- Minister for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
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The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland (in Finnish, ulkoasiainministeri, in Swedish utrikesminister) handles Finland's foreign affairs. The current Minister for Foreign Affairs is Erkki Tuomioja.
Three ministers are attached to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the current cabinet:
- Minister for Foreign Affairs, responsible for foreign and security policy and general foreign service matters, Erkki Tuomioja.
- Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, responsible for economic relations, coordination of EU affairs, coordination of the country's relations with adjacent states and planning and coordination of Finland's Nordic relations, Alexander Stubb.
- Minister for International Development, Heidi Hautala. She is also responsible for state's ownership steering.
Contents
Constitutional mandate
Section 93 (Competence in the area of foreign policy issues) of the Constitution of Finland provides:[1]
The foreign policy of Finland is directed by the President of the Republic in co-operation with the Government.However, the Parliament accepts Finland’s international obligations and their denouncement and decides on the bringing into force of Finland’s international obligations in so far as provided in this Constitution. The President decides on matters of war and peace, with the consent of the Parliament.
The Government is responsible for the national preparation of the decisions to be made in the European Union, and decides on the concomitant Finnish measures, unless the decision requires the approval of the Parliament.
The Parliament participates in the national preparation of decisions to be made in the European Union, as provided in this Constitution.
The communication of important foreign policy positions to foreign States and international organisations is the responsibility of the Minister with competence in foreign affairs.This last paragraph specifies the constitutional responsibility of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
List of Ministers for Foreign Affairs
Period of Office [2] Minister for Foreign Affairs Party 1918 Otto Stenroth Young Finnish Party 1918-1919 Carl Enckell Technical minister 1919-1922 Rudolf Holsti National Progressive Party 1922 Carl Enckell Technical minister 1922-1924 Juho Vennola National Progressive Party 1924 Carl Enckell Technical minister 1924-1925 Hjalmar Procopé Swedish People's Party 1925 Gustaf Idman Technical minister 1925-1926 Emil Nestor Setälä National Coalition Party 1926-1927 Väinö Voionmaa Social Democratic Party 1927-1931 Hjalmar Procopé Technical minister 1931-1932 Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen National Coalition Party 1932-1936 Antti Hackzell Technical minister 1936-1938 Rudolf Holsti National Progressive Party 1938 Väinö Voionmaa Social Democratic Party 1938-1939 Eljas Erkko National Progressive Party 1939-1940 Väinö Tanner Social Democratic Party 1940-1943 Rolf Witting Swedish People's Party 1943-1944 Carl Henrik Ramsay Swedish People's Party 1944-1950 Carl Enckell Technical minister 1950-1951 Åke Gartz Technical minister 1951-1952 Sakari Tuomioja Technical minister 1952-1953 Urho Kekkonen Agrarian League 1953-1954 Ralf Törngren Swedish People's Party 1954 Urho Kekkonen Agrarian League 1954-1956 Johannes Virolainen Agrarian League 1956-1957 Ralf Törngren Swedish People's Party 1957 Johannes Virolainen Agrarian League 1957-1958 Paavo Hynninen Technical minister 1958 Johannes Virolainen Agrarian League 1958-1959 Karl-August Fagerholm Social Democratic Party 1959-1961 Ralf Törngren Swedish People's Party 1961-1962 Ahti Karjalainen Agrarian League 1962-1963 Veli Merikoski People's Party 1963-1964 Jaakko Hallama Technical minister 1964-1970 Ahti Karjalainen Centre Party 1970-1971 Väinö Leskinen Social Democratic Party 1971-1972 Olavi J. Mattila Technical minister 1972 Kalevi Sorsa Social Democratic Party 1972-1975 Ahti Karjalainen Centre Party 1975 Olavi J. Mattila Technical minister 1975-1976 Kalevi Sorsa Social Democratic Party 1976-1977 Keijo Korhonen Centre Party 1977-1982 Paavo Väyrynen Centre Party 1982-1983 Pär Stenbäck Swedish People's Party 1983-1987 Paavo Väyrynen Centre Party 1987-1989 Kalevi Sorsa Social Democratic Party 1989 - 1991 Pertti Paasio Social Democratic Party 1991 - 1993 Paavo Väyrynen Centre Party 1993 - 1995 Heikki Haavisto Centre Party 1995 Paavo Rantanen Technical minister 1995 - 2000 Tarja Halonen Social Democratic Party 2000- 2007 Erkki Tuomioja Social Democratic Party 2007- 2008 Ilkka Kanerva National Coalition Party 2008- 2011 Alexander Stubb National Coalition Party 2011- Erkki Tuomioja Social Democratic Party See also
- Antti Turunen, head of the Foreign Ministry's Eastern European and Central Asian department
References
- ^ Constitution of Finland
- ^ "List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. http://formin.finland.fi/public/?contentid=41366&contentlan=1&culture=fi-FI.
External links
Categories:- Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Finland
- Politics of Finland
- Foreign relations of Finland
- Lists of government ministers
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