Tarja Halonen

Tarja Kaarina Halonen (born December 24, 1943) is a Finnish lawyer and politician. She has been the President of Finland since February 6, 2000.

Biography

Tarja Halonen was born on 24 December 1943 in Helsinki in the district of Kallio, which has traditionally been a working-class quarter. Her parents were Vieno Olavi Halonen and Lyyli Elina Loimola. She obtained a Master of Laws from the University of Helsinki in 1968. Halonen served as the social secretary and organisation secretary of the National Union of Students in Finland in 1969–1970 and partly thanks to this she obtained a position as the lawyer of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) for the years 1970–1974. She joined the Social Democratic Party in 1971.

Related Topics:
24 December - 1943 - Helsinki - Kallio - Master of Laws - University of Helsinki - 1968 - National Union of Students in Finland - 1969 - 1970 - Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) - 1974 - 1971

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In 1974 Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa took Halonen as a parliament secretary and she became acquainted with the inner circles of the political world. After this she served in various positions of trust. She was chosen in 1975 to the representatives of Osuusliike Elanto, a position she retained until her election as President. At the same time she served on Helsinki City Council; she left this post in 1996. In 1979 she was elected to the Finnish Parliament, of which she was a member until 2000. In the Parliament her first actual position of trust was working as a Chairman of the Social committee of the parliament from 1984 to 1987.

Related Topics:
1974 - Kalevi Sorsa - 1975 - Osuusliike Elanto - Helsinki - 1996 - 1979 - Finnish Parliament - 2000 - 1984 - 1987

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From this position Halonen rose to the status of Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Health in 1987 which was followed by her serving as Minister of Nordic Cooperation from 1989 until 1991, the same year that Halonen was also chosen as the chairman of the government of the international solidarity foundation. Halonen also left this post when she was elected president. From 1990–1991 she was the Minister of Justice and from 1995 until her election as President she served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Related Topics:
1987 - 1989 - 1991 - 1990 - 1995

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