Matti Vanhanen – the Prime-Minister of Finland
Born November 4, 1955 in Uvaskula, central Finland.
Education: journalist, M.A. in Social Sciences.
1985-88: correspondent of the local newspaper Keha Sanomat; 1988-1991: its editor in chief.
1981-84: deputy of the municipality of Espoo; from 1989: member of the city council of Nurmiarvi.
1997-2000: member of the board of the union of communes of the Uusimaa Region, southern Finland.
Since 1976: member of the Centre Party.
1980-83: chairman of the Youth Union of the CP. In 2003 re-elected chairman of the Party.
Since 1991: member of Parliament.
1994-2001: deputy chairman of the CP in Parliament.
1991-1995: deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment.
2000-2001: chairman of the Grand Committee of Parliament.
2002-2003: Finnish representative in the EU Convention.
April-June 2003 - Defence Minister.
June 24, 2003: appointed Prime Minister of Finland.
As a result of the victory of the Centre Party in the parliamentary elections in March 2007, he was again appointed Prime Minister and headed the Finnish Government composed of the CP, National Coalition Party, the Green League and the Swedish People's Party.
