Creative Evolution of Finnish Regional Governance

Abstract

This study identifies the kinds of public policy reforms that have shaped Finnish regional governance to discern the main developmental phases it has undergone. The idea is to deepen the understanding concerning the problematic features of the latitude of regional public affairs and role of regional policymaking in constructing, shaping, and consolidating the Finnish welfare state. Our study is based on a literature review and analyses of law drafting materials and ministerial and other governmental reviews and white papers. The main historical phases of regional governance include four distinct eras. During the first, locally developed reform initiatives generated frail systems of regional public services. The second era entailed the expansion and consolidation of regional public services based on intermunicipal collaboration (IMC). The third aimed to improve efficiency through further regionalisation and amalgamations. At the beginning of 2023, the latest era started with the foundation of new welfare regions. The creative evolution of regional governance has been flexible and evolving, enabled some regional variations, and improved economies of scale. In addition, it has been unpredictable and progressed without a stable consensus concerning the societal functions of the regional public authorities. Above all, it has supported undemocratic regional structures.