Democracy and Democratization in Finland Perspectives from Outside and Inside

This article deals with democracy and democratization in Finland. In particular, it raises the question whether Finland can be considered an ”immanent democracy.” According to O'Donnell and Whitehead, immanent democracies are a subset of consolidated democracies. In immanent democracies, the democratic credentials of the country are considered self-evident: the idea of democracy is a central element of national self-understanding. In O'Donnell and Whitehead's account, the immanence of democracy has to do with the perspective ”from inside, looking out.” rather than the perspective of a comparative researcher of democratization which is ”from outside, looking in.” The essay describes the process of democratic consolidation in Finland, paying attention to the relapses of democracy, especially during the postwar era. The essay also examines how Finns perceive their own democracy. Although support for democracy is currently very high in Finland, the consensual patterns of electoral competition have a negative impact on people's sense of external efficacy. Moreover, for a long time, national survival was the paramount goal in Finnish politics, and democratic norms and procedures sometimes were overlooked for the sake of this goal. Finns are very aware of the imperfections of their democracy, and for this reason, the label ”immanent democracy” may not be entirely appropriate in the case of Finland.