President of Finland

The President of Finland (Suomen Tasavallan Presidentti; Republiken Finlands President) is the Head of State of Finland. The President of the Republic 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. Under the Constitution of Finland, 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.

Pre-Presidential Heads of State

From the date of Finland's independence on December 6, 1917 until the end of the Finnish Civil War in May 1918, Per Evind Svinhufvud was the head of state of White Finland in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate. His counterpart in the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic was Otto Ville Kuusinen. Between May 1918 and July 1919, Finland had two Regents (or Protectors of State) and, for a time, an elected King, although the latter renounced the throne:

Related Topics:
December 6 - 1917 - Finnish Civil War - 1918 - White Finland - Senate - Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic - Otto Ville Kuusinen - 1919

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• Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Regent (May 18–December 12 1918)
• Friedrich Karl of Hesse, elected as Väinö I, King of Finland, on October 7 1918, renounced the throne on December 4 after Germany's defeat in World War I
• Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Regent (December 12 1918–July 27 1919)