Susan Kuronen
Encyclopedia
Susan Kristiina Kuronen, currently Susan Kristiina Ruusunen (born 25 September 1970), is a divorced mother from Finland
who had a relationship with Finland's prime minister
, Matti Vanhanen
. The couple had met via an Internet dating service. The relationship lasted less than a year and ended in 2006, reportedly by the sending of an SMS message by Vanhanen. She has been heavily criticised for profiting from the publicity surrounding the brief affair.
In February 2007 Kuronen published a book, Pääministerin morsian (The Prime Minister's Bride, ISBN 978-952-99593-4-1), where she discloses details about the relationship. Based on a personal diary and text messages sent during the affair, the book was called the first 'kiss-and-tell' publication to appear in Finland, causing both uproar and intrigue. Kuronen's limited language skills, as exhibited in her media interviews, have led to speculation that the book was written by a ghostwriter
. In October 2007 she was charged with violation of the right to privacy over the publication of her book. Prime minister Vanhanen claimed €1,000 in damages from the publisher, but made no claims against Ruusunen.
In January 2010 the justice process was underway in the Supreme Court which was expected to hand down a ruling in the late spring.
Kuronen continued to make headlines in Finnish tabloids. In May 2007 the Finnish magazine Hymy
published a semi-nude pictorial of Kuronen. Kuronen had earlier declined an offer to pose in a pornographic publication. In March 2007, Kuronen announced the change of her last name to Ruusunen, which is her grandmother's mother's maiden name, and happens to be the Finnish name for Sleeping Beauty
.
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...
who had a relationship with Finland's prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Matti Vanhanen
Matti Vanhanen
Matti Taneli Vanhanen is a Finnish politician. He is a former Prime Minister of Finland and a former Chairman of the Centre Party. In the second half of 2006 he was President of the European Council. In his earlier career he was a journalist...
. The couple had met via an Internet dating service. The relationship lasted less than a year and ended in 2006, reportedly by the sending of an SMS message by Vanhanen. She has been heavily criticised for profiting from the publicity surrounding the brief affair.
In February 2007 Kuronen published a book, Pääministerin morsian (The Prime Minister's Bride, ISBN 978-952-99593-4-1), where she discloses details about the relationship. Based on a personal diary and text messages sent during the affair, the book was called the first 'kiss-and-tell' publication to appear in Finland, causing both uproar and intrigue. Kuronen's limited language skills, as exhibited in her media interviews, have led to speculation that the book was written by a ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
. In October 2007 she was charged with violation of the right to privacy over the publication of her book. Prime minister Vanhanen claimed €1,000 in damages from the publisher, but made no claims against Ruusunen.
In January 2010 the justice process was underway in the Supreme Court which was expected to hand down a ruling in the late spring.
Kuronen continued to make headlines in Finnish tabloids. In May 2007 the Finnish magazine Hymy
Hymy
Hymy is a Finnish magazine, which was launched in 1959 by publisher Urpo Lahtinen and was named after his wife Hymy Lahtinen. In the 1960s and 1970s Hymy became a success with sensationalist stories containing lots of sex and gossip about Finnish celebrities, often verging on the invasion of privacy...
published a semi-nude pictorial of Kuronen. Kuronen had earlier declined an offer to pose in a pornographic publication. In March 2007, Kuronen announced the change of her last name to Ruusunen, which is her grandmother's mother's maiden name, and happens to be the Finnish name for Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
.