Finland is a
republic with a
representative democracy governed accordingly to the principles of
parliamentarism. Legislative power is vested in the
Parliament of Finland (,
Swedish:
Riksdagen). Executive power is exercised by the
Cabinet, officially termed Council of State (Finnish:
Valtioneuvosto,
Swedish:
Statsrådet), which is led by the
Prime Minister, the Head of Government. Some matters are decided by the
President of Finland, the Head of State, in plenary meetings with the Council of State, echoing the constitutional history of a
privy council. The President is otherwise not present in the Council, but decides on issues such as personal appointments and pardons on the advice of the relevant
minister. In the ministries, matters of secondary importance are decided by individual ministers, advised by the minister's State Secretary. The Prime Minister and the other ministers in the Council of State are responsible for their actions in office to the
Parliament.