Tarja Halonen

Tarja Kaarina Halonen ([tɑrjɑ kɑːrinɑ hɑlonen] ( listen); born 24 December 1943) wis the 11t Preses o Finland, servin frae 2000 tae 2012. The first female tae hauld the office, Halonen haed previously been a member o the parliament frae 1979 tae 2000 when she resigned efter her election tae the presidency. In addition tae her poleetical career she haed a lang an extensive career in trade unions an different nan-govrenmental organisations.

Tarja Halonen
11t Preses o Finland
In office 1 Mairch 2000 – 1 Mairch 2012
Prime Meenister	Paavo Lipponen Anneli Jäätteenmäki Matti Vanhanen Mari Kiviniemi Jyrki Katainen
Precedit bi	Martti Ahtisaari
Succeedit bi	Sauli Niinistö
Meenister o Foreign Affairs
In office 13 Aprile 1995 – 25 Februar 2000
Prime Meenister	Paavo Lipponen
Precedit bi	Paavo Rantanen
Succeedit bi	Erkki Tuomioja
Meenister o Juistice
In office 28 Februar 1990 – 26 Aprile 1991
Prime Meenister	Harri Holkeri
Precedit bi	Matti Louekoski
Succeedit bi	Hannele Pokka
Memmer o Finnish Parliament for Helsinki
In office 24 Mairch 1979 – 29 Februar 2000
Succeedit bi	Ilkka Taipale
Personal details
Born	Tarja Kaarina Halonen (1943-12-24) 24 December 1943 Helsinki, Finland
Poleetical pairty	Social Democratic Pairty
Spoose(s)	Pentti Arajärvi (2000–present)
Bairns	Anna
Alma mater	University o Helsinki
Profession	Lawyer
Signatur
Wabsteid	Offeecial wabsteid

Halonen is a graduate o the University o Helsinki, where she studied law frae 1963 tae 1968. She wis active in student politics an served as the Social Affairs Secretary an Organization Secretary o the Naitional Union o Students frae 1969 tae 1970. In 1971 she joined the Social Democratic Pairty an wirked as a lawyer in the Central Organisation o Finnish Trade Unions till she wis electit tae parliament in 1979.

Halonen servit in the parliament o Finland for sax terms, frae 1979 tae 2000, representin the constituency o Helsinki. She an aa haed a lang career in the ceety cooncil o Helsinki, servin there frae 1977 tae 1996. She stairtit her campaign for the presidency at the beginnin o 1999 efter Preses Martti Ahtisaari announced that he wad no staund for a seicont term in the office. She easily wan her pairty's nomination, an eventually got 40% o the votes in the first roond o the presidential elections, an 51.6% in the seicont, thus defeatin the Centre Pairty's Esko Aho an becomin the 11t preses o Finland.

Durin the time o her presidency she haes been extremely popular amang Finns: her appruival ratins rose an reached a peak o 88% in December 2003. Even though her ratins wur so guid, she wis no re-electit in the first roond in the next presidential elections in 2006. She beat Naitional Coalition Pairty candidate Sauli Niinistö in the seicont roond bi 51.8% against 48.2%. Ineligible tae run in the 2012 presidential elections due tae term limits, Halonen left office on 1 Mairch 2012.