Parliament of Finland
Parliament House in Helsinki.
The Eduskunta in Finnish, or the Riksdag in Swedish, is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and is located in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
When the unicameral parliament was established in 1906, Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Tsar, who ruled as constitutional Grand Duke, rather than as an absolute monarch. Finland declared its independence on December 6, 1917 and in the winter of 1918 endured a tragic civil war, after which monarchists and republicans struggled over the country's form of government. Finland became a republic, but with extensive powers reserved for the President of Finland.
Under the Finnish constitution, sovereignty belongs to the people and that power is vested in the parliament. The minimum age for voting and standing for election is currently 18.
The Parliament House was designed by J. S. Sirén and was completed in 1931. From then on and especially since the Winter War and Continuation War, which were concurrent with World War II, it has been the scene of many key stages in the nation's political life.
See also: Politics of Finland, Government of Finland
