Mauri Pekkarinen
Encyclopedia
Reijo Mauri Matias Pekkarinen (born October 6, 1947 in Kinnula
, Finland
) is a Finnish politician. He is the Centre Party of Finland
(Suomen Keskusta) deputy and secretary, and former Minister of Economic Affairs in the Finnish government. He is known by the nickname "The Parliament Terrier
".
in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had long held an interest in economics
and society
and began to take part in party politics at the age of 24.
. In 2008 his title was changed to Minister of Economic Affairs.
In addition to politics, Pekkarinen is an avid athlete, and is a noted long distance runner.
Kinnula
Kinnula is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the Central Finland region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) is a Finnish politician. He is the Centre Party of Finland
Centre Party (Finland)
The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
(Suomen Keskusta) deputy and secretary, and former Minister of Economic Affairs in the Finnish government. He is known by the nickname "The Parliament Terrier
Terrier
A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...
".
Early life
Pekkarinen first became interested in politics as a student at the University of JyväskyläUniversity of Jyväskylä
The University of Jyväskylä is a university in Jyväskylä, Finland. It has its origins in the first Finnish-speaking teacher training college , founded in 1863. Around 14,000 students are currently enrolled in the degree programs of the university...
in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had long held an interest in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and began to take part in party politics at the age of 24.
Minister of Trade and Industry
As new Minister of Trade and Industry, Pekkarinen stated his goal to "promote entrepreneurship and economic growth and thus contribute to diminishing unemployment, [and] to tackle large issues in the field of energy policy such as the carbon dioxide emissions trade between companies in the EU and the building a new nuclear power reactor in Finland", and has also stated an interest in preserving good relations with FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 2008 his title was changed to Minister of Economic Affairs.
In addition to politics, Pekkarinen is an avid athlete, and is a noted long distance runner.