Vetooikeus

Vetooikeus, often written veto-oikeus in Finnish, is the right to block or otherwise prevent a proposed decision or action. The power can be held by an individual (for example, a president or chair), a deliberative body, a minority shareholder, or an international body. The exact effect of a veto depends on the applicable constitutional, statutory, or contractual provisions; it may be an absolute block or a conditional veto that requires concessions or alternate proposals. The term is used across political, corporate, and international contexts, and its specific form varies by jurisdiction.

In politics, veto rights function as checks and balances that can stop legislation, budgets, or appointments, or force amendments during negotiation between branches of government or among coalition partners. In corporate governance, veto rights protect minority interests or key stakeholders by requiring consent for fundamental actions such as changes to share capital, mergers, or dissolution, typically set out in the articles of association or shareholder agreements. Internationally, veto power is most famously associated with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a form of veto power described in Finnish discourse as vetooikeus.

Rules governing vetoes vary widely. Some vetoes can be overridden after a defined process or by achieving a specialized majority; others may be binding only within a certain context or time frame. The presence of veto rights shapes negotiation dynamics, outcome risk, and the distribution of power within organizations and political systems.

Etymology: veto derives from Latin via French; in Finnish, veto-oikeus is commonly hyphenated, though both forms are understood. See also veto power, minority protection, checks and balances, corporate governance.