Committees in the Finnish Eduskunta

Abstract

Drawing on interviews and parliamentary documents, this chapter provides an in-depth analysis of how the committees in the Finnish Eduskunta work and how influential they are inside the parliament and vis-à-vis the government. The Eduskunta is a highly stable institution, with a set of rules and behavioural norms that have evolved gradually over the decades. The same applies to its committees, which are important fora for both the scrutiny of draft bills and for cross-party cooperation, including between governing and opposition parties. Yet normally the government-opposition dynamic structures the debates and party discipline is strong. This chapter argues that the Eduskunta committees wield more influence than previously estimated, but that this influence is difficult to capture through standard approaches used by parliamentary scholars. Finnish MPs appreciate the confidentiality of committee meetings, and the parliamentary culture does not appear conducive to embracing more transparency or participatory channels of influence.