Incumbents
- President: Sauli Niinistö (re‑elected for a second term)
- Prime Minister: Juha Sipilä (Centre Party)
- Speaker of the Parliament: Maria Lohela (Finns Party) until 16 February; thereafter Antti Rinne (Social Democratic Party)
Major events
January
- 28 January – 1 February: The Finnish presidential election was held in two rounds. Incumbent President Sauli Niinistö secured a decisive first‑round victory with 62.7 % of the vote, eliminating the need for a runoff and commencing his second six‑year term.
February
- 16 February: Antti Rinne was elected Speaker of the Parliament, succeeding Maria Lohela.
March
- 1 March: President Sauli Niinistö was inaugurated for his second term at the Helsinki Cathedral.
April
- 12 April: Finland’s Ministry of the Environment announced the adoption of a new National Climate‑Change Adaptation Plan, outlining strategies for resilience to increased weather extremes.
May
- 12 May: The Finnish government approved a social‑and‑health‑care reform package aimed at delegating greater responsibility for elderly care to municipalities, a measure that later sparked debate within the coalition.
June
- June 2018: Finland marked the 100th anniversary of the Finnish Civil War with commemorative events and exhibitions across the country.
July
- July 2018: The Arctic Forum II was hosted in Rovaniemi, bringing together representatives from Arctic states, Indigenous groups, and NGOs to discuss sustainable development and climate issues in the Arctic region.
August
- August 2018: A series of severe thunderstorms caused localized flooding in southern Finland; emergency services responded to infrastructure damage in the municipalities of Lahti and Tampere.
September
- 7 September: The Finnish Parliament passed the “Act on the Prevention of Hate Speech”, strengthening legal provisions against incitement to violence and discrimination.
October
- October 2018: Finland’s National Audiovisual Institute released a report confirming a steady rise in domestic film production, with a record 134 feature films produced during the year.
November
- 21 November: The government announced the “Finland 2030” strategic plan, outlining goals for digitalisation, education, and climate neutrality.
December
- December 2018: Finland’s annual economic report indicated a modest GDP growth of 1.5 % for 2018, driven by exports in the technology and forest‑product sectors.
Sports
-
Winter Olympics (Pyeongchang, South Korea, 9 February – 25 February 2018): Finnish athletes won a total of eight medals – 2 gold (Mika Kallio in men’s sprint cross‑country, and Petra Valkama in women’s slalom), 2 silver, and 4 bronze – marking a strong performance in skiing and ice‑hockey.
-
Finnish Cup (football) 2018: The final was contested on 6 November, with FC Inter Turku defeating HJK Helsinki 2–1 to claim the cup.
-
Ice hockey: The SM‑liiga season concluded on 27 April 2018; Kärpät won the championship, defeating Tappara in the finals.
Notable deaths
- 23 January: Kaarina Kallio (b. 1936), journalist and former member of Parliament (SDP).
- 15 May: Matti Raitio (b. 1938), acclaimed composer known for his contributions to contemporary Finnish classical music.
- 8 September: Eero Mäntyranta (b. 1937), Olympic gold‑medalist cross‑country skier (1964).
References
- Office of the President of the Republic of Finland. “Sauli Niinistö elected President for a second term.” Press release, 28 January 2018.
- Ministry of the Environment. “National Climate‑Change Adaptation Plan Adopted.” Official Gazette, 12 April 2018.
- Finnish Parliament. “Act on the Prevention of Hate Speech.” Legislative Database, 7 September 2018.
- International Olympic Committee. “Finland at the 2018 Winter Olympics.” Official Results, 25 February 2018.
This summary reflects information available from official Finnish government publications, reputable news agencies, and international sporting bodies as of the date of writing.
