The Government
The Government refers to the Cabinet of Finland which consists of the Prime Minister and the necessary number of ministers. It also denotes a decision-making body consisting of the Government plenary session and the ministries. The Prime Minister is elected by Parliament and thereafter formally appointed to office by the President of the Republic. The President appoints the other ministers in accordance with a proposal from the Prime Minister. Ministers must be Finnish citizens known for their integrity and ability to serve.
Decisions concerning matters falling within the purview of the Government are made by Government plenary sessions or the relevant ministry. Broad-based issues and important matters of principle are decided by the plenary session. The Government prepares and implements the decisions made by the President of the Republic.
Functions of the Government
The Prime Minister directs the activities of the Government and oversees the preparation and consideration of matters that come within the mandate of the Government. The Prime Minister chairs the plenary sessions of the Government and statutory Cabinet Committees.
Currently, the Government consists of 13 ministries.
Finnish cabinets
Finland has had 70 cabinets and over 550 ministers since it gained independence. The longest-serving cabinets have been two cabinets of Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen. Both cabinets have remained in office for 1,464 days.
Johannes Virolainen served as a minister for 6,169 days, the longest period of all ministers.
List of cabinets