List of Presidents of Finland

Finland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Finland

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The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people for a term of six years. Since 1991, no President may be elected for more than two consecutive terms. The President must be a native-born Finnish citizen. The office was established by the Constitution Act of 1919. The current office-holder is President Tarja Halonen.

List of Presidents of Finland

      National Progressive       Agrarian League/Centre       National Coalition       Independent       Social Democratic

#	Portrait	Name	Elected	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Birth and Death
1		Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg	1919	25 July 1919	1 March 1925	National Progressive Party (ED)	b. 28 January 1865, Suomussalmi d. 22 September 1952, Helsinki
			Speaker of Parliament 1914–1917, elected President by the Parliament in 1919
2		Lauri Kristian Relander	1925	1 March 1925	1 March 1931	Agrarian League (ML)	b. 31 May 1883, Kurkijoki d. 9 February 1942, Helsinki
			Speaker of Parliament 1919–1920, elected President by electoral college in 1925
3		Pehr Evind Svinhufvud	1931	1 March 1931	1 March 1937	National Coalition Party (KOK)	b. 15 December 1861, Sääksmäki d. 29 February 1944, Luumäki
			Speaker of Parliament 1907–1912, Regent (Interim Head of State) of Finland 1918; Prime Minister 1917–1918 and 1930–1931, elected President by electoral college in 1931
4		Kyösti Kallio	1937	1 March 1937	19 December 1940 (died)	Agrarian League (ML)	b. 10 April 1873, Ylivieska d. 19 December 1940, Helsinki
			Speaker of Parliament 1920–1921, 1922, 1924–1925, 1929 and 1930–1936, Prime Minister 1922–1924, 1925–1926, 1929–1930 and 1936–1937, elected President by electoral college in 1937. Resigned in 1940 because of poor health, whereupon Risto Ryti became acting President; died in office.
5		Risto Ryti	1940 1943	(acting for Kallio from 27 Nov. 1940) 19 December 1940	1 August 1944 (resigned)	National Progressive Party (ED)	b. 3 February 1889, Huittinen d. 25 October 1956, Helsinki
			Prime Minister 1939–1940 and during his Presidential term 1940–1941; elected President by electoral college in 1940; re-elected in 1943; resigned in 1944
6		Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim	–	4 August 1944	4 March 1946 (resigned)	Non-Partisan Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces	b. 4 June 1867, Askainen d. 27 January 1951, Lausanne, Switzerland
			Regent (Interim Head of State) of Finland 1918–1919; elected President in 1944 by the Parliament; resigned in 1946
7		Juho Kusti Paasikivi	1950	11 March 1946	1 March 1956	National Coalition Party (KOK)	b. 27 November 1870, Hämeenkoski d. 14 December 1956, Helsinki
			Prime Minister in 1918 and 1944–1946; elected President by the Parliament in 1946 and re-elected by electoral college in 1950
8		Urho Kekkonen	1956 1962 1968 1978	1 March 1956	27 January 1982	Agrarian League (ML) /Centre Party (KESK)	b. 3 September 1900, Pielavesi d. 31 August 1986, Helsinki
			Speaker of Parliament 1948–1950, Prime Minister 1950–1953 and 1954–1956, elected President by electoral college in 1956 and re-elected in 1962, 1968 and 1978; resigned in 1981 owing to poor health, whereupon Prime Minister Mauno Koivisto became acting President.
9		Mauno Koivisto	1982 1988	(acting for Kekkonen from 11 Sep. 1981) 27 January 1982	1 March 1994	Social Democratic Party (SDP)	b. 25 November 1923, Turku
			Prime Minister 1968–1970 and 1979–1982; elected President by electoral college in 1982 and re-elected in 1988. First president born in independent Finland. Only veteran president who served in armed forces 1939–1945.
10		Martti Ahtisaari	1994	1 March 1994	1 March 2000	Social Democratic Party (SDP)	b. 23 June 1937, Viipuri
			Elected directly as President in 1994
11		Tarja Halonen	2000 2006	1 March 2000	Incumbent	Social Democratic Party (SDP)	b. 24 December 1943, Helsinki
			Elected as the first female President of Finland in 2000; re-elected in 2006

See also

• Finnish presidential election, 2006
• List of Finnish rulers
• President of Finland
• List of Presidents of Finland by time in office
• Prime Minister of Finland
  • List of Prime Ministers of Finland
• Politics of Finland
• Parliament of Finland
• Government of Finland
• Council of State
• Elections in Finland
• Political parties in Finland
• Lists of incumbents

External links

• Official site
• The Constitution of Finland