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:
“What we learn for the sake of knowing, we hold; what we learn for the sake of accomplishing some ulterior end, we forget as soon as that end has been gained. This, too, is automatic action in the constitution of the mind itself, and it is fortunate and merciful that it is so, for otherwise our minds would be soon only rubbish-rooms.”
—Anna C. Brackett (1836–1911)