Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the opening of Parliament on 28 April 2011

Photo: Lehtikuva

The recent parliamentary elections brought about a major change in the political layout of Parliament. Instead of three large parties, we now have four large – or, more accurately, medium-sized – parliamentary groups. This is the first time since the 1980s that we have seen such a situation, although the composition is different now.

Every Parliament is unique in its own way. This election was preceded by a lively campaign conducted by over 2,300 candidates, and the same enthusiasm has continued in the assessment of the election results and their impact. While I congratulate you who have been elected, I would also like to thank all those who participated – not forgetting the voters, of course.

The political setting is now quite different from what it was before the election. This will also have an impact on the cooperation within Parliament.

The campaign trail and the campaign themes are still fresh in everyone’s mind. They are binding upon you. This is as it should be, to uphold faith in the importance of elections and democracy. Similarly, it is only natural that in an election campaign the various alternatives and differences between parties are presented in sometimes sharp contrast. But once the election is over, it is time to focus on which objectives and principles various parties have in common. The debate that follows the elections is as important as the debate that precedes them.

In Finland, we have become accustomed that after the elections parliamentarians must be able to cooperate both within their own parliamentary groups and with the other parties.

In my speech at the closing of the previous electoral period I expressed my wish for continued debate – both during and after the election – on the increasing inequality in our society. And the debate did continue in the election campaign: I am pleased that the debate on the increasing inequality of our society has also continued in the public eye – for example, on the basis of the report of the poverty committee set up by Archbishop Kari Mäkinen. I hope that this will also be taken into consideration in the work of Parliament and during the government negotiations.

We are now in the first stages of parliamentary organisation; we do not yet know what this electoral period holds in store for us. What we do know, however, is that Parliament must quickly get to work. Finland must be able to also take its international matters in hand after the brief interruption for the election.

It is no doubt a widely shared hope that a functional majority government is formed fairly soon. In my opinion, true and honest parliamentarism also involves respect for the opposition and cooperation between the organs of government, which I have also called for previously.

The biggest winner in these elections was democracy. Voter turnout was now over 70 per cent, which shows that our democracy works. The long downward trend of voter turnout in parliamentary elections has now been halted. It is my hope that this trend will continue, as a participation rate of around 70 per cent cannot be considered particularly high in the Nordic context.

At the previous opening of Parliament four years ago, I was able to state that a record number of women had been elected. I am delighted to see that this record has once again been broken. The significant increase in the number of young parliamentarians is another demonstration of the new face of Parliament; there are now considerably more MPs under the age of 30 than before. This is the right direction. Politics cannot be reformed, nor will it remain of interest to young people, without the young being represented by their peers. In this respect too, Parliament must genuinely represent the people of Finland.

* * *

The task of Parliament is to promote the common interests of the nation. Historically, there has been a specific emphasis on foreign and security policy. This is a tradition that should be cherished. Despite the debate on topical issues of day-to-day politics, I am confident that the new Parliament will reach a broad consensus on the basic framework of Finnish foreign and security policy.

Finland is part of the world and in many ways dependent on the surrounding world. Our economy breathes to the rhythm of exports. Fluctuations in the world economy are reflected in people’s lives. Our national economy cannot prosper in isolation.

The security of our country is also dependent on world events. It is therefore well-grounded that Finland and Finns strive to promote the security of the world and our continent, as all efforts geared towards that end also strengthen the security of our own country.

International politics affects regions both within our neighbourhood and far from our shores. Finland, our neighbours and the Baltic Sea are all part of international politics. I think it is important that we all learn to know the key issues both near and far.

Although the current situation in international politics may have been somewhat sidelined in the election campaign, it has not gone away. Even now, several nations around the world face financial crises and varying conflicts. We increasingly find these crises set against a backdrop of poverty, unemployment and inequality, lack of human rights and democracy, and the oppression of minorities. It remains a challenge for us to reach a situation where politics can focus on building sustainable development instead of resolving crises and conflicts.

The prevention of crises is not only efficient, but far less costly than ending crises that have escalated into violence. The promotion of democracy, human rights and equal opportunity for participation also serves to enhance security. Finland’s national interests also speak in favour of participation in such crisis prevention. Reconstruction and the enhancing of reconciliation following crises are important for breaking the spiral of conflict.

The Nordic welfare state model has allowed our country to become one of the most equal and also one of the most competitive societies in the world. This has allowed us to attain social prosperity that has attracted international acclaim. We should retain these strengths while searching for new opportunities. We can afford to take care of our people and our natural environment if that is what we truly want.

* * *

Esteemed Speaker,

I would like to congratulate the Speakers on their election.

Distinguished Members of Parliament,

The Finnish people have placed their trust in you. I wish you success and wisdom in your demanding task. I hereby declare the 2011 session of Parliament opened.