Paavo Lipponen
Encyclopedia
Paavo Tapio Lipponen (born 23 April 1941) is a Finnish
politician and former reporter. He was Prime Minister of Finland
from 1995 to 2003, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland
from 1993 to 2005. He also served as Speaker
of the Parliament of Finland
2003–2007.
), son of Orvo Lipponen and his wife Hilkka Iisalo. Paavo's maternal grandparents were Jaakko Antero Ingman/Iisalo (a distant relative of Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
and Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
) and his wife Siiri Törnroos. Paavo Lipponen spent his childhood and youth in Kuopio
.
Receiving his gymnasium
diploma from the Lyceum of Kuopio
in 1959, he then studied philosophy and literature at Dartmouth College
for one year.
Soon after returning to Finland he moved to Helsinki
where he eventually attained a master's degree in international relations
from the University of Helsinki
in 1971. He was the editor of the influential student newspaper Ylioppilaslehti
1963–1965 and a freelance reporter for the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) 1965–1967.
Lipponen made various controversial statements that angered groups such as Estonian refugees.
According to Alpo Rusi
's book Vasemmalta ohi, Lipponen began cooperation with the East German secret police Stasi
in 1969. The book suggests that Lipponen is the code name Mungo XV/326/71 in the Rosenholz files
. In a 2008 interview Lipponen said that he had been a "target of East German manipulation". It is rumored that Lipponen is on the so-called Tiitinen list
.
Alpo Rusi has also suggested that Lipponen had an alias, code, and operation in the KGB
.
He held various posts in the Social Democratic Party organisation from 1967 to 1979. Lipponen's opinions were changed. In a speech in 1978 Lipponen asserted that he had lost his belief in socialism.
Lipponen first came into the political limelight when he was secretary to the then Prime Minister Mauno Koivisto
from 1979 to 1982. Frequently having to substitute for the busy PM, Lipponen was soon dubbed vara-Manu ("deputy Manu" — Manu being short for Mauno).
Lipponen was a Member of the Parliament of Finland
from 1983–1987 and also from 1991 until he retired in 2007. In 1993 SDP chairman Ulf Sundqvist
was suspected and later convicted of a large financial fraud. Lipponen was elected the new chairman in 1993, and he led the party to victory in the parliamentary election
of 1995. Lipponen formed a cabinet of five parties including both rightist and leftist parties. Lipponen's economic policies were, however, dominated by the right-wing. The main task of the cabinet was to decrease the number of unemployed. Tight fiscal policies allowed the participation of Finland in the European Monetary Union, which resulted in the introduction of the Euro in 1999. Foreign trade increased above the European average 1995-1999. Laws for a new constitution were passed and it took effect on 1 March 2000.
Lipponen headed the SDP campaign in 1999 which resulted in losses, but the SDP remained the largest party in the parliament. The coalition formed in 1995 was renewed. During the second Lipponen cabinet, he headed Finland's six months in the EU presidency and pursued pro-integration and pro-expansion policies. Lipponen introduced the concept of a European constitution during a speech in Bruges
in 2000.
He headed the SDP campaign of 2003, which led to victory for the SDP; however, the Center Party gained more seats, which marked the end for the succession of the cabinets of the SDP and the National Coalition Party. The chairman of the Center Party, Anneli Jäätteenmäki
, formed a new cabinet, and Lipponen took the position of Speaker of Parliament. Lipponen retired from the party chairmanship in 2005 and was succeeded by Eero Heinäluoma
. Lipponen left the parliament in 2007.
On 15 August 2008, during the 2008 South Ossetia war
, Nord Stream, a Russian gas project, announced that it had signed a consulting contract with Lipponen. According to Nord Stream, he advises on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and permit applications in Finland. He provides independent consultations according to his expertise in Finnish administrative and decision-making procedures within the energy sector.
As a result of the scandal that followed, Lipponen relinquished his office in the parliament building and resigned from all of his duties in Finland except veteran activities.
In an article published in October 2008, Lipponen discussed the Russian response in Georgia and warned Europe of its dependence on Russian gas. Lipponen criticised the way many Finnish and German politicians were opposed to nuclear power and stated that their fundamentalism destroys both energy security and climate policy.
Poland reportedly blocked Lipponen's candidacy as EU foreign policy chief because of Lipponen's ties to Nord Stream.
player and supporter of the game. He lives currently with his second wife, Päivi Lipponen (formerly Hertzberg, maiden name Hiltunen), and has three children.
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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...
politician and former reporter. He was Prime Minister of Finland
Prime Minister of Finland
The Prime Minister is the Head of Government of Finland. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is the Head of State. The current Prime Minister is Jyrki Katainen of the National Coalition Party.-Overview:...
from 1995 to 2003, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
from 1993 to 2005. He also served as Speaker
Speakers of the Parliament of Finland
The Speaker of the Parliament of Finland , along with two Deputy Speakers, is elected by Parliament during the first plenary session each year. Speakers are chosen for a year at a time...
of the Parliament of Finland
Parliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
2003–2007.
Career
Lipponen was born in Turtola (subsequently renamed PelloPello
Pello is a municipality of Finland.It is located approximately north of the Arctic Circle in the western partprovince of Lapland and is part of the Lapland region. The municipality is at the national border with Sweden by the Tornionjoki-river. The municipality has a population of and covers an...
), son of Orvo Lipponen and his wife Hilkka Iisalo. Paavo's maternal grandparents were Jaakko Antero Ingman/Iisalo (a distant relative of Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
Adolf Fredrik, Count Munck af Fulkila was a Swedish and Finnish noble alleged to have been the biological father of King Gustaf IV Adolf.- Biography :...
and Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defence Forces during World War II, Marshal of Finland, and a Finnish statesman. He was Regent of Finland and the sixth President of Finland...
) and his wife Siiri Törnroos. Paavo Lipponen spent his childhood and youth in Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
.
Receiving his gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
diploma from the Lyceum of Kuopio
Kuopion Lyseon lukio
Kuopion Lyseon lukio is an upper secondary school for students aged 15–19. Kuopion Lyseon lukio is located in Kuopio, Finland. Originally established as a boys' school in 1872, Kuopion Lyseo opened its doors to both sexes in 1977...
in 1959, he then studied philosophy and literature at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
for one year.
Soon after returning to Finland he moved to Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
where he eventually attained a master's degree in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
in 1971. He was the editor of the influential student newspaper Ylioppilaslehti
Ylioppilaslehti
Ylioppilaslehti is a Finnish student newspaper founded in 1913. The paper is published by a private company Ylioppilaslehden kustannus Oy that is owned by the Student Union of the University of Helsinki. The paper is the largest student paper in Finland with a circulation of 35,000 copies...
1963–1965 and a freelance reporter for the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) 1965–1967.
Lipponen made various controversial statements that angered groups such as Estonian refugees.
According to Alpo Rusi
Alpo Rusi
Alpo Rusi is a Finnish diplomat in the Cabinet staff of the President of the UN General Assembly. He is now the ambassador of Finland to the Vatican.-Espionage investigation:...
's book Vasemmalta ohi, Lipponen began cooperation with the East German secret police Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
in 1969. The book suggests that Lipponen is the code name Mungo XV/326/71 in the Rosenholz files
Rosenholz files
The Rosenholz files are a collection of 381 CD-ROMs containing 280,000 files with information on employees of the Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung , one of the intelligence agencies of the former GDR...
. In a 2008 interview Lipponen said that he had been a "target of East German manipulation". It is rumored that Lipponen is on the so-called Tiitinen list
Tiitinen list
The Tiitinen list is a Finnish classified government document which was given by West Germany to the Finnish Security Police in 1990. The list consists of the names of 18 persons who are suspected to have been in contact with the East German security service Stasi. The people are popularly...
.
Alpo Rusi has also suggested that Lipponen had an alias, code, and operation in the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
He held various posts in the Social Democratic Party organisation from 1967 to 1979. Lipponen's opinions were changed. In a speech in 1978 Lipponen asserted that he had lost his belief in socialism.
Lipponen first came into the political limelight when he was secretary to the then Prime Minister Mauno Koivisto
Mauno Koivisto
Mauno Henrik Koivisto is a Finnish politician who served as the ninth President of Finland from 1982 to 1994. He also served as Prime Minister 1968–1970 and 1979–1982...
from 1979 to 1982. Frequently having to substitute for the busy PM, Lipponen was soon dubbed vara-Manu ("deputy Manu" — Manu being short for Mauno).
Lipponen was a Member of the Parliament of Finland
Parliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
from 1983–1987 and also from 1991 until he retired in 2007. In 1993 SDP chairman Ulf Sundqvist
Ulf Sundqvist
Ulf Sundqvist is a former chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland, a minister in four cabinets in 1970s and a banker in 1980s....
was suspected and later convicted of a large financial fraud. Lipponen was elected the new chairman in 1993, and he led the party to victory in the parliamentary election
Elections in Finland
Elections in Finland gives information on election and election results in Finland.On national level Finland elects a head of state — the President of the Republic — and a legislature. The president is elected for a six-year term by direct popular vote...
of 1995. Lipponen formed a cabinet of five parties including both rightist and leftist parties. Lipponen's economic policies were, however, dominated by the right-wing. The main task of the cabinet was to decrease the number of unemployed. Tight fiscal policies allowed the participation of Finland in the European Monetary Union, which resulted in the introduction of the Euro in 1999. Foreign trade increased above the European average 1995-1999. Laws for a new constitution were passed and it took effect on 1 March 2000.
Lipponen headed the SDP campaign in 1999 which resulted in losses, but the SDP remained the largest party in the parliament. The coalition formed in 1995 was renewed. During the second Lipponen cabinet, he headed Finland's six months in the EU presidency and pursued pro-integration and pro-expansion policies. Lipponen introduced the concept of a European constitution during a speech in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
in 2000.
He headed the SDP campaign of 2003, which led to victory for the SDP; however, the Center Party gained more seats, which marked the end for the succession of the cabinets of the SDP and the National Coalition Party. The chairman of the Center Party, Anneli Jäätteenmäki
Anneli Jäätteenmäki
Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki, Master of Laws was the first female Prime Minister of Finland, in office from 17 April 2003 to 24 June 2003....
, formed a new cabinet, and Lipponen took the position of Speaker of Parliament. Lipponen retired from the party chairmanship in 2005 and was succeeded by Eero Heinäluoma
Eero Heinäluoma
Eero Olavi Heinäluoma is the current Speaker of the Parliament of Finland. A former chairman of the Finnish Social Democratic Party, he was replaced in the party's leadership by Jutta Urpilainen in June 2008....
. Lipponen left the parliament in 2007.
On 15 August 2008, during the 2008 South Ossetia war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, Nord Stream, a Russian gas project, announced that it had signed a consulting contract with Lipponen. According to Nord Stream, he advises on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and permit applications in Finland. He provides independent consultations according to his expertise in Finnish administrative and decision-making procedures within the energy sector.
As a result of the scandal that followed, Lipponen relinquished his office in the parliament building and resigned from all of his duties in Finland except veteran activities.
In an article published in October 2008, Lipponen discussed the Russian response in Georgia and warned Europe of its dependence on Russian gas. Lipponen criticised the way many Finnish and German politicians were opposed to nuclear power and stated that their fundamentalism destroys both energy security and climate policy.
Poland reportedly blocked Lipponen's candidacy as EU foreign policy chief because of Lipponen's ties to Nord Stream.
Personal life
Paavo Lipponen is a water poloWater polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
player and supporter of the game. He lives currently with his second wife, Päivi Lipponen (formerly Hertzberg, maiden name Hiltunen), and has three children.
See also
- Paavo Lipponen's first CabinetPaavo Lipponen's first CabinetPaavo Lipponen's first cabinet was the 66th government of Republic of Finland. Cabinet's time period was from April 13, 1995 to April 15, 1999. It was Majority government....
- Paavo Lipponen's second CabinetPaavo Lipponen's second CabinetPaavo Lipponen's second cabinet was the 67th government of the Republic of Finland. The cabinet's time period was from April 15, 1999 to April 17, 2003. It was a majority government....
- Bilderberg GroupBilderberg GroupThe Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
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