The Constitution of 1809
On 6 June 1809, a new constitution was adopted, and while the king still appointed the members of the council, now called "Statsrådet" (the Council of State), the legislative powers of government were once again shared with the Estates.
The new council had nine members; the leading members being the Minister of State for Justice and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The departmental reform of 1840 created seven departments or ministries headed by a minister, and in 1866 the four Estates were abolished and the new two-chamber Riksdag was elected.
In 1917, parliamentarian principles were further strengthened as the monarch no longer could appoint a government without the consent of the parliament.
Read more about this topic: Finnish Privy Councillors
Famous quotes containing the word constitution:
“The Constitution of the United States is not a mere lawyers’ document. It is a vehicle of life, and its spirit is always the spirit of the age. Its prescriptions are clear and we know what they are ... but life is always your last and most authoritative critic.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)