Rafael Paasio

Kuusta Rafael Paasio ( born June 6 1903 in Uskela, † March 17, 1980 in Turku ) was a Finnish politician and twice Prime Minister.

Career

The trained printer suggested later a career in journalism. In 1942 he became chief editor of the Socialist newspaper Turun Päivälehti.

Political career

Member of Parliament and President

Paasio began his political career in 1948 when he was first elected a deputy of the Reichstag. There he represented the interests of the Social Democratic Party ( SDP). In 1949 he became chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. In 1966 he was speaker of the Reichstag for the first time. This President of Parliament, he held again from 1970 to 1972.

Party Chairman and Prime Minister

From 1963 to 1975 he was chairman of the SDP. As such, he sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union than its two predecessors Väinö Tanner and Karl- August Fagerholm.

During his time chairman of the SDP in 1966 could achieve a great electoral success, as it has reduced the number of seats in parliament increased from 38 to 55. After this electoral success succeeded Paasio on 21 May 1966 coalition government with the Centre Party, the Communist People's Democratic Party ( SKDL ) and the Social Democratic Federation, which emerged from the SDP to form. Because of internal party criticism Paasio was forced to resign on May 22, 1968 as Prime Minister in favor of Mauno Koivisto.

On February 23, 1972, he was again Prime Minister of a Social Democratic minority government. On July 19, 1972, he resigned, however, because he did not want to be solely responsible for the signing of a trade agreement between Finland and the European Economic Community ( EEC). Successor as Prime Minister was the Secretary General of the SDP Kalevi Sorsa, the Paasio In 1975 as a successor to the SDP.

Family

His son Pertti Paasio ( b. 1939 ) is also member of the Reichstag from 1987 to 1991 and was also chairman of the SDP and 1989-1991 Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Harri Holkeri. His granddaughter Heli Paasio (born 1972 ) was elected the deputies of the Reichstag in 2003 and is representing also the interests of the SDP.

Biographical sources and background information

• K. Rafael Paasio, International Biographical Archive 24/1980 of 2 June 1980, at Munzinger archive ( beginning of the article freely available )
• Biography in Personenencyclopedie
• Forgetting the Past. Article in TIME Magazine, April 1, 1966
• Finland in the era of consenus 1966 to 1981 In: . U.S. Library of Congress, 1988
• The Social Democratic Party. In: Library of U.S. Congress, 1988
• History of the Finnish Parliament

Pehr E. Svinhufvud | Juho K. PAASIKIVI | Lauri Ingman | Kaarlo Castrén | Juho Vennola | Rafael Erich | Juho Vennola | Aimo K. Cajander | Kyösti Kallio | Aimo K. Cajander | Lauri Ingman | Antti Tulenheimo | Kyösti Kallio | Väinö Tanner | Juho Sunila | Oskari Mantere | Kyösti Kallio | Pehr E. Svinhufvud | Juho Sunila | Toivo Kivimäki | Kyösti Kallio | Aimo K. Cajander | Risto Ryti | Jukka Rangell | Edwin Linkomies | Antti Hackzell | Urho Castrén | Juho K. PAASIKIVI | Mauno Pekkala | Karl- August Fagerholm | Urho Kekkonen | Sakari Tuomioja | Ralf Törngren | Urho Kekkonen | Karl- August Fagerholm | Vieno Sukselainen | Berndt of Fieandt | Reino Kuuskoski | Karl- August Fagerholm | Vieno Sukselainen | Martti Miettunen | Ahti Karjalainen | Reino R. Lehto | John Virolainen | Rafael Paasio | Mauno Koivisto | Teuvo Aura | Ahti Karjalainen | Teuvo Aura | Rafael Paasio | Kalevi Sorsa | Keijo Liinamaa | Martti Miettunen | Kalevi Sorsa | Mauno Koivisto | Kalevi Sorsa | Harri Holkeri | Esko Aho | Paavo Lipponen | Anneli Jäätteenmäki | Matti Vanhanen | Mari Kiviniemi | Jyrki Katainen

• Prime Minister (Finland )
• Reichstag (Finland )
• Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland
• Finn
• Born in 1903
• Died in 1980
• Man