Paavo Väyrynen
Encyclopedia
Paavo Matti Väyrynen is a Finnish
veteran politician
of the Centre Party
. Väyrynen has held several ministerial portfolios and is also a former Member of the European Parliament
.
in 1970 at the age of 23. He held various ministerial positions since the Kekkonen
era, and was the chairman of the Centre Party
in 1980—1990. Väyrynen was the Centre Party candidate in the Finnish presidential elections of 1988
and 1994
, finishing second and third respectively.
In Väyrynen's doctoral thesis in 1988, Finlands utrikespolitik – den nationella doktrinen och framtidens mänsklighetspolitik ("Foreign politics of Finland - the national doctrine and the politics of the future of the mankind"), he made an assumption that the Soviet Union would prevail — an assumption which has ever since haunted him in the media. In 1996, Väyrynen was granted docent
ship in University of Lapland
.
In 1989 former Prime Minister Ahti Karjalainen
published his memoir before his death in 1990. Karjalainen revealed that KGB
spy Viktor Vladimirov
had been in contact with in 1981 to advance Karjalainen's presidential candidacy, which was supported by the Soviets. Väyrynen had asked, if the Soviet union could increase the amount of the trade oil to be delivered as a part of the bilateral trade agreement over the amount of the annual quotas for the export to the third countries, so that the Soviet purchases could be increased to ease the economic conditions in Finland. This was publicized in the magazine Suomen Kuvalehti, but it did not lead to any judicial consequences. In one of the published letters to Karjalainen, Väyrynen tells how he collaborated with Vladimirov to create problems in trade relations, which they could then use to influence Finnish politics.
The "Jalasmökki scandal" occurred when only a few square meter mobile cabin was found in the address where Väyrynen officially resided. Väyrynen lived elsewhere and used the cabin to take extra compensation from public funds. Later the system of expense compansations for the members of the Parliament of Finland was made more favourable for MPs from distant electoral districts.
As Finland's Foreign Minister, Väyrynen opposed Estonia's independence struggle
. Former Estonian Prime Minister has criticized Väyrynen's actions during the struggle. The KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky
's book mentions Väyrynen.
Väyrynen opposed Finland's EU membership and filibuster
ed the vote about joining the European Union
in the Finnish parliament past the date of the EU referendum
in Sweden. He did not want Finland to be used as an example to push the Swedes into the membership. Väyrynen served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1995 to 2007. He was known as a eurosceptic, despite being a member of the pro-EU ALDE
.
In the late 1990s Väyrynen founded the "Politiikan korkeakoulu" ("school of politics") course in the Alkio college , a state supported second level educational institution with some affiliation to the Centre Party. Väyrynen's school evolved to became the Pohjantähti school. It received a temporary license in 2007 and a permanent license in 2009. The school, which targets youth, has a "citizen skills" program and a "general education" program.
Väyrynen returned to domestic politics in 2007 when he was reelected to the Finnish Parliament in the 2007 election
. He became the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development in Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet
. As a minister, he said that Finland should not have joined the eurozone
. In 2008, he labeled the Russia–Georgia War as a "Georgian attack" on "Russian peacekeepers" and ended his article with the statement that Finland should not discuss NATO membership because "it could create the impression that Finland is moving from cooperation to confrontation". In 2009 he started to build a church on his ranch. The church's cost was evaluated at 200,000 euros and 30% was to be paid from public funds meant for increasing employment.
Väyrynen believes foreigners take jobs from Finns and he has supported Social Democrat Eero Heinäluoma
's more critical stances concerning work-based immigration. Väyrynen has also supported the idea of making begging on the streets illegal. He opposes gay marriage and adoption. Väyrynen has opposed special investigations in the Centre Party's finances which were proposed after corruption concerns surfaced. In 2011 Väyrynen contemplated establishing a currency union with Estonia, which recently joined the European monetary system in 2011.
In the 2011 parliamentary election
he opted to run in the Uusimaa electoral district instead of his "home district" of Lapland, and was not elected.
Väyrynen was the only one to announce his candidacy for Centre Party in the Finnish presidential election, 2012
. The party confirmed him as the candidate in October 2011.
Politics of Finland
Politics of Finland takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. The President of Finland is the head of state, leads the foreign policy, and is the Commander-in-chief of the Defense Forces. The Prime Minister of Finland is the head...
veteran politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of the Centre Party
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...
. Väyrynen has held several ministerial portfolios and is also a former Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
Career
Väyrynen's involvement in national politics dates back to when he was selected to parliamentParliament 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 :...
in 1970 at the age of 23. He held various ministerial positions since the Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
era, and was the chairman of the Centre Party
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...
in 1980—1990. Väyrynen was the Centre Party candidate in the Finnish presidential elections of 1988
Finnish presidential election, 1988
Presidential elections were held in Finland in 1988. They were the first elections held under the new system. Previously the public had elected an electoral college that in turn elected the President...
and 1994
Finnish presidential election, 1994
Presidential elections were held in Finland on 16 January 1994, with a second round on 6 February. It was the first time the President had been solely elected by a popular vote and saw Martti Ahtisaari defeat Elisabeth Rehn in the second round. Voter turnout was 78.4% in the first round and 78.7%...
, finishing second and third respectively.
In Väyrynen's doctoral thesis in 1988, Finlands utrikespolitik – den nationella doktrinen och framtidens mänsklighetspolitik ("Foreign politics of Finland - the national doctrine and the politics of the future of the mankind"), he made an assumption that the Soviet Union would prevail — an assumption which has ever since haunted him in the media. In 1996, Väyrynen was granted docent
Docent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
ship in University of Lapland
University of Lapland
The University of Lapland is located in the city of Rovaniemi, Finland. It was founded in 1979.The university is divided into four faculties:* Faculty of Art and Design* Faculty of Education* Faculty of Law* Faculty of Social Sciences...
.
In 1989 former Prime Minister Ahti Karjalainen
Ahti Karjalainen
Ahti Kalle Samuli Karjalainen was a Finnish politician. He was a member of the Agrarian League and was Prime Minister of Finland for two terms...
published his memoir before his death in 1990. Karjalainen revealed that 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...
spy Viktor Vladimirov
Viktor Vladimirov (intelligence officer)
Viktor Vladimirov was a Soviet Lieutenant Colonel, diplomat, and KGB officer operating in Finland.He was the head of KGB assassination and sabotage section in the 1960s...
had been in contact with in 1981 to advance Karjalainen's presidential candidacy, which was supported by the Soviets. Väyrynen had asked, if the Soviet union could increase the amount of the trade oil to be delivered as a part of the bilateral trade agreement over the amount of the annual quotas for the export to the third countries, so that the Soviet purchases could be increased to ease the economic conditions in Finland. This was publicized in the magazine Suomen Kuvalehti, but it did not lead to any judicial consequences. In one of the published letters to Karjalainen, Väyrynen tells how he collaborated with Vladimirov to create problems in trade relations, which they could then use to influence Finnish politics.
The "Jalasmökki scandal" occurred when only a few square meter mobile cabin was found in the address where Väyrynen officially resided. Väyrynen lived elsewhere and used the cabin to take extra compensation from public funds. Later the system of expense compansations for the members of the Parliament of Finland was made more favourable for MPs from distant electoral districts.
As Finland's Foreign Minister, Väyrynen opposed Estonia's independence struggle
Singing Revolution
The Singing Revolution is a commonly used name for events between 1987 and 1991 that led to the restoration of the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania...
. Former Estonian Prime Minister has criticized Väyrynen's actions during the struggle. The KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky
Oleg Gordievsky
Oleg Antonovich Gordievsky , CMG , is a former Colonel of the KGB and KGB Resident-designate and bureau chief in London, who was a secret agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1974 to 1985.-Early career:Oleg Gordievsky attended the Moscow State Institute of International...
's book mentions Väyrynen.
Väyrynen opposed Finland's EU membership and filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
ed the vote about joining the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in the Finnish parliament past the date of the EU referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in Sweden. He did not want Finland to be used as an example to push the Swedes into the membership. Väyrynen served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1995 to 2007. He was known as a eurosceptic, despite being a member of the pro-EU ALDE
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
.
In the late 1990s Väyrynen founded the "Politiikan korkeakoulu" ("school of politics") course in the Alkio college , a state supported second level educational institution with some affiliation to the Centre Party. Väyrynen's school evolved to became the Pohjantähti school. It received a temporary license in 2007 and a permanent license in 2009. The school, which targets youth, has a "citizen skills" program and a "general education" program.
Väyrynen returned to domestic politics in 2007 when he was reelected to the Finnish Parliament in the 2007 election
Finnish parliamentary election, 2007
The Finnish parliamentary election of 2007 was the 35th election to the Eduskunta , held on 18 March 2007 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Early voting was possible from the 7–13 March. Two hundred MPs were elected from 15 constituencies.Election themes included a reduction...
. He became the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development in Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet
Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet
Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet was the 70th cabinet of Finland. The cabinet was a centre-right/green coalition, consisting of four parties: the Centre Party Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet (April 2007 - June 2010 ) was the 70th cabinet of Finland. The cabinet was a centre-right/green coalition,...
. As a minister, he said that Finland should not have joined the eurozone
Eurozone
The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...
. In 2008, he labeled the Russia–Georgia War as a "Georgian attack" on "Russian peacekeepers" and ended his article with the statement that Finland should not discuss NATO membership because "it could create the impression that Finland is moving from cooperation to confrontation". In 2009 he started to build a church on his ranch. The church's cost was evaluated at 200,000 euros and 30% was to be paid from public funds meant for increasing employment.
Väyrynen believes foreigners take jobs from Finns and he has supported Social Democrat 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....
's more critical stances concerning work-based immigration. Väyrynen has also supported the idea of making begging on the streets illegal. He opposes gay marriage and adoption. Väyrynen has opposed special investigations in the Centre Party's finances which were proposed after corruption concerns surfaced. In 2011 Väyrynen contemplated establishing a currency union with Estonia, which recently joined the European monetary system in 2011.
In the 2011 parliamentary election
Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
he opted to run in the Uusimaa electoral district instead of his "home district" of Lapland, and was not elected.
Väyrynen was the only one to announce his candidacy for Centre Party in the Finnish presidential election, 2012
Finnish presidential election, 2012
The next election of the President of the Republic of Finland is scheduled to be held on 22 January 2012, and if necessary the second round will be held on 5 February. The second round will be held if no candidate receives a majority of votes on the first round. The elected candidate's term will...
. The party confirmed him as the candidate in October 2011.
Career
- 1972-1980: Vice-chairman of the Centre Party
- 1980-1990: Chairman of the Centre Party
- 1970-1995, 1999, 2007-2011: Member of Parliament
- 1975-1976: Minister of EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- 1976-1977: Minister of Labour
- 1977-1982: Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1983-1987: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of FinlandThe Deputy Prime Minister of Finland is a member of the Council of State who becomes the acting Prime Minister when the actual Prime Minister is temporarily unable to discharge his or her duties. The Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Council of State and traditionally comes from the second...
- 1991-1993: Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1988, 1994 and 2012: Presidential candidate for the Centre Party
- 1995-2007: Member of the European ParliamentMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
- 1997-2004: Vice-chairman of the ELDR Group
- 2007-2011: Minister for Foreign Trade and Development