Excessive democracy?

Democracy and politics in the justification for the Economic Policy Council of Finland and fiscal councils

Authors

• Jussi Systä Tampereen yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37452/politiikka.127139

Keywords:

Talouspolitiikka, demokratia, asiantuntijuus

Abstract

This article examines the theoretical justification for the establishment of the Economic Policy Council of Finland (EPC). The justification is similar to the justification for fiscal councils and is thus analyzed as part of the international discussion regarding fiscal councils. The article asks, what is the justification for the establishment of EPC and what kind of relation to democratic politics does this justification have. The article argues that the justification has problematic properties from the point of view of democracy. The need for a fiscal council is justified with an alleged tendency in the democratic political process to accumulate public deficit and debt. Thus, the objective of the council is to promote fiscal discipline, which itself is a political objective. This objective is pursued with the authority of independence granted to the council. Thus, this article argues that the objective as laid out in the justification is to narrow democratic discussion by imposing the need for more fiscal discipline as a purely scientific goal. However, the operation of the EPC should not be reduced entirely to its theoretical justification.