Finnish social democrat Tarja Kaarina Halonen in February 2000 became the first female president of Finland. The former foreign minister and politician is famous for her direct manner of communication and independent style. And although her presidential race was nose to nose with rivals, she soon became one of the most popular leaders in Finland.
Tarja Halonen: biography
The future president was born on December 24, 1943 in Helsinki (Finland) to Vieno Olavi Halonen and Luuli Elina Loimola. As she grew up in the Kallio working-class neighborhood, her name and date of birth gave her an early impetus for future change. According to her, when she was a little girl, the name "Tarja" was not on the calendars. And what else is needed to develop a passion for change, if not a birthday on Christmas Eve and a name that does not exist? "Taria" comes from the Russian name "Daria". However, one cannot ignore the fact that Halonen was born during World War II in a city that was stormed by the Soviet Red Army. In spite ofthe fact that Finland emerged from the war as a democratic independent state, its people will not soon forget the invasion of 1939, which the country fought alone.
Like many young people of the 1960s, Tarja Halonen participated in the left movement and considered Che Guevara her idol. She studied at the University of Helsinki and received her law degree in 1968. The following year, Halonen worked on social issues and was general secretary of the National Union of Finnish Students. In 1970, she began working as a lawyer for the Finnish Trade Union Central Organization.
In 1971, Tarja Halonen was admitted to the Social Democratic Party and she continued to work to bring about social change. Among the many organizations she joined in this endeavor were the International Solidarity Fund, the Iberian American Foundation, the Finland-Nicaragua Association and the Finland-Chile Association. Issues of international solidarity and social justice will remain an integral part throughout her life.
Tarja Halonen: political career
Halonen began her career as a politician in 1974 when Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa appointed her Parliamentary Secretary. She held this post for a year. In 1977 she was elected for the first of five terms to the Helsinki City Council, where she served until 1996, and in 1979 she was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first of five consecutive terms (until 2000). After spending five years as an MP, Halonen began to play more prominentroles.
From 1984 to 1987 she was Chairman of the Social Affairs Committee.
From 1991 to 1995 Tarja Halonen was Deputy Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, and was Chairman of the Supreme Committee in 1995.
Parallel to her work in Parliament, she held increasingly significant positions in three governments. First, from 1987 to 1990 she was Minister of Social Affairs and He alth. This was followed by her appointment as Minister of Northern Cooperation from 1989 to 1991. In 1990, she became Minister of Justice for a year.
Never say never
Then, in 1995, she was elected Minister of Foreign Affairs. Halonen held this position until her election to the presidency in 2000. Here she was highly appreciated by her compatriots. Among her main achievements was the presidency of the European Union in the second half of 1999 and her staunch opposition to Finland's NATO membership. In 1997, she stated that her country had decided to stay out of military alliances and maintain a credible national defense. She said she was unsure that the alternative would provide more stability, and the people and the political leadership agreed with that. Three years later, she softened her stance on the matter when she said she never said "never" but only "not now."
Nonconformism
Despite a political career that continued to increase her fame and popularity, Tarja Halonen maintainedindependence and never went to conciliation. She married and divorced, raising her daughter as a single mother. Living in a Lutheran country, Tarja moved away from the church. Her politics, including her advocacy for gay rights, remain radical to many Finns, especially the country people. Even her personal relationship raised eyebrows when she cohabited with her longtime friend Pentti Arajärvi without the blessing of the clergy. They married after her election to the presidency. But none of these quirks could stop Halonen's political ascent. Tarja was nominated for the presidency.
First female president
In 1906, Finland became the first European country to give women the right to vote. About 94 years later, she elected her first female president. But this historic moment was not without a hard fight.
At the start of the 2000 elections, Halonen was only fourth in the polls. Her main rival, the conservative former prime minister Esko Aho, emphasized her unusualness and leftism, especially to her voters from the hinterland. However, by the January 16 elections, Tarja won 39.9% of the vote, compared to Aho's 34.6%. This was not enough to win, as a margin of more than 50% was required. On February 6, a tense second round of elections took place. This time, she received 51.6% of the vote, compared to 48.4% given to her opponent.
Tarja Halonen, Finland's first female president, takes office11th leader of the country March 1, 2000.
The win was largely due to her ability to attract the voices of conservative women and her outspoken demeanor. Former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, leader of the Social Democrats, said that Halonen is a man with his own personality, openness, and whose real character has resonated with the party. Whatever the reasons for her victory, the newly elected president soon gained immense popularity.
Unusual and wildly popular
Shortly before Halonen took office, Finland adopted a new constitution that gave more powers to parliament, limiting the president's ability to influence domestic affairs. Although the country's leader continued to play a significant role in the foreign arena, Tarja soon made it clear that she did not intend to be a figurehead. At the same time, she did not disregard the fact that the people who had placed high hopes on her could be left with nothing because of the limited power that she received. According to her, when the parliament reduced the president's powers, the people's expectations and demands for playing a certain role in domestic politics increased. In any case, the wings were only clipped, not cut off, and Halonen retained control of such a vital institution as the army.
Wedding contrary
Immediately after the election, journalists asked Tarja Arajärvi's friend about their marriage planscouples. He acknowledged that the matter had been discussed but said he would not propose publicly and would not discuss publicly whether he would or not. However, for tradition or other reasons, the couple married privately in August 2000.
Halonen's wedding was one of the few concessions she was willing to make to her new position.
Moominmama
In general, Tarja behaved as usual. Her position on issues such as Scandinavian public welfare, human rights and environmental protection has remained unchanged. Indeed, she remained consistent throughout most of her career. Her personal style has not changed either. A strong word, intolerance for boasting and a special sense of fashion remained her hallmarks. Tarja retained her love for art, swimming, her pet cats and the turtle. All this contributed to the creation of an image of a sociable and direct woman, which disposed society towards Halonen. She was nicknamed "Moominmamma" by the Swedish press after the beloved cartoon character created by the late Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson. Halonen's ratings fluctuated between 94-97% percent, sometimes slipping to a "simple" 85%. In 2004, she became the only living person ever to be included in the popular television nomination of the ten greatest Finns. In other words, Halonen has become one of the most popular Finnish presidents of all time.
Ceres Medal and othersawards
In addition to her huge popularity, female President Tarja Halonen has earned the respect of colleagues and peers both at home and abroad. By 2004, she had received at least nine honorary degrees from universities, including the Chinese Academy of Forestry in Beijing (2002), Ewha Women's University of the Republic of Korea (2002), and Bluefields University in Nicaragua (2004). She has also received awards such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's Ceres Medal (2002) and the 2004 Grameen Foundation Humanitarian Award, a Deutsche Bank award for "global vision and humanistic perspective."
In January 2006, Tarja was re-elected for a second term and resigned on March 1, 2012. Since then, she managed to lead the UN working group, the non-profit company Helsinki Sustainability Center, the administrative board of the World Wildlife Fund and become the chairman of the board Finnish National Gallery.
Redhead in the land of blondes
This is a woman not to be underestimated. Make no mistake, Finnish President Tarja Halonen is not an unempowered conformist. A fiery redhead in the land of blondes, she is very proud that her presidency has been an inspiration to Finnish women. And not just for them - Tarja has received hundreds of letters from little girls and she hopes she can inspire them too.
With typical frankness and a sense of humor, Tarja Halonen was extremely accurate when she entered the 2003scene with the godfather of soul, James Brown. Refusing to sing with him, she thanked Mr. Brown for coming, and replied that she was not a showgirl. It may be true, but she agreed to dance with him.
