List of Prime Ministers of Finland

This is a list of Prime Ministers of Finland since the establishment of that office in 1917.

History

In 1918, the Finnish Senate was transformed into the Council of State (or cabinet) of Finland, and the position of Vice-Chairman of the Economic Division of the Senate was transformed into that of a Prime Minister. Kesäranta (in Swedish Villa Bjälbo), located in the Meilahti area of Helsinki, has been the official residence of the Prime Minister of Finland since 1919.

Since its independence (declared on 6 December 1917), Finland has had 72 cabinets,^[1] including the current one, the longest lasting being the two cabinets of Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, both lasting 1,464 days.

Before the 1980s cabinets tended to be short-lived: the President was the most important political figure and he had the right to form a new cabinet whenever he wanted. From the 1980s onwards cabinets have tended to serve full terms (although the Prime Minister may have changed midterm in a few cases, most of the other cabinet has remained nearly unchanged) and the Prime Minister has become more powerful a figure than the President. Under the current constitution the Prime Minister is chosen by the Parliament and only appointed by the President.

List of Prime Ministers

№		Prime Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party		Election	Coalition	Cabinet
1		Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (1861–1944)	27 November 1917	27 May 1918	181 days		Young Finnish	1917	SP–NSP–ML–RKP	1. Svinhufvud I
2		Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1870–1956)	27 May 1918	27 November 1918	184 days		Finnish	—	SP/KOK–NSP/ED–ML–RKP	2. Paasikivi I
3		Lauri Ingman (1868–1934)	27 November 1918	17 April 1919	141 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–ED–RKP	3. Ingman I
4		Kaarlo Castrén (1860–1938)	17 April 1919	15 August 1919	120 days		National Progressive	1919	ML–ED–RKP	4. K.Castrén
5		Juho Vennola (1872–1938)	15 August 1919	15 March 1920	213 days		National Progressive	—	ML–ED	5. Vennola I
6		Rafael Erich (1879–1946)	15 March 1920	9 April 1921	1 year, 25 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–ML–ED–RKP	6. Erich
(5)		Juho Vennola (1872–1938)	9 April 1921	2 June 1922	1 year, 54 days		National Progressive	—	ML–ED	7. Vennola II
7		Aimo Cajander (1879–1943)	2 June 1922	14 November 1922	165 days		Independent	1922	Caretaker government	8. Cajander I
8		Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940)	14 November 1922	18 January 1924	1 year, 65 days		Agrarian	—	ML–ED	9. Kallio I
(7)		Aimo Cajander (1879–1943)	18 January 1924	31 May 1924	134 days		Independent	1924	Caretaker government	10. Cajander II
(3)		Lauri Ingman (1868–1934)	31 May 1924	31 March 1925	304 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–ML–ED–RKP	11. Ingman II
9		Antti Tulenheimo (1879–1952)	31 March 1925	31 December 1925	275 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–ML	12. Tulenheimo
(8)		Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940)	31 December 1925	13 December 1926	347 days		Agrarian	—	ML–KOK	13. Kallio II
10		Väinö Tanner (1881–1966)	13 December 1926	17 December 1927	1 year, 4 days		Social Democratic	—	SDP	14. Tanner
11		Juho Sunila (1875–1936)	17 December 1927	22 December 1928	1 year, 5 days		Agrarian	1927	ML	15. Sunila I
12		Oskari Mantere (1874–1942)	22 December 1928	16 August 1929	237 days		National Progressive	—	ED	16. Mantere
(8)		Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940)	16 August 1929	4 July 1930	322 days		Agrarian	1929	ML	17. Kallio III
(1)		Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (1861–1944)	4 July 1930	18 February 1931	229 days		National Coalition	1930	ML–KOK–ED–RKP	18. Svinhufvud II
(11)		Juho Sunila (1875–1936)	21 March 1931	14 December 1932	1 year, 300 days		Agrarian	—	ML–KOK–ED–RKP	19. Sunila II
13		Toivo Mikael Kivimäki (1886–1968)	15 December 1932	7 October 1936	3 years, 298 days		National Progressive	1933	ML–ED–RKP	20. Kivimäki
(8)		Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940)	7 October 1936	17 February 1937	133 days		Agrarian	1936	ML–ED	21. Kallio IV
(7)		Aimo Cajander (1879–1943)	12 March 1937	1 December 1939	2 years, 264 days		National Progressive	1939	SDP–ML–ED–RKP	22. Cajander
14		Risto Ryti (1889–1956)	1 December 1939	19 December 1940	1 year, 18 days		National Progressive	— —	SDP–ML–ED–RKP SDP–ML–KOK–ED–RKP	23. Ryti I 24. Ryti II
15		Johan Wilhelm Rangell (1894–1982)	3 January 1941	5 March 1943	2 years, 61 days		National Progressive	—	SDP–ML–KOK–RKP–ED–IKL	25. Rangell
16		Edwin Linkomies (1894–1963)	5 March 1943	8 August 1944	1 year, 156 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–SDP–ML–RKP–ED	26. Linkomies
17		Antti Hackzell (1881–1946)	8 August 1944	21 September 1944	44 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–SDP–ML–RKP–ED	27. Hackzell
18		Urho Castrén (1886–1965)	21 September 1944	17 November 1944	57 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–SDP–ML–RKP–ED	28. U.Castrén
(2)		Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1870–1956)	17 November 1944	9 March 1946	1 year, 112 days		National Coalition	— 1945	SDP–SKDL–ML–KOK–RKP–ED SDP–SKDL–ML–ED–RKP	29. Paasikivi II 30. Paasikivi III
19		Mauno Pekkala (1890–1952)	26 March 1946	29 July 1948	2 years, 142 days		People's Democratic	—	SKDL–SDP–ML–RKP	31. Pekkala
20		Karl-August Fagerholm (1901–1984)	29 July 1948	17 March 1950	1 year, 231 days		Social Democratic	1948	SDP	32. Fagerholm I
21		Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986)	17 March 1950	17 November 1953	3 years, 245 days		Agrarian	— — 1951 —	ML–RKP–ED ML–SDP–RKP–ED ML–SDP–RKP ML–RKP	33. Kekkonen I 34. Kekkonen II 35. Kekkonen III 36. Kekkonen IV
22		Sakari Tuomioja (1911–1964)	17 November 1953	5 May 1954	169 days		Independent	—	Caretaker government	37. Tuomioja
23		Ralf Törngren (1899–1961)	5 May 1954	20 October 1954	168 days		Swedish People's	1954	SDP–ML–RKP	38. Törngren
(21)		Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986)	20 October 1954	3 March 1956	1 year, 135 days		Agrarian	—	ML–SDP	39. Kekkonen V
(20)		Karl-August Fagerholm (1901–1984)	3 March 1956	27 May 1957	1 year, 85 days		Social Democratic	—	SDP–ML–RKP	40. Fagerholm II
24		V. J. Sukselainen (1906–1995)	27 May 1957	29 November 1957	186 days		Agrarian	—	ML–RKP–KP–TPSL	41. Sukselainen I
25		Rainer von Fieandt (1890–1972)	29 November 1957	26 April 1958	148 days		Independent	—	Caretaker government	42. von Fieandt
26		Reino Kuuskoski (1907–1965)	26 April 1958	29 August 1958	125 days		Independent	—	Caretaker government	43. Kuuskoski
(20)		Karl-August Fagerholm (1901–1984)	29 August 1958	13 January 1959	137 days		Social Democratic	1958	SDP–ML–KOK–RKP–KP	44. Fagerholm III
(24)		V. J. Sukselainen (1906–1995)	13 January 1959	14 July 1961	2 years, 182 days		Agrarian	—	ML–RKP	45. Sukselainen II
27		Martti Miettunen (1907–2002)	14 July 1961	13 April 1962	273 days		Agrarian	—	ML	46. Miettunen I
28		Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990)	13 April 1962	18 December 1963	1 year, 249 days		Agrarian	1962	ML–KOK–RKP–KP–TPSL	47. Karjalainen I
29		Reino Ragnar Lehto (1898–1966)	18 December 1963	12 September 1964	269 days		Independent	—	Caretaker government	48. Lehto
30		Johannes Virolainen (1914–2000)	12 September 1964	27 May 1966	1 year, 257 days		Centre	—	KESK–KOK–RKP–KP	49. Virolainen
31		Rafael Paasio (1903–1980)	27 May 1966	22 March 1968	1 year, 300 days		Social Democratic	1966	SDP–KESK–SKDL–TPSL	50. Paasio I
32		Mauno Koivisto (born 1923)	22 March 1968	14 May 1970	2 years, 53 days		Social Democratic	—	SDP–KESK–SKDL–TPSL–RKP	51. Koivisto I
33		Teuvo Aura (1912–1999)	14 May 1970	15 August 1970	93 days		Independent	—	Caretaker government	52. Aura I
(28)		Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990)	15 August 1970	29 October 1971	1 year, 75 days		Centre	1970	KESK–SDP–SKDL–RKP–LKP	53. Karjalainen II
(33)		Teuvo Aura (1912–1999)	29 October 1971	23 February 1972	117 days		Independent	—	Caretaker government	54. Aura II
(31)		Rafael Paasio (1903–1980)	23 February 1972	4 September 1972	194 days		Social Democratic	1972	SDP	55. Paasio II
34		Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004)	4 September 1972	13 June 1975	2 years, 282 days		Social Democratic	—	SDP–KESK–RKP–LKP	56. Sorsa I
35		Keijo Liinamaa (1929–1980)	13 June 1975	30 November 1975	170 days		Independent	—	Caretaker government	57. Liinamaa
(27)		Martti Miettunen (1907–2002)	30 November 1975	15 May 1977	1 year, 166 days		Centre	1975 —	KESK–RKP–LKP	58. Miettunen II 59. Miettunen III
(34)		Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004)	15 May 1977	26 April 1979	1 year, 346 days		Social Democratic	—	SDP–KESK–SKDL–RKP–LKP	60. Sorsa II
(32)		Mauno Koivisto (born 1923)	26 May 1979	26 January 1982	2 years, 275 days		Social Democratic	1979	SDP–KESK–SKDL–RKP	61. Koivisto II
(34)		Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004)	19 February 1982	30 April 1987	5 years, 70 days		Social Democratic	— 1983	SDP–KESK–SKDL–RKP–LKP SDP–KESK–RKP–SMP	62. Sorsa III 63. Sorsa IV
36		Harri Holkeri (1937–2011)	30 April 1987	26 April 1991	3 years, 361 days		National Coalition	1987	KOK–SDP–RKP–SMP	64. Holkeri
37		Esko Aho (born 1954)	26 April 1991	13 April 1995	3 years, 352 days		Centre	1991	KESK–KOK–RKP–KD	65. Aho
38		Paavo Lipponen (born 1941)	13 April 1995	17 April 2003	8 years, 4 days		Social Democratic	1995 1999	SDP–KOK–RKP–VAS–VIHR	66. Lipponen I 67. Lipponen II
39		Anneli Jäätteenmäki (born 1955)	17 April 2003	24 June 2003	68 days		Centre	2003	KESK–SDP–RKP	68. Jäätteenmäki
40		Matti Vanhanen (born 1955)	24 June 2003	22 June 2010	6 years, 363 days		Centre	— 2007	KESK–SDP–RKP (2003 – 2007) KESK–KOK–RKP–VIHR (2007 – 2010)	69. Vanhanen I 70. Vanhanen II
41		Mari Kiviniemi (born 1968)	22 June 2010	22 June 2011	1 year, 0 days		Centre	—	KESK–KOK–RKP–VIHR	71. Kiviniemi
42		Jyrki Katainen (born 1971)	22 June 2011	24 June 2014	3 years, 2 days		National Coalition	2011	KOK–SDP–RKP–VAS–VIHR–KD	72. Katainen
43		Alexander Stubb (born 1968)	24 June 2014	29 May 2015	339 days		National Coalition	—	KOK–SDP–RKP–VIHR–KD	73. Stubb
44		Juha Sipilä (born 1961)	29 May 2015	Incumbent	343 days		Centre	2015	KESK–PS–KOK	74. Sipilä

Interim Prime Ministers

	Name (Born-Died)	Portrait	Term of office		Party	Note
	Juho Vennola (1872–1938)		18 February 1931	21 March 1931	National Progressive Party	Substitute to Svinhufvud, who became President of Finland
	Rudolf Holsti (1881–1945)		17 February 1937	12 March 1937	National Progressive Party	Substitute to Kyösti Kallio, who became President of Finland
	Rudolf Walden (1878–1946)		27 March 1940	4 January 1941	Non-partisan	Substitute to Risto Ryti, who became President of Finland
	Carl Enckell (1876–1959)		9 March 1946	26 March 1946	Non-partisan	Substitute to Juho Kusti Paasikivi, who became President of Finland
	Eemil Luukka (1892–1970)		3 July 1961	14 July 1961	Agrarian League	Substitute to V.J Sukselainen who resigned from office
	Eino Uusitalo (1924–2015)		11 September 1981	19 February 1982	Centre Party	Substitute to Mauno Koivisto, who became first Acting President of Finland and later President of the Republic of Finland

See also

• Politics of Finland
• Lists of incumbents
• President of Finland
  • List of Presidents of Finland
• Senate of Finland

References

1. Finnish Council of State. "The Cabinet in Office". Finnish Council of State. Retrieved June 23, 2010.

External links

Media related to Prime ministers of Finland at Wikimedia Commons

• Official site
• From Senate to independent Government