policy Programme is that of drafting, before the end of next year, a set of recommendations concerning measures by which the engagement in civil society of the less well-educated, low-income persons, those in danger of marginalisation as well as immigrants can be promoted in a way that takes gender equality into consideration.

Improving opportunities to exercise influence

By the end of next year, all ministries will draft their NGO strategies or sets of procedures for consulting citizens. The Ministry of Finance intends to examine, by means of a questionnaire-based survey to be conducted in early 2007, what progress has been made with respect to consulting citizens.

Within the Citizen Participation Policy Programme, a comprehensive study of citizen consultation will be drafted and an electronic consultation forum to meet the needs of the State administrative sector launched in the course of 2006.

Integrating active citizenship into the work of schools

Schools are key actors in efforts to help children grow to active citizenship. The intention is to give active citizenship an established status as a part of the work done by all schools and other institutions of learning. The Ministry of Education is promoting civic studies in educational programmes run by NGOs.

Civic education will likewise be given an established status as a part of basic and supplementary training for teachers. University courses in civic education and civic activities are under preparation. The Ministry of Education will support the activities of student bodies in schools.

Better management of democracy affairs

The development of democracy in Finland will henceforth be monitored on a regular basis. As a part of the Citizen Participation Policy Programme, a set of recommendations concerning democracy indicators and their monitoring will be made by the end of April.

Additional info: Programme Director Seppo Niemelä, Ministry of Justice, tel. + 358 (0)9 1606 7950 or +358 (0) 40 822 2777