Overview:

• A degree of state privilege is afforded to the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) due to that being the dominant religion and the only denomination mentioned in the country’s constitution; however, this degree of state privilege is not considered to translate to major violations of religious freedom.

• There exists procedures for recognition of a religious community or as a nonprofit association.

• Recognition and registration are amalgamated rather than ideally differentiated.

• Forced donation to the ELC being contingent for membership violates religious freedoms.

• Ongoing increases in far-right hate speech and incidents of vandalism against Jews and Muslims demonstrates the need for reaffirmation of these communities’ recognised validity and that the Finnish recognition system needs wider authority to ensure it communities this message of acceptance of diversity to the public.

Positive elements:

• Multiformism is accounted for in the legislation.

• Provisions have been put in place to protect religious communities against hate speech and the incitement of violence against religious minorities.

Recommendations:

• Differentiate between existential recognition and legal registration.

• Remove some minor issues of inequality within the recognition system.

• To be classified as dynamic, a recognition agency independent of government would need to be established.