The Finnish citizen participation policy programme, implemented during the 2003-2007 government term, aimed to strengthen citizens' opportunities to participate and exert influence. After the policy programme, a new democracy unit was established in the Ministry of Justice to continue the work on strengthening Finnish democracy. The Ministry of Justice coordinates and promotes governmental cooperation in strengthening the influencing opportunities of the citizens and, among other things, administers the Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy, which was established to strengthen the interaction between non-governmental organisations and government.

During 2009, the joint democracy network of the ministries, coordinated by the Ministry of Justice, has been preparing the first Finnish democracy policy document. The document consists of a broad consultative document and the final act of the Finnish Council of State concerning promotion of democracy. In November 2009, the document drafts are discussed in a joint seminar of the Ministry of Justice and the Finnish Parliament. The Council of State will discuss the democracy policy document in December 2009.

The democracy policy consultative document aims to recognise the central challenges and problems facing Finnish democracy. In its decision in principle, the Council of State defines the methods to be used in the recent years to increase the influencing opportunities of the Finnish citizens. A separate action plan to the decision in principle document is currently being drawn up. It will concretely show the methods and schedules of implementing the decided actions.

A DECISION IN PRINCIPLE ON PROMOTING DEMOCRACY IN FINLAND (DRAFT)