Editing Urho Kekkonen (section)

====Term extension (1973)====
{{Infobox legislation
| short_title    = Exceptive law
| legislature    = [[Parliament of Finland]]
| long_title     = Act extending the current term of office of the President of the Republic
| citation       = Säädöskokoelma 232/1973
| signed_by      = Prime Minister [[Kalevi Sorsa]] in the absence of the President of the Republic
| bill_citation  = [https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/vaski/sivut/trip.aspx?triptype=ValtiopaivaAsiat&docid=he+247/1972 HE 247/1972]
| 3rd_reading    = 18 January 1973
| 3rd_reading_for = 170
| 3rd_reading_against = 28
| 3rd_reading_abstention = 1
| 3rd_reading_absent =
| 3rd_reading_presentnotvoting =
| passed         = <!-- For jurisdictions without numbered readings only. -->
| passed_for     = <!-- For jurisdictions without numbered readings only. -->
| passed_against = <!-- For jurisdictions without numbered readings only. -->
| passed_abstention = <!-- For jurisdictions without numbered readings only. -->
| passed_absent  = <!-- For jurisdictions without numbered readings only. -->
| passed_presentnotvoting = <!-- For jurisdictions without numbered readings only. -->
| related_legislation = [[Constitution of Finland]]
| status         = expired
}}

[[File:ETYK-Finland-delegation-1975.jpg|thumb|left|[[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe]] (OSCE) was held in 1975, Helsinki. President Urho Kekkonen (right).]]

On 18 January 1973, the Finnish Parliament extended Kekkonen's presidential term by four years with a [[Derogation|Derogation law]] (an ad hoc law made as an exception to the constitution).<ref name="World Book">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[World Book Encyclopedia|The World Book Year Book 1974]] |title=Chronology 1973 |year=1974 |publisher=[[Field Enterprises]] Educational Corporation |location=Chicago |isbn=0-7166-0474-4 |lccn=62-4818 |page=8 }}</ref> By this time, Kekkonen had secured the backing of most political parties, but the major right-wing [[National Coalition Party]], which Kekkonen had opposed, was still skeptical and stood in the way of the required 5/6 majority. Concurrently, Finland was negotiating a [[free-trade agreement]] with the [[European Community|EEC]], a deal that was seen as vital by Finnish industry, as the United Kingdom, an important buyer of Finnish exports, had left the [[European Free Trade Association]] to become a member of the EEC. Kekkonen implied that only he personally could satisfy the Soviet Union that the deal would not threaten Soviet interests. The tactic secured National Coalition support for the term extension.<ref>Johannes Virolainen, "The Last Electoral Term"</ref>[[File:FIN-500m-1975-anv.jpg|thumb|left|Mk.500 banknote featuring Kekkonen, issued 1975]] The elimination of any significant opposition and competition meant he became Finland's ''de facto'' political autocrat. His power reached its zenith in 1975 when he dissolved parliament and hosted the [[Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (CSCE) in Helsinki with the assistance of a caretaker government.