Slowly Spoken Finnish - This Finnish presidentti LOVES Sauna, skiing and VODKA

Описание: Urho Kalevi Kekkonen was a Finnish politician who served as the Prime Minister of Finland from 1950 to 1953 and then as the President of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He is one of the most influential figures in Finnish political history and is known for his long and dominant presidency, which lasted for 25 years.

Kekkonen was born in Pielavesi, Finland, in 1900. He studied law at the University of Helsinki and became involved in politics in the 1930s. During World War II, Kekkonen served as the Minister of Justice and Minister of the Interior, and he played a key role in maintaining Finland's neutrality during the conflict.

After the war, Kekkonen served as the Prime Minister of Finland and then as the Speaker of the Parliament before being elected as the President in 1956. During his presidency, Kekkonen pursued a policy of neutrality and pursued a pragmatic foreign policy, which allowed Finland to maintain good relations with both the East and West.

Kekkonen was known for his strong personality and his ability to maintain political power. He used his position as president to consolidate his power and maintain control over the government and the media. His presidency was also marked by controversy, particularly in his later years, when he became increasingly authoritarian and engaged in political repression.

Despite these criticisms, Kekkonen remains a respected figure in Finnish political history. His contributions to Finland's foreign policy and his role in maintaining the country's independence and sovereignty during the Cold War are widely recognized.