Speed up political decisions by shortening parliamentary terms, proposal suggests

To accelerate political decision-making in Finland, a proposal suggests shortening the parliamentary term from the current four years to two. This would mean that after the initial 200 elected members serve their two-year term, another 200 substitute members who were previously in reserve would take over for the next two years. Even ministerial and prime ministerial positions would be limited to two-year terms.

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What if a member of parliament served only two years? And after those two years, the 200 who were left in reserve after the election would get the position of member of parliament for two years?

The author, Mika Lille, argues that this compressed timeline would significantly boost the efficiency of parliamentary work and expedite political decisions. He notes that the process of making even relatively minor political decisions in Finland often spans several years. With a two-year term, political outcomes would be achieved much faster.

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In two years, the efficiency of a member of parliament's work would have to increase significantly in parliament, and political decisions would be made considerably faster.

Lille points to the lengthy durations of major reform processes as evidence for the need for change. He highlights that compromises on significant decisions are not always reached within the current four-year electoral cycle. For example, the social and healthcare reform (sote-uudistus) took approximately 15 years to prepare, and a parliamentary reform of social security lasted nearly seven years. A shorter term, he suggests, would force quicker resolutions.

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It often takes several years to make even a small political decision. If the term of a member of parliament lasted two years, political decisions would speed up considerably.