Matti Vanhanen
Matti Vanhanen | |
---|---|
![]() Vanhanen in 2022 | |
Speaker of the Parliament of Finland | |
In office 1 February 2022 – 12 April 2023 | |
Preceded by | Anu Vehviläinen |
Succeeded by | Petteri Orpo |
In office 7 June 2019 – 9 June 2020 | |
Preceded by | Antti Rinne |
Succeeded by | Anu Vehviläinen |
40thPrime Minister of Finland | |
In office 24 June 2003 – 22 June 2010 | |
President | Tarja Halonen |
Deputy | Antti Kalliomäki Eero Heinäluoma Jyrki Katainen |
Preceded by | Anneli Jäätteenmäki |
Succeeded by | Mari Kiviniemi |
Minister of Finance | |
In office 9 June 2020 – 27 May 2021 | |
Prime Minister | Sanna Marin |
Preceded by | Katri Kulmuni |
Succeeded by | Annika Saarikko |
35thDeputy Prime Minister of Finland | |
In office 9 June 2020 – 10 September 2020 | |
Prime Minister | Sanna Marin |
Preceded by | Katri Kulmuni |
Succeeded by | Annika Saarikko |
Minister of Defence | |
In office 17 April 2003 – 24 June 2003 | |
Prime Minister | Anneli Jäätteenmäki |
Preceded by | Jan-Erik Enestam |
Succeeded by | Seppo Kääriäinen |
Member of the Finnish Parliament | |
In office 22 April 2015 – 12 April 2023 | |
Constituency | Uusimaa |
In office 22 March 1991 – 19 September 2010 | |
Constituency | Uusimaa |
Personal details | |
Born | Jyväskylä,Central Finland,Finland | 4 November 1955
Political party | Centre |
Spouse |
Merja Mäntyniemi
(m.1985;div.2005) |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
Signature | ![]() |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch/service | ![]() |
Rank | ![]() |
Matti Taneli Vanhanen(pronounced[ˈmɑtːiˈʋɑnhɑnen] ;born 4 November 1955) is a Finnish politician who served asPrime Minister of Finlandfrom 2003 to 2010. He was also Chairman of theCentre Partyin 2006. In his earlier career, he was a journalist. Vanhanen is the son of professorTatu Vanhanenand Anni Tiihonen.
Career
[edit]Vanhanen studiedpolitical scienceat theUniversity of Helsinki,graduating as a Master ofSocial Sciencesin 1989.[3]He was chairman of the Centre Party Youth League from 1980 to 1983. He also served as a member of theEspooCity Council from 1981 to 1984. Vanhanen used to work as a journalist. He was an editor (1985–1988) and editor-in-chief (1988–1991) at the local newspaperKehäsanomat.In a column inSuomenmaa(the Centre Party's organ), he strongly condemned theBaltic Starpro-Estonian independence demonstration held in Helsinki in July 1985, calling the demonstration "provocative".[4]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1988-0806-010%2C_LPG_Gierst%C3%A4dt%2C_Besuch_einer_finnischen_Jugenddelegation.jpg/250px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1988-0806-010%2C_LPG_Gierst%C3%A4dt%2C_Besuch_einer_finnischen_Jugenddelegation.jpg)
Vanhanen was elected to theFinnish Parliament (Eduskunta)in 1991.[5]As a member of Parliament he was interested in ecological issues. For instance, Vanhanen spoke against the building of a fifthnuclear power plantin 1992, at the same time as serving on the board of electricity corporationFortum.He served on the Parliamentary Environment Committee 1991–1995, and was chair of the Parliamentary Grand Committee 2000–2001. He was vice-chair of the Centre Party Parliamentary group 1994–2001, and Deputy Chairman of the Centre Party 2000–2003.
Another important topic for Vanhanen wasFinland's foreign and security policy.As a specialist on theEuropean Unionhe was a member of theEuropean Union Constitutional Convention.There he criticised the president of the convention, former French presidentValéry Giscard d'Estaing,asauthoritarian.Vanhanen has said[6]that he is unenthusiastic about European co-operation, and that he is an "EU pragmatist", so he may be considered aeurosceptic,especially when compared to his EU-enthusiast predecessorPaavo Lipponen.
Vanhanen served as Chairman of the Youth Foundation from 1998 to 2003 and deputy chairman from 1981 to 1997. The prosecution claims the Youth Foundation donated under the direction of Centre Party MPAntti Kaikkonenfunding of over 90,000 euros for his own campaign and that of other Centre Party MPs including Matti Vanhanen. Prosecutors say this contravened the Foundation's own rules and laws governing such institutions.[7]
Vanhanen's first cabinet
[edit]Vanhanen resigned from the Constitutional Convention in 2003 when he became Minister of Defense in the cabinet of Prime MinisterAnneli Jäätteenmäki.After Jäätteenmäki's resignation, Vanhanenwas elected Prime Ministerandhis first cabinetwas formed.
As a politician, Vanhanen is considered to be part of the liberal wing of the old agrarian Central Party, along with the two other Party ministers fromUusimaa region.His government cut the top state income tax rate from 35.5% to 33.5% in 2005 and 32.5% in 2006 (resulting in approximately 55% total tax rate after local government and social security taxes). The corporate tax rate was also lowered to 26% and capital gains to 28% (both formerly 29%), though at the same time dividends were partially made taxable.
Presidential candidate
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/World_leaders_at_the_32nd_G8_Summit%2C_Strelna%2C_Russia_-_20060716.jpg/220px-World_leaders_at_the_32nd_G8_Summit%2C_Strelna%2C_Russia_-_20060716.jpg)
As theCentre Partycandidate, Vanhanen challengedPresidentTarja Halonenin the2006 Finnish presidential election.He received 18.6% of the vote, coming third to theNational Coalition Party'sSauli Niinistö(24.1%) andSocial Democratand incumbentTarja Halonen(46.3%), and thus did not qualify for the runoff. Vanhanen expressed his support for Niinistö in the runoff election against his coalition partner's candidate Halonen.
The presidential election, and co-operation between Centre Party and National Coalition Party, proved to be a major strain on the government coalition between the Centre Party and Social Democrats. The flashpoint came in March, when the Centre Party demanded nationalagricultural subsidiesto cover farmers' losses when the Finnish exception in the European Union'sCommon Agricultural Policywas about to expire. At the end of the crisis Vanhanen told his parliamentary group that taxpayers would cover ninety percent or about 100 million euros in losses.
Matti Vanhanen received 25,000 euros for his presidential election campaign in 2006 fromAhti Vilppulavia his company Helsingin Mekaanikkotalo. Mekaanikkotalo is owned by Procomex inLuxembourgand further by Kilbrin Investments Limited in theVirgin Islands.[8]In 2009 it was found out that this finance was not included in the finance announcement.
Vanhanen's second cabinet
[edit]After theMarch 2007 electionthe Centre Party narrowly remained the largest party after losing four seats. However, their coalition partner, theSDP,lost eight seats and the centre-rightNational Coalition Partygained ten.Vanhanen's second cabinetwas formed on a centre-right basis, with minor partners theGreen Leagueand theSwedish People's Party.
A scandal involving Vanhanen's second cabinet began rolling in May 2008, after the leader of the Centre Party's parliamentary groupTimo Kallisaid publicly that he would not reveal information about hiscampaign finances,because such disclosure was not required. After a media backlash, Kalli gave up his secrecy and listed a group of businessmen known as "Kehittyvien maakuntien Suomi" (KMS; in English, "The Finland of Developing Regions" ), who had financed the Centre Party. Centre Party links with KMS were suspected, as one address of the organisation belonged to a party official. It was later revealed that the organisation had been formed in the Centre Party's general secretary's office.
After the Russian response to the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia, Vanhanen said that Finland would rethink its security.[9]
Vanhanen's cabinet proposed raising the retirement age from 63 to 65 years.[10][11][12]His proposal was fiercely opposed by theCentral Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions(Finnish acronym SAK), which is affiliated with the SDP.[13]
In December 2009, Vanhanen announced that he would step down as chair of the Centre Party at its June 2010 convention.Mari Kiviniemiwas chosen to the position and she also inherited the position as Prime Minister.[14]In September 2010 Vanhanen started as the head of the Family Business Network Finland and left the parliament.[15]
In 2010, the Finnish police investigated whether Vanhanen had been wrong not to disqualify himself in certain cabinet decisions on financial contributions to an organisation affiliated with the Centre Party, which had previously financed Vanhanen's presidential campaign. Because the charges concerned Vanhanen's actions while in office, the decision whether he should be prosecuted fell to the Constitutional Law Committee of theFinnish Parliament.The Committee decided not to prosecute Vanhanen.
Return to politics
[edit]In November 2014, Vanhanen announced that he would leave the Family Business Network.[16]He was elected to the parliament in the 2015 elections with 11,304 personal votes.[17]In June 2015, Vanhanen was chosen as the chairman of the Centre Party parliamentary group.[18]
In March 2016, Vanhanen announced that he is seeking Centre Party's candidacy in 2018presidential election.[19][20]As no challengers appeared within the party, Vanhanen was the sole candidate in June's party conference and was confirmed as the Centre Party's candidate in the presidential election.[21][22]Vanhanen said that his candidacy is motivated by the support he felt he had around the country during his last campaign and the will to improve the security situation in the areas surrounding Finland.[23]Following the nomination, Vanhanen left his duties as the chairman of the parliamentary group in order to focus on global affairs.[24]On 23 June 2016, Vanhanen was chosen as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Parliament.[25]In the first round of the presidential election, Vanhanen placed fifth with 4.1 percent of the votes, while the incumbent presidentSauli Niinistöwent on to secure his second term with a majority of votes.[26]
After getting re-elected in2019 parliamentary election,Vanhanen was elected as the Speaker of the Parliament.[27]
In June 2020, afterKatri Kulmuni's resignation, Vanhanen was appointed Minister of Finance. Though he initially didn't want to accept the offer, he changed his mind and accepted out of a sense of duty.[28]In May 2021 Vanhanen announced his resignation from the post to hand it over to party chairAnnika Saarikko.[29]
In 2016, Vanhanen said that Finland's membership inNATOwas a true option.[30]In 2022, Vanhanen supported Finland's membership in NATO.[31]In 2023, as the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland he signed the parliament's approval to join the military alliance.[32]
Personality
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Manmohan_Singh_at_the_family_photograph_of_India_%E2%80%93EU_summit_with_the_President_of_the_European_Commission_Mr._Barroso%2C_the_Prime_Minister_of_Finland%2C_Mr._Matti_Vanhanen_and_the_Secretary_General_of_the_European_Union.jpg/220px-thumbnail.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Nordic_Prime_Ministers_2010.jpg/350px-Nordic_Prime_Ministers_2010.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Lula-Vanhanen-15-05-2008.jpg/350px-Lula-Vanhanen-15-05-2008.jpg)
Vanhanen has been characterised asuncharismaticand even boring, which he has attempted to turn to his advantage in tense political situations. Vanhanen is known for being ateetotaler,saying that he does not like the taste of alcohol.[33]
Matti Vanhanen was against the independence movement in theBaltic Statesduring the 1980s. In his column in Suomenmaa in 1985, Vanhanen condemned the Baltic independence movement both for "wishing to change theSovietsystem "and for" indifference towards the postSecond World Warreality. "Vanhanen claimed that the difference between capitalism and socialism was not significant; and that instead of being concerned about theSovietsystem, it would be better to concentrate, for example, on the research ofFinno-Ugric languages.[34]
In 2009, he visited China and credited the government for beingsystematic,as well as being able to place clear priorities and to mobilise the required resources to accomplish them. In his opinion, the Western world ought to note the example of China, where policies are implemented rapidly and effectively.[35]He said he was impressed of the progress the country has made in dealing with difficult issues.[36]
Vanhanen married Merja Vanhanen in 1985. They have two children: Annastiina (born 1991) and Juhana (born 1994). Matti Vanhanen and Merja Vanhanen unexpectedly announced their divorce on 6 April 2005.
After his divorce, he datedSusan Kuronen(she later changed her last name to Ruusunen).[37][38]In February 2007, Kuronen released a tell-all bookThe Prime Minister's Bride,which actually boosted the prime minister's popularity with the public. Tens of thousands of Finns signed an online petition against the book and some bookstores refused to put it on the shelf.[39]Vanhanen sued the book's publisher (but not Kuronen) for invasion of privacy in March 2007, following the March elections. In 2010 theSupreme Court of Finlandupheld the privacy violation conviction against Susan Ruusunen and her publisher.[40]
After ending his dating relationship with Kuronen (Ruusunen), Vanhanen got engaged to Sirkka Mertala in 2009. This relationship ended in 2010.[41]
In a 2006 book commissioned for the presidential elections,Se on ihan Matti,Vanhanen compared the Finnishtabloid pressto theKGBandStasi,formerSoviet UnionandEast Germansecret police agencies.[42]
Vanhanen has two homes; he lives permanently inLepsämä,a rural village in theNurmijärvimunicipality, but on weekends in the town ofRauma.[43]
Vanhanen is about 198 centimetres (6 feet 6 inches). He isleft-handed.[44]
Cabinets
[edit]Honours
[edit]FinlandOrder of the Lion of Finland(1999)[45]
Finland,Grand Cross,Order of the White Rose of Finland(2004)[46]
Estonia,1st Class,Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana(2007)[47]
Italy,Knight Grand Cross with Collar,Order of Merit of the Italian Republic(2008)[48]
Sweden,Commander Grand Cross,Order of the Polar Star[49]
Greece,Grand Cross,Order of the Phoenix (Greece)[49]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Curriculum Vitae - Sauli Väinämö Niinistö".President of the Republic of Finland.Retrieved4 March2020.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen".Eduskunta.fi.Retrieved18 June2022.
- ^"Yleisen valtio-opin laitos".Valt.helsinki.fi. 31 March 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 3 July 2010.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"Meistä".Kavkaz.fi.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2011.
- ^"Näkökulma: Matti Vanhanen taipui pelastajaksi, vaikka ei ollut innokas siirtymään takaisin ministeriauton takapenkille".Aamulehti(in Finnish). 8 June 2020.Retrieved29 July2021.
- ^"Suomenkuvalehti.fi".Suomenkuvalehti.fi. 12 March 2010.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^Vanhanen: No talk of campaign funding in Youth Foundation, Former Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen took the witness stand today in the trial of former leaders of the Youth Foundationyle 10 October 2012
- ^Matti Ylönen Veroparatiisit, 20 ratkaisua varjotalouteen Like 2008 page 108(in Finnish)
- ^"Vanhanen: Finland to Rethink Security Following Crisis in Georgia".Yle.fi. Archived fromthe originalon 29 February 2012.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"Vanhanen: Eläkeiän korotus lähti minun aloitteestani".Iltalehti.fi. 28 February 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 2 March 2009.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"Vanhanen: Eläkeiän nostolla maksetaan laman laskut".Mtv3.fi. 25 February 2009.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"PM Vanhanen:" Necessary to Raise Pension Age "".Yle.fi. 8 March 2009.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"SAK uhkaa katkaista välit hallitukseen".Taloussanomat.fi. 3 February 2009.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"Mari Kiviniemi Wins Centre Chair, Taking Over as PM".Yle. 12 June 2010.Retrieved9 May2015.
- ^"Vanhasesta Perheyritysten liiton toimitusjohtaja".Kaleva. 23 June 2010.Retrieved9 May2015.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen paljastaa, mikä veti takaisin politiikkaan".Ilta-Sanomat.18 November 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2014.Retrieved9 May2015.
- ^"Valitut ehdokkaat Koko maa".Ministry of Justice. 22 April 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 25 June 2016.Retrieved9 May2015.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen valittiin keskustan eduskuntaryhmän puheenjohtajaksi".Helsingin Sanomat.2 June 2015.Retrieved21 June2016.
- ^"Vanhanen lähtee presidenttikisaan ja luopuu keskustan eduskuntaryhmän johdosta"(in Finnish). Helsingin sanomat. 17 March 2016.Retrieved18 March2016.
- ^Matti Vanhanen presidentiksi(in Finnish). Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- ^"Matti Vanhasesta keskustan presidenttiehdokas – kukaan ei ilmoittautunut haastajaksi"(in Finnish). Helsingin sanomat. 11 May 2016.Retrieved11 May2016.
- ^"Matti Vanhasesta yksimielisesti keskustan presidenttiehdokas"(in Finnish). Iltalehti. 12 June 2016.Retrieved12 June2016.
- ^Matti Vanhanen kertoo nyt, miksi hän haluaa Suomen presidentiksi(in Finnish).Ilta Sanomat.Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen luopuu eduskuntaryhmän puheenjohtajuudesta, keskittyy presidenttiehdokkuuteen".Yle. 7 March 2016.Retrieved21 June2016.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen yksimielisesti ulkoasiainvaliokunnan puheenjohtajaksi".Suomenmaa. 23 June 2016.Retrieved21 June2016.
- ^"Presidentinvaali 2018, 1. vaali: Ehdokkaiden äänet"(in Finnish). Ministry of Justice. 28 January 2018.Retrieved29 January2018.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen eduskunnan puhemieheksi: Salikeskusteluun kaivataan asiallisuutta ja toisten kunnioittamista".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish). Yle. 7 June 2019.Retrieved8 June2020.
- ^"Ex-PM Matti Vanhanen is Finland's new Finance Minister".8 June 2020.Retrieved8 June2020.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen luopuu valtiovarainministerin paikasta ensi viikolla – Saarikko tarttuu tehtävässä tulevaan budjettiin".22 May 2021.Retrieved27 May2021.
- ^"Vanhanen: Nato-jäsenyys on Suomelle aito vaihtoehto".LS24(in Finnish). 4 February 2016.Retrieved26 December2023.
- ^"IL-erikoishaastattelu: Matti Vanhanen paljastaa valtiollisen huolen sodan alkuhetkillä: Suomen nopea Nato-ilmoitus olisi voinut syöstä Ukrainan täystuhoon".iltalehti.fi(in Finnish).Retrieved26 December2023.
- ^The Parliament of Finland (1 March 2023)."Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Matti Vanhanen signed the parliament's approval to join NATO".eduskunta.fi.Retrieved26 December2023.
- ^taz, die tageszeitung (25 June 2003)."Archiv".Die Tageszeitung: Taz.taz.de. p. 13.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"Matti Vanhanen, Suomenmaa 30.7.1985".Kavkaz.fi. Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2011.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^Petteri Tuohinen (21 April 2009)."Petteri Tuohinen 'Vanhanen: Lansimaat voisivat ottaa oppia Kiinan tehokkuudesta' Helsingin Sanomat 21.4.2009".Hs.fi.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"China smothers Vanhanen in cordial language 29.4.2009".Hs.fi.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"Viihde | 01.08.2006 | Matti Vanhanen ja Susan viihtyvät yhdessä".Iltalehti.fi. 8 January 2006.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"Helsingin Sanomat – International Edition – People".Hs.fi. Archived fromthe originalon 22 May 2011.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"HeadlineAlley™".
- ^"Supreme Court upholds privacy violation conviction against Susan Ruusunen and publisher for kiss-and-tell book".Archived fromthe originalon 10 June 2012.
- ^"Helsingin Sanomat"(in Finnish). hs.fi. Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2010.Retrieved22 July2010.
- ^"MTV3 Internet >Uutiset – Kotimaa".Mtv3.fi. 21 October 2005.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^Parkkonen, Tommi (25 July 2010)."IL-erikoishaastattelu: Matti Vanhasesta tuli yllättäen hallituksen Herra Suorasuu:" Minun ei tarvitse enää miettiä poliittista uraani ""(in Finnish).Iltalehti.Retrieved25 July2010.
- ^"Helsingin Sanomat – International Edition".Hs.fi.Retrieved23 June2010.
- ^"ITSENÄISYYSPÄIVÄ | Tasavallan presidentin myöntämät kunniamerkit".Helsingin Sanomat(in Finnish). 6 December 1999.Retrieved26 December2023.
- ^"Pääministeri Vanhaselle Valkoisen Ruusun suurristi".Turun Sanomat(in Finnish). 5 December 2004.Retrieved12 December2023.
- ^"president.ee".president.ee.Retrieved26 December2023.
- ^Presidency of Republic."Vanhanen Mr. Matti".Presidency of Republic.Retrieved26 December2023.
- ^abHalila, Heikki; Donner, Kristian; Kolbe, Laura; Ranki, Kristina; Launonen, Pekka; Helsingin yliopisto; Alma Talent, eds. (2021).Suomen valtiokalenteri 2021(211. vuosikerta ed.). Helsinki: Alma Talent Oy.ISBN978-952-14-4352-7.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- (in Finnish)Official site
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