Harri Holkeri

Harri Holkeri
58th Prime Minister of Finland
In office 30 April 1987 – 26 April 1991
Deputy	30 April 1987 - 31 January 1989 Kalevi Sorsa 1 February 1989 - 26 April 1991 Pertti Paasio
Preceded by	Kalevi Sorsa
Succeeded by	Esko Aho
Personal details
Born	(1937-06-01) June 1, 1937 Oripää, Finland
Political party	National Coalition Party of Finland
Spouse	Marja-Liisa Lepistö
Profession	Master of Political Sciences

Harri Hermanni Holkeri [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.

As a politician whose principles frequently overrode the calculations that might have made him a statesman of the highest calibre, Harri Holkeri is getting grudged recognition now that his career in domestic politics is over.

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. 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.