Statesman from humble background, Mauno Koivisto led Finland to EU

Mauno Henrik Koivisto served two six-year terms as president of the Republic of Finland between 1982 and 1994. He was born on November 25, 1923 in the southwestern city of Turku and passed away on May 12, 2017 in Helsinki.

After succeeding Finland’s long-term president Urho Kekkonen, Koivisto gave parliament a more prominent role in Finland’s democratic system. By the end of his period in office, he had found a new place for Finland in a rapidly evolving Europe. Koivisto won presidential elections in 1982 and 1988, with his popularity extending across traditional political party boundaries.

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