Harri Holkeri

Harri Holkeri

Infobox_Prime Minister | name = Harri Holkeri


nationality = Finnish
| order = 58th Prime Minister of Finland
term_start = April 30, 1987
term_end = April 26, 1991
deputy = Kalevi Sorsa (1987-1989) Pertti Paasio (1989-1991)
predecessor = Kalevi Sorsa
successor = Esko Aho
birth_date = birth date and age|1937|6|1
birth_place = Oripää, Finland
death_date =
death_place =
party = National Coalition Party of Finland
spouse = Marja-Liisa Lepistö
profession = Master of Political Sciences
nicknames =
languagesspoken =

Harri Hermanni Holkeri (pronounced|ˈhɑrːi ˈhɛrmɑnːi ˈhɔlkɛri, KBE (born January 6, 1937 in Oripää) is a Finnish politician of the National Coalition Party of Finland (Kokoomus) who was Prime Minister of Finland 1987-1991, speaker of the UN General Assembly 2000-2001 and headed UNMIK. The current head is Joachim Rücker.

Party politics

Harri Holkeri was a member of a group of young Kokoomus politicians who sought to reform the party by restoring "confidential relations" with the Soviets and thus bring their party in from the cold. Kokoomus having not participated in government for decades, despite steadily high representation in the Parliament of Finland, due to being perceived as "governmentally unfit" (an euphemism for being sceptical about any contact with Soviets even in terms of their strategic interests).

Personality

Harri Holkeri never was completely trusted by the Corporate leadership, due to his frugal lifestyle.Fact|date=June 2008 A man who eschewed gas-guzzlers for a small fuel-economic car was not deemed a proper proponent of free markets and capitalism. This was a major handicap for him in intra-party politics, but, along with his character, won him good relations with politicians in other parties, and his eventual "dark horse" premiership.

Another "pro" he had was his positive approach to the USSR, while Kokomuus tended to be critical of the official Paasikivi-Kekkonen line.

Prime minister

Rising to the post of prime minister as the first Kokoomus leader in 43 years, Holkeri's term in office was not considered to be particularly distinguished. The sluggish economic conditions left him little room to maneuvre to maintain his incumbency.

Media relations

His natural straightforward honesty often pitted him against the media. Serving during an incipient economic slump, one reporter asked him what his advice was for those who had trouble making ends meet. He replied that, like him, they should eat herring, a frugal source of nutrients. This was taken as a sign of callousness, though it was meant as an indication how modestly he himself lived. In the parliamentary elections of 1991, the "Holkeri Herring" was used very successfully by the Centre Party of Finland. Their posters showed an image of a rotten herring.

Another time Holkeri was having a private moment at a street café when a reporter stuck a microphone in his face, asking his opinion about the worsening unemployment situation. He expressed his pique at his privacy being invaded by simply replying, "I am drinking coffee now!"

It became a catchphrase for his whole incumbency. The Finnish political cartoonist Kari Suomalainen parodied the incident with a cartoon that showed two bums talking to each other on a park bench. One bum asked the other a question about welfare politics, and the other answered "I am drinking Koskenkorva now."

In his youth, Harri Holkeri had not been above engaging in theatrics in front of the media. One of the seminal moments in Finnish television history is when Harri Holkeri stormed out of a semi-satirical debate on the magazine show "Sirkus Pasila", when the studio band began singing Protest songs dubbing Kokoomus party members as blood-suckers. It took several decades before Harri Holkeri admitted that his dramatic march out from the studio had been pre-planned.

Domestic offices

Harri Holkeri was member of the board of directors of the Bank of Finland 1978-1997, and candidate in the president elections of 1982 and 1988.

Legacy

After leaving domestic politics, his personal qualities paved the way for international positions of responsibility. He chaired the United Nations General Assembly, 2000-2001.

He also played a constructive, even perhaps vital role in securing the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. Most observers agree that coming from a neutral country he was the member of the George J. Mitchell led team that both sides trusted most. His efforts were rewarded by Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II.

On his return from Northern Ireland Holkeri got some payback for all the flak the media had shot at him. After the agreement had been reached following grueling round-the-clock negotiations, Holkeri enjoyed drinks on the flight back to Finland. When his plane landed at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the inebriated and jolly Holkeri was confronted by a reporter with a camera crew. When the television station decided to run the footage where he was visibly drunk, the broadcasting company faced strong public hostility. After the hard effort, most people thought Holkeri deserved to unwind and felt his privacy had been violated.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Harri Holkeri — Primer Ministro de Finlandia …   Wikipedia Español

  • Harri Holkeri — Mandats 58e Premier ministre finlandais 30 avril 1987 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Harri Holkeri — Harri Hermanni Holkeri [ˈhɑrːi ˈhɛrmɑnːi ˈhɔlkɛri], KBE (* 6. Januar 1937 in Oripää; † 7. August 2011 in Helsinki[1]), war ein finnisc …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Harri Hermanni Holkeri — Harri Hermanni Holkeri, KBE [ˈhɑrːi ˈhɛrmɑnːi ˈhɔlkɛri] (* 6. Januar 1937 in Oripää) ist ein finnischer Politiker und ehemaliger Ministerpräsident seines Landes. Holkeri schloss 1962 das Studium der Politikwissenschaft mit dem Master ab. Schon… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Holkeri — Harri Hermanni Holkeri, KBE [ˈhɑrːi ˈhɛrmɑnːi ˈhɔlkɛri] (* 6. Januar 1937 in Oripää) ist ein finnischer Politiker und ehemaliger Ministerpräsident seines Landes. Holkeri schloss 1962 das Studium der Politikwissenschaft mit dem Master ab. Schon… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Harri — ist ein finnischer männlicher Vorname, eine finnische Form des Vornamens Heinrich. Der Vorname kommt u. a. auch in Estland vor.[1] Namenstag in Finnland ist der 6. Januar. Zur Herkunft und Bedeutung des Namens siehe hier. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gouvernement Holkeri — Le gouvernement d Harri Holkeri était le soixante quatrième de la République de Finlande. Il a été nommé le 30 avril 1987 par le Président de la République Mauno Koivisto. Il était soutenu par une coalition composée des partis… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste der Präsidenten der UN-Generalversammlung — Der Präsident der Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen ist ein Amt, welches von der Generalversammlung jährlich vergeben wird. Die Sitzung der Versammlung beginnt in der Regel im September eines jeden Jahres; auch bei Sonder oder… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste der Vorsitzenden der UN-Generalversammlung — Der Präsident der Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen ist ein Amt, welches von der Generalversammlung jährlich vergeben wird. Die Sitzung der Versammlung beginnt in der Regel im September eines jeden Jahres; auch bei Sonder oder… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • President of the United Nations General Assembly — Emblem of the United Nations …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”