Urho Kekkonen

:Kekkonen redirects here. For the Finnish porn star, see Mariah Kekkonen.

Appraisal

Some of the Kekkonen's actions are controversial in modern Finland. He often pulled a "Moscow card" when his authority was threatened. Still he was hardly the only Finnish politician with close relations to Soviet representatives. The authoritarian behaviour of Kekkonen during his presidential term is one of the main reasons for the reforms of the Finnish Constitution in 1984-2003. In these reforms, the power of Parliament and Prime Minister was increased at the expense of the President. Several of these changes have been initiated by Kekkonen's successors.

Related Topics:
1984 - 2003

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• The terms of a President were limited to two
• President's role in cabinet building was restricted
• President is elected directly, not by an electoral college
• President may no longer dissolve the Parliament without the support of the Prime Minister
• Prime minister's role in shaping Finland's foreign policy was enhanced