Prime Minister
Sorsa was one of the major political figures during presidencies of Kekkonen and Koivisto. Sorsa was the chairman of Social Democratic Party from 1975 to 1987 and Prime Minister of Finland of four cabinets for about 10 years total (1972–1975, 1977–1979, 1982–1983, 1983–1987). He still holds the record of the longest-serving prime minister. He was the Speaker of Parliament from 1989 to 1991, and Deputy Prime Minister 1975–1976 and 1987–1989.
Sorsa is regarded as one of the most influential prime ministers of Finland. Sorsa's contribution was important both for public services such as schools and health care reforms, as well as the strengthening of social security for both families with children and pensioners. His governments took a number of domestic policy reforms (including the law on child care, the extension of maternity leave, the annual vacation benefit act, as well as the public health act). Sorsa's governments strengthened the Finnish welfare state.
Sorsa also participated actively in the international social democratic movement. He supported the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe process, as well as the projects to bridge the gap between world's rich and poor countries. Despite the opposition of far-left parties, Sorsa supported the European Economic Community (EEC) free trade agreement in the 1970s, which would have made the ties between Finland and EEC countries closer. The agreement eventually got confirmed. Of the politicians of his era, he had the most difficult relationship with Paavo Väyrynen, an equally strongwilled opponent at the helm of the Center Party. Another notable prolonged conflict was a rivalry with the young Paavo Lipponen on his way up.
He met Soviet Premier Nikolai Tikhonov during his state visit to the Soviet Union in 1984.
Read more about this topic: Kalevi Sorsa
Famous quotes related to prime minister:
“If one had to worry about one’s actions in respect of other people’s ideas, one might as well be buried alive in an antheap or married to an ambitious violinist. Whether that man is the prime minister, modifying his opinions to catch votes, or a bourgeois in terror lest some harmless act should be misunderstood and outrage some petty convention, that man is an inferior man and I do not want to have anything to do with him any more than I want to eat canned salmon.”
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947)
“Vanessa wanted to be a ballerina. Dad had such hopes for her.... Corin was the academically brilliant one, and a fencer of Olympic standard. Everything was expected of them, and they fulfilled all expectations. But I was the one of whom nothing was expected. I remember a game the three of us played. Vanessa was the President of the United States, Corin was the British Prime Minister—and I was the royal dog.”
—Lynn Redgrave (b. 1943)