“Perhaps you need to get smarter leaders first before giving them more money”
@ 8:08 am The above quote from ‘Freeridin Franklin’ ‘hfb’ hit me as “my sentiments exactly” trying to figure out what to write. I’ve been fuming and spewing bile ever since that smarmy Paavo Väyrynen showed his mug on the telly. Now those who do not know of him are very lucky. If you need to find the most epitome Kekkoslovakian politician there is left, it is him. Paavo Väyrynen started his political career as a 23-year old MP in the year I was born, 1970, so I have been seeing his mug very often on the black & white telly. His career was raised by his good connections with Kekkonen and that old drunk Ahti Karjalainen.
- 1975-1976: Minister of Education
- 1976-1977: Minister of Labour
- 1977-1982: Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1983-1987: Minister of Forgein Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister
- 1991-1993: Minister of Forgein Affairs
And the chairman of the Centre:
- 1972-1980: Vice-chairman of the Keskusta party
- 1980-1990: Chairman
Paavo Väyrynen was one of the last of the “old cadre” of pro-soviet leaders. He made his PhD dissertation on Finnish Foreign Policy in Åbo Akedemi in 1988, stating that “the political relationship between Finland and the USSR will not change in the foreseeable future”. Next year the Eastern Block had switched to market economy, and 1991 the USSR ceased existing.
Now as a politician he got some infamy over the jalasmökkiskandaali, basically living in Helsinki in an big apartment but having his official residence in a trailer cabin in his constituency in Keminmaa and of course collecting tax-free subsides for “travel expenses” and “keeping a second apartment” and so forth, probably making his media image somewhat “strained” The term “mediapeli” was probably invented by him at the time of the Presidential Elections of 1994, when after the fall of Kekkoslovakia he tried to implement Väyryslandia. The naughty press dug up some old documents from 1981, when Väyrynen was campaigning for Ahti Karjalainen’s election and allegedly tried to play the “Soviet Jack” with his liaison with the USSR “trade attache” Viktor Vladimirov. Of course the press was totaully to blame for his loss. After being so rudely pushed aside the people voted him to Brussels to the EU Parliament in 1995, with some 44000 votes – in the vain hope of getting him out of the country. He has been trying to wiggle back in ever since, being the presidential candidate, as apparently the “Kemijoki of thoughts” can’t compete with he other Eurocrats. His teflon-coating seems to make all scandals bounce, like trying to get state subsidies for a college of his own, when the Ministry of Education refused to accredit it.
Oh well, those drunk Laplanders voted him back to Parliament and now the slimeball is refusing to hand in his mandate letter for the Finnish Parliament. Väyrynen wants a minister position or to be the speaker of Parliament. Or he has said he is “available” for the position, but if he isn’t “given” a high-ranking position he will continue in the EU Parliament. Now these kindergarten antics are explained by a simple equation of greedy politician maths. If he hands in his mandate, the EU parliament position will end in 3 days, and he’ll come a member for Finnish Parliament – and cannot return if he’s not given a high-ranking job. Now a minister or the speaker get not only prestige, but also m-o-n-e-y… And its all about money, the salary of a MP after taxes is about 5000 euros, while an EU parliament member is getting some 10 000 in cash. So of course, why would he come to serve the people on such a meagre income?
BTW, a less fiery article on the antics of Paavo Väyrynen is in the HS international.
