KUVAESSEE 2017

Teresa Grönholm (kok) pitää puhetta Inkoon kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa 18.4.2016. Inkoon kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa käydään läpi maahanmuuttajien kotouttamisohjelmaa. Ohjelman sisällöstä ollaan varsin yksimielisiä, sen sijaan tekstin monet kirjoitus- ja kielioppivirheet herättävät keskustelua. Kokous keskeytetään, jotta teksti saadaan korjattua. Teresa Grönholm of the National Coalition Party holding the floor in the Inkoo municipal council meeting on 18 April 2016. Much of the meeting discussed a program for the integration of immigrant population (14 individuals received residence permits in 2017 in the municipality of around 5 500 people). Largely the discussion focused on the multitude of grammatical errors in the program text. Council meeting was stopped until the errors were corrected. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Siuntion kunnanjohtaja Juha-Pekka Isotupa Siuntion kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa Aleksis Kiven koulun auditoriossa 7.3.2016. Yhden miehen valtuustoryhmä saa hetkeksi kokouksen pysähdyksiin tehdessään hylkäysehdotuksia esityslistan useaan kohtaan. Hylkäysehdotukset eivät saa äänestyksissä kannatusta. Mayor of Siuntio municipality Juha-Pekka Isotupa attending the municipal council meeting held at the Aleksis Kivi School auditorium on 7 March 2016. Meeting ran to a standstill when a council group formed by one man proposed rejections to series of articles on the council's agenda. The proposals for rejection gained no support during the subsequent voting. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Kunnanvaltuuston puheenjohtaja Kaj Nordenswan (kesk) ja kunnanjohtaja Lauri Inna Hattulan kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa 22.2.2017. Avajaisseremonian aikana valtuusto palkitsi paikallisen nuoren, joka auttoi vanhusta hädässä. Nuorelle annettiin 50 euron lahjakortti ja ensiapulaukku. The chairman of the municipal council Kaj Nordenswan of the Centre Party and the mayor of Hattula municipality Lauri Inna attending the municipal council meeting in Hattula on 22 February 2017. During the opening ceremony the council awarded a local youth for coming to aid of an elderly woman in distress in the municipality. They gifted the youth with a gift certificate and a first-aid-kit. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Kunnanvaltuuston puheenjohtaja Anna Helin (kok) Mäntsälän kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa 23.5.2017. 39 % kunnanvaltuuston puheenjohtajista on naisia 2017 kuntavaalien jälkeen. Määrä kasvoi 11 % viime vaaleista. Valtuutettujen kokonaismäärästä naisia on sama määrä, 39 %. Chairman of the council Anna Helin of the National Coalition Party during the break of Mäntsälä municipal council meeting on 23 May 2016. 39 % of the council chairmen in Finland are women after the 2017 the municipal elections. The percentage grew 11 % since the last elections. Of all the council members, the same amount, 39 % are women. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Valtuutettu Askolan kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa 10.3.2016. Keskimääräinen kunnanvaltuutettu on 50-vuotias mies, jonka tulo- ja koulutustaso on kansallista keskiarvoa korkeampi. Aliedustettuina ovat naiset, nuoret ja maahanmuuttajataustaiset. Vaikka Suomi antoi naisille äänioikeuden ensimmäisenä Euroopassa vuonna 1906, naisvaltuutettujen määrä alkoi kasvaa merkittävästi vasta vuoden 1968 vaalien jälkeen, ja on kasvanut tänä aikana noin 10 %:sta 39 %:iin vuoteen 2017 mennessä. Council member at the Askola municipal council meeting on 10 March 2016. The average council member is a male in his fifties, with higher than national average level of education and income. Underrepresented are women, youth and people with immigrant background. Finland was the first country in Europe to grant women the right to vote in 1906. The amount of women as council members started to rise from 1968, and has grown from 10 % to 39 % in 2017. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Valtuutettu Kari Hagfors (kesk) Loviisan kaupunginvaltuuston kokouksessa 7.3.2017. Keskustalla on eniten valtuustopaikkoja vaikka se oli viime vaaleissa vasta kolmanneksi suurin puolue Suomessa. Vuoden 2012 kuntavaalien jälkeen puolue oli suurin 203:ssa 313:sta kunnasta, ja piti yksinkertaista enemmistöä 75:ssä kunnassa. Vuoden 2017 kuntavaaleissa 17,5 % äänimäärällä Keskusta saavutti 31,4 % kaikista valtuustopaikoista. Keskusta on suosituin puolue maaseudulla ja pienissä kunnissa. Council member Kari Hagfors of the Centre Party at the Loviisa city council meeting on 7 March 2017. The Centre Party holds the most seats in the municipal councils across the country even though it is only the third biggest party by total vote in Finland. After 2012 municipal elections the party was the largest in 203 of 313 municipalities in Finland, and held a simple majority in 75 municipalities. In 2017 elections with 17,5 % vote tally the party received 31,4 % of all the available council seats. The Centre Party is most popular in the country side and smaller communities. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Valtuutettu Maarit Viljanen (kesk) Pukkilan kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa 4.4.2016. Valtuustot kokoontuvat keskimäärin kahdeksan kertaa vuodessa ja kokouksen kesto on keskimäärin kaksi tuntia. Pienessä kunnassa, kuten Pukkilassa, valtuutetut saavat kokouspalkkioksi 60 euroa. Maarit Viljanen of Centre Party at the Pukkila municipal council meeting on 4 April 2016. The council meetings convene on the average eight times a year with a running time of approximately two hours. In a small municipality like Pukkila the compensation fee for each meeting is 60 euro. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Taukojumppa Mäntsälän kunnanvaltuuston kokouksessa 23.5.2016 Break workout at the Mäntsälä municipal council meeting on 23 May 2016. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.

Valkeakosken kaupunginvaltuuston kokouksessa käytiin läpi vuoden 2017 talousarviota 13.11.2017. Kokous oli vuoden pisin, ja kesti viisi tuntia ja viisi minuuttia. The municipal council in Valkeakoski convened exceptionally at noon for the draft budget meeting to go through the finances of the municipality on 13 November 2017. The meeting was the longest of the year, and lasted for five hours and five minutes. Municipal council represents a grassroots level of political governance and decision making. In the smallest communities in Finland a dozen votes can get you elected as a member of the council for its four year term. The governing body is facing changes in Finland as the current government is introducing its proposed bill to change the social and healthcare services in Finland, and create a new system of governance to manage these services on a larger provincial level. Almost half of the budget of the current municipalities goes to running the social and healthcare services. The first provincial elections are set for October 2018, but the proposed bill is yet to be introduced and passed by the parliamentary proceedings. The series has been photographed during the last two years in municipal council meetings all around the 311 municipalities in Finland.