Pekka Veikko Vennamo (born 7 November 1944 in Helsinki) is a Finnish politician and corporate executive. He was the leader of the Finnish Rural Party from 1979 to 1989. He was also member of the Parliament of Finland from 1972 to 1975 representing the constituency of Helsinki and again from 1979 to 1989 representing the southern constituency of Turku Province. In addition, Vennamo served as the Deputy Minister of Finance in Kalevi Sorsa's fourth cabinet from 1983 to 1987 and as the Minister of Transport in Harri Holkeri's cabinet from 1987 to 1989. [1]
Vennamo is son of Veikko Vennamo, the founder and first leader of the Finnish Rural party. Before entering politics, he studied engineering. [1] As the party leader, Vennamo led the Finnish Rural Party to a great victory at the 1983 parliamentary election after which the party entered the government for the first time. Vennamo left politics in 1989 when he was appointed director (later CEO) of Post and Telecommunications. [1] He angered his previous supporters in the rural areas of the country - many typical Finnish Rural Party voters - when in an effort to improve the efficiency of the postal service he ordered the closure of very many rural post offices. When the company was split to Finland Post and Sonera in 1998, he was appointed CEO of Sonera. However, in January 1999 Vennamo was removed from office because of his controversial businesses with company shares. [2] Since 1999, Vennamo has been CEO of a company called Sijoitus. [1]
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as prime minister, and held various other cabinet positions. He was the third and most recent president from the Agrarian League/Centre Party. Head of state for nearly 26 years, he dominated Finnish politics for 31 years overall. Holding a large amount of power, he won his later elections with little opposition and has often been classified as an autocrat.
Juho Kusti Paasikivi was a Finnish politician who served as the seventh president of Finland from 1946 to 1956. Representing the Finnish Party until its dissolution in 1918 and then the National Coalition Party, he previously served as senator, member of parliament, envoy to Stockholm (1936–1939) and Moscow (1940–1941), and Prime Minister of Finland. He also held several other positions of trust, and was an influential figure in Finnish economics and politics for over fifty years.
The Green League, shortened to the Greens, is a green political party in Finland. Ideologically, the Green League is positioned on the centre-left of the political spectrum. It is a reformist party and it is supportive of feminism, animal rights and green liberal ideas.
Taisto Kalevi Sorsa was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland three times: 1972–1975, 1977–1979 and 1982–1987. At the time of his death he still held the record for most days of incumbency as prime minister. He was also a long-time leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland.
Väinö Alfred Tanner was a leading figure in the Social Democratic Party of Finland, and a pioneer and leader of the cooperative movement in Finland. He was Prime Minister of Finland in 1926–1927.
The Centre Party, officially the Centre Party of Finland, is an agrarian-centrist political party in Finland. Ideologically, the Centre Party is positioned in the centre of the political spectrum. It has been described as liberal, social-liberal, liberal-conservative, and conservative-liberal. The party’s leader is Antti Kaikkonen, who was elected in June 2024 to succeed former minister Annika Saarikko. As of June 2023, the party has been part of the parliamentary opposition.
The Finns Party, formerly known as the True Finns, is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party.
Johannes Virolainen was a Finnish politician and who served as 30th Prime Minister of Finland, helped inhabitants of Karelia, opposed the use of alcohol and created Mandatory Swedish in Finnish basic schools.
Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo chaired the committee for World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, and is the former chairman, chief executive officer and president of Nokia, as well as a former board member of Nokia Siemens Networks.
Veikko Emil Aleksander Vennamo was a Finnish politician. In 1959, he founded the Finnish Rural Party, which was succeeded by the True Finns in 1995. He had originally been the leader of a faction of the Agrarian League. When his opponent, Urho Kekkonen, was elected president of Finland, Vennamo broke off his Agrarian League affiliation. Vennamo was a member of Parliament in 1945–1962 and 1966–1987. He was also the director of the Agricultural ministry's Resettlement office in 1944–1959 and was responsible for the resettlement of the farmers evacuated from the ceded Karelia. Later he was a department director at the Board of Customs.
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 2 and 3 January 1972.
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 21 and 22 September 1975.
Pekka Olavi Haavisto is a Finnish politician of the Green League who served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2023.
The Finnish Rural Party was an agrarian and populist political party in Finland. Starting as a breakaway faction of the Agrarian League in 1959 as the Small Peasants' Party of Finland, the party was identified with the person of Veikko Vennamo, a former Agrarian League Member of Parliament known for his opposition to the politics of President Urho Kekkonen. Vennamo was chairman of the Finnish Rural Party between 1959 and 1979.
Finnish People's Unity Party was a split from the Rural Party of Finland. The party was formed as some of the members of the parliamentary group of the Rural Party of Finland wanted to support the idea of re-electing the president of Finland Urho Kekkonen without presidential elections for the years 1974–1978. This was impossible for the chairman Veikko Vennamo due to the longstanding disputes between Vennamo and the Centre Party.
Olli-Pekka Heinonen is a Finnish politician and public servant. During his career as a politician he represented the National Coalition Party.
Veikko Ihamuotila was an influential Finnish agriculture sector leader, administrator and one-time government minister.
Sinikka Marjatta Luja-Penttilä was a Finnish politician and writer. She represented Uusimaa in the Parliament of Finland from 1966 to 1983 as a member of the Social Democratic Party, and was the minister of social affairs and health from 1979 to 1982.
Pekka Tarjanne (1937–2010) was a scientist and politician who served as the chairman of the Liberal Party and minister of transport in Finland. He also headed the International Telecommunication Union from 1989 and 1999.
Ele Allan Alenius was a Finnish socialist politician. He was a Member of the Parliament of Finland for the Finnish People's Democratic League (SKDL) 1966–1977 and the Deputy Minister of Finance 1966–1970. Alenius was also the chairman of the SKDL 1967–1979.