Kalevi Sorsa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kalevi Sorsa
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Sorsa in 1975.
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| 34th Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 19 February 1982 – 30 April 1987 |
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| President | Mauno Koivisto |
| Deputy | Ahti Pekkala Paavo Väyrynen |
| Preceded by | Mauno Koivisto |
| Succeeded by | Harri Holkeri |
| In office 15 May 1977 – 26 May 1979 |
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| President | Urho Kekkonen |
| Deputy | Johannes Virolainen |
| Preceded by | Martti Miettunen |
| Succeeded by | Mauno Koivisto |
| In office 4 September 1972 – 13 June 1975 |
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| President | Urho Kekkonen |
| Deputy | Ahti Karjalainen |
| Preceded by | Rafael Paasio |
| Succeeded by | Keijo Liinamaa |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 30 April 1987 – 31 January 1989 |
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| Prime Minister | Harri Holkeri |
| Preceded by | Paavo Väyrynen |
| Succeeded by | Pertti Paasio |
| In office 30 November 1975 – 29 September 1976 |
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| Prime Minister | Martti Miettunen |
| Preceded by | Olavi J. Mattila |
| Succeeded by | Keijo Korhonen |
| In office 23 February 1972 – 4 September 1972 |
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| Prime Minister | Rafael Paasio |
| Preceded by | Olavi J. Mattila |
| Succeeded by | Ahti Karjalainen |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 30 April 1987 – 31 January 1989 |
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| Prime Minister | Harri Holkeri |
| Preceded by | Paavo Väyrynen |
| Succeeded by | Pertti Paasio |
| In office 30 November 1975 – 29 September 1976 |
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| Prime Minister | Martti Miettunen |
| Preceded by | Olavi J. Mattila |
| Succeeded by | Ahti Karjalainen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Taisto Kalevi Sorsa
21 December 1930 Keuruu, Finland |
| Died | 16 January 2004 (aged 73) Helsinki, Finland |
| Political party | Social Democratic |
| Spouse | Elli Irene Fate |
Taisto Kalevi Sorsa (born December 21, 1930 – died January 16, 2004) was an important Finnish politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Finland three times. These terms were from 1972–1975, 1977–1979, and 1982–1987. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Finland's history. Kalevi Sorsa also led the Social Democratic Party of Finland for many years.
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Early Life and Career
Kalevi Sorsa was born in Keuruu, Finland, on December 21, 1930. He went to school in Jyväskylä and Lappeenranta. When he was 18, he started working with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Lappeenranta.
Before becoming a full-time politician, Sorsa worked for UNESCO in Paris from 1959 to 1965. UNESCO is a part of the United Nations that promotes education, science, and culture. After that, he was the Secretary-General of the Finnish UNESCO board from 1965 to 1969. In the late 1960s, he also worked as an official in Finland's Ministry of Education.
In 1969, Rafael Paasio, a former Prime Minister, helped Sorsa become the party secretary for the SDP. This was a big job, even though Sorsa didn't have much experience in national politics yet.
Kalevi Sorsa: A Leader for Finland
Kalevi Sorsa was a very important political leader during the time of Presidents Urho Kekkonen and Mauno Koivisto. He was the chairman of the Social Democratic Party from 1975 to 1987. He served as the Prime Minister of Finland in four different governments, for a total of ten years. This makes him Finland's longest-serving prime minister ever.
After being Prime Minister, he became the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament from 1989 to 1991. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Finland twice. This was from 1975 to 1976 and again from 1987 to 1989. From 1987 to 1996, Sorsa was on the governing board of the Bank of Finland.
Improving Life for Finnish Families
Sorsa is known as one of Finland's most influential prime ministers. His governments worked hard to make Finland a stronger welfare state. A welfare state means the government helps make sure everyone has a good quality of life.
His governments made many important changes. They improved schools and healthcare for everyone. They also increased social security benefits for families with children and for older people. Some of the reforms included new child care laws and longer maternity leave for parents. They also passed laws for annual vacation benefits and improved public health services.
Sorsa and Global Connections
Kalevi Sorsa also served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Finland) three times. He held this role in 1972, from 1975 to 1976, and from 1987 to 1989.
He strongly supported the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) after it was created in 1975. This organization helps keep peace and security in Europe. Sorsa also worked on projects to help bridge the gap between rich and poor countries around the world.
In the 1970s, he helped Finland sign a free-trade agreement with the European Economic Community (EEC). This agreement was important because it helped Finland build stronger ties with countries in Western Europe.
Sorsa was also very active in the international social democratic movement. In the mid-1970s, he became the vice-president of the Socialist International. This is a worldwide organization of social democratic, socialist, and labor parties.
During the Cold War, the Socialist International, led by Sorsa, talked a lot with the United States and the Soviet Union. They discussed important topics like East-West relations, controlling weapons, and the situation in Afghanistan. The Socialist International supported agreements that aimed to reduce tensions and weapons, like SALT II and START. Sorsa led many meetings with leaders like President Jimmy Carter and Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss these issues.
Later Years
In 1993, Sorsa wanted to become the Social Democratic Party's candidate for president. However, he lost in the primary elections to Martti Ahtisaari. Ahtisaari later became the President of Finland.
Kalevi Sorsa continued to be involved in discussions about social policy until the end of his life. He passed away from cancer on January 16, 2004, at his home in Helsinki. He was 73 years old. He was survived by his wife.
The Kalevi Sorsa Foundation is a special group that studies social democratic ideas. It was created in 2005 and named in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Kalevi Sorsa para niños
- Politics of Finland
- Socialist International
- Minister of Foreign Affairs (Finland)
- Martti Ahtisaari
Images for kids
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Sorsa in 1975.
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Kalevi Sorsa in January 1983, during his third and longest term as Prime Minister
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Willy Brandt visiting the Finnish Social Democratic Party leader Kalevi Sorsa in Finland in 1977
