Local Self-Government in Finland

Abstract

This chapter describes how Finnish legislation follows the articles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. In general, even though local self-government in Finland is constitutionally and legally protected, it is highly state-dependent and restricted in many ways. The current government reform challenges local self-government by establishing a new regional level of governance, altering the Finnish local government system. The burden of public services exposes local government for reforming, which has affected the relationship between central and local governments. In Finland, to follow and implement the principles of the Charter, the biggest challenges are with the municipalities’ wide responsibilities, financial constraints, and strong state steering. This chapter illustrates how the role of local government as a service provider has led to a situation where municipalities are strictly steered by and financially dependent on the national government.