Social welfare and health care is the most extensive local government function and a central part of the Finnish system of welfare services. The right to social welfare and health services is a basic and fundamental right of the whole population. Local authorities are responsible for performing the
Sisältötyyppi
Kuntaliiton termit
The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities has published a programme for the European elections 2019 and its goals for Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. Finland will hold the Council Presidency during the latter half of 2019. The priorities for the Finnish Presidency will
The extension of women’s suffrage and eligibility for election cannot be analysed separately from the fight for universal and equal suffrage in the Finnish national elections, for a unicameral Parliament and for Finland’s independence. The Finnish Parliament adopted the municipal laws granting women
The European Commission held its promise and published a proposal for the EU budget 2021–2027 in early May. Commission President Juncker has said that the negotiations were exceptionally difficult, as Brexit will leave the EU with a financial hole, and there are continuous demands for the EU to take
‘As a decision-maker, I have heard the words local service, customer orientation and the third sector countless times. They are words that are constantly used to justify different things. Less frequently, it is asked what they mean, and perhaps even less often, they can be justified in ways that
Municipalities are building their own future: they shape their operating environment through their actions and choices. Self-governing municipalities promote a sense of belonging, well-being and vitality in the community. Well-being is essentially linked to vitality. The well-being of municipal
Local councillors and deputy councillors are elected to the local council in local elections held within the municipality every four years. The latest elections on mainland Finland were held on 9 April 2017. The new Local Government Act (Section 16) gives the local council more freedom to decide the
Local government in Finland is based on local self-government by the people. The Finnish Constitution safeguards the central features of local self-government: Residents elect the supreme decision-making body, the municipal council. The council has the general decision-making authority in local
Finnish local authorities spent EUR 42 billion in 2016 on arranging services and promoting the welfare of residents. Social and health care services account for almost a half of the total expenditure and education and culture almost one third. Local authorities finance their services with taxes,
The Finnish Local Government Act requires that municipalities advance the well-being of their residents and promote sustainable development in their areas. Gender equality, non-discrimination and the observance of human rights are central to well-being and socially sustainable development. As the