Taria Halonen President (2000-..) Date of Birth: 24.12.1943 Country: Finland

1. Biography of Tarja Halonen
2. Early Life and Activism
3. Political Career
4. Presidential Elections and Legacy
5. Women in Finnish Politics

Biography of Tarja Halonen

Tarja Halonen, a Finnish politician and lawyer, served as the President of Finland from March 1, 2000, to March 1, 2012. On February 6, 2000, she was elected as the new president in the northern region of Europe, in Finland, the Land of a Thousand Lakes. Today, Tarja Halonen is one of the three current female presidents in Europe, and the only one from the Social Democratic Party.

Early Life and Activism

Born and raised in a working-class family in the impoverished district of Helsinki, Halonen grew up with left-wing views. During her youth, which coincided with the student movements of the late 1960s, she actively participated in the activities of a student pacifist committee advocating for Finland's unilateral disarmament. She has an adult daughter.

Political Career

Halonen, a trained lawyer, underwent a significant political journey. Starting in 1979, she was elected as a member of parliament and later held positions as the Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her entire political biography is associated with the Social Democratic Party of Finland, to which she belonged to the left-wing faction.

Presidential Elections and Legacy

In the presidential elections, Tarja Halonen competed against centrist Esko Aho. A former prime minister, who was ten years younger than Halonen, Aho lost to her in the second round. According to the majority of Finns, Halonen epitomizes a more modern and versatile type of politician and statesperson. They appreciate the president's efforts to break stereotypes. Even on her official website, Halonen precedes the pompous photos reflecting her presidential activities with a section titled "The President's Turtles and Cats" (Tarja's well-known love for these animals).

Women in Finnish Politics

Tarja Halonen is not the only woman playing a key role in Finnish political life. Currently, out of the 200 members of parliament, 73 are women. For many years, the Riksdag has been led by the Social Democrat Riitta Uosukainen. Additionally, half of the ministers in the government are also women.

This reflects the unique history of Finland, where women obtained the right to vote and be elected as early as 1906 when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, while such rights did not yet exist in other parts of the empire. A year later, the first female parliament member appeared in the Finnish parliament.