Elections and voting The Ministry of Justice is the highest election authority in Finland. The Ministry bears the overall responsibility for conducting general elections, coordinates the preparatory work for elections, and provides guidance to oth...

Democracy and voting Under the Constitution, the powers of the State in Finland are vested in the people, who are represented by the Parliament. Democracy entails the right of the individual to participate in and influence the development of socie...

26.5.2026 | A text message pilot carried out in connection with the 2025 county and municipal elections showed that text message reminders with information about elections increase voter turnout. The results confirm earlier findings on the effectiveness of text message reminders.

Right of initiative The Constitution lays down provisions on the right of individuals to participate in and influence the development of society and their living conditions. Pursuant to the Constitution, the public authorities shall promote the op...

Act on the Openness of Government Activities The right to information on government activities What documents are governed by the act? Requesting access to a document The right to access to information Restrictions on access Publications and broch...

The Ministry of Justice has appointed a cross-administrative working group to prepare the National Programme to Promote Democracy and Participation outlined in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government Programme and to coordinate the implementation of the programme within the Government ministries.

Current issues News RSS (Opens New Window) (Opens New Window) Language Report discusses realisation of linguistic rights Type: Press release Publication date: 15.1.2026 13.32 Proposal for a new Arbitration Act sent out for comments Type: Press rel...

Finland – a state governed by the rule of law Finnish democracy is built on the rule of law. The rule of law and respect for fundamental rights are key principles enshrined in the Constitution of Finland. Finland is also committed to these princip...

Justice affairs in the EU EU affairs at the Ministry of Justice The Ministry of Justice is responsible for EU projects within its mandate and seeks to influence EU legislation proactively. The objective is to ensure that Finland’s interests are se...

The Government Programme states that preparation of a cross-administrative democracy programme shall be launched. The National Democracy Programme 2025 covers the numerous measures related to civil society and participation outlined in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Marin. It will function as an umbrella for democracy-related projects to be carried out by different ministries.

From 1 December 2020 to 30 November 2021, the Ministry of Justice will implement the Election Pool project, which will support elections and cooperation between authorities. The project is funded by the European Commission’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) Programme. The objective of the project is to strengthen cooperation among authorities and cooperation with social media in addressing election interference and improving election preparedness.

One of the objectives set out in the Government Programme is to promote democracy and human rights education and the participation of young people and to reinforce the obligation to consult young people. The task of the coordination group is to monitor and support the planning and implementation of the measures.

4.4.2025 | The 2025 county elections and municipal elections will be held simultaneously, but they are two separate elections. The Ministry of Justice has published communication materials providing examples that will help voters know what to do when they go to a polling station. 

On 20.3.2025, the Government adopted a resolution on a national programme to promote democracy and participation. The task of the cross-administrative working group appointed by the Ministry of Justice is to coordinate the implementation of the programme in the Government in 2025-2027.

In accordance with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin, an act on a transparency register will be enacted in Finland on the basis of parliamentary preparation and in consultation with civil society. The purpose of the act is to improve the transparency of decision-making and, by doing this, to prevent undue influence and reinforce public confidence.

26.5.2026 | KETTU POLICY BRIEF 1 VUODEN 2025 ALUE- JA KUNTAVAALIEN TEKSTIVIESTIKOKEILU1 Salomo Hirvonen, Lauri Sääksvuori, Janne Tukiainen Toteutimme Suomen vuoden 2025 alue- ja kuntavaaleissa äänestämiseen kannusta- van tekstiviestikokeilun, jossa yli 345 00...

The goal of the project is to facilitate the participation of children and young people in policy-making at the national level. The goal is to develop methods, gather best practices and produce training materials on child participation and to provide relevant training for public authorities. The project in Finland is part of the joint European CP4Europe project, which is coordinated by the Council of Europe.

The Ministry of Justice maintains and develops legal order and legal protection, reinforces the structures of democracy, and safeguards citizens’ fundamental rights.

The Ministry of Justice maintains and develops legal order and legal protection, reinforces the structures of democracy, and safeguards citizens’ fundamental rights.

The Ministry of Justice maintains and develops legal order and legal protection, reinforces the structures of democracy, and safeguards citizens’ fundamental rights.