ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC TARJA HALONEN TO PARLIAMENT ON 1.3.2000

In accordance with the solemn affirmation that I have given I am now beginning to promote the success of the Finnish people to the best of my ability in the execution of my office as President. I have received a mandate from the people and I accept this demanding challenge.

I thank you, President Martti Ahtisaari, for the valuable work you have done for the Finnish people as well as to strengthen peace and international security. I also appreciate your sincere wishes for good fortune and success. I likewise wish to extend my thanks to you, Mrs. Ahtisaari, for the work that you have done for the Finnish people.

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The presidential election showed that a direct popular poll is what the voters like. People actively attended election meetings and eagerly flocked to the polls in both rounds. What I find especially gratifying is that also young people took part more actively than in the past. In this conjunction I also wish to thank the other candidates for a good and businesslike election campaign.

A two-stage presidential election is taxing. The result this time was very close, and the same could happen in the future as well. With both the candidates and their supporters having been so wholeheartedly involved, it may take time for us to get back to everyday life. Moreover, since we are accustomed to proportional representation in other elections, a contest between two candidates may seem all the more absolute.

It would now be worth while calmly reflecting on what the election actually told us. Issues that engage the minds of all Finns were raised already during the first round. It is encouraging to see that the views of the candidates were relatively close to each other on the most important social issues. This provides a good foundation on which to build a better future.

I really want to be a President for all the people. In my view that is what the spirit of the Constitution demands and it is a vital necessity for the nation. I shall do my best to make sure that in six years’ time we Finns will be able to feel that we are living in a country of greater equality. The President has an important position as a wielder of influence. But she can not do it alone. Both those people who supported my election and those who made a different choice have their own responsibility.

We should all make an effort to rally our strength for the good of our nation. On many occasions our attention has been focused not only on the numerous positive things that can be seen, but also on the danger of the country becoming divided into two parts. Signs of this are in evidence: income differences have grown and there are distortions in the regional distribution of prosperity. Problems are not the whole picture of society, but they must be tackled in time.

I still consider it centrally important to improve employment and redress the shortcomings of the Nordic welfare society. That is the best way that we can promote equality between people in both the social sense and the regional. It makes it possible for us not only to honour earlier generations and their work, but also to strengthen cooperation between generations.

Finland’s most important resource consists of well-educated people of ability and skill. By cherishing our abilities we shall ensure continuing success.

Our new Constitution is in force as and from today. I hope it will encourage us to strengthen democracy, equality and justice. Parliamentarism is a part of democracy. The purpose of the new Constitution is to strengthen parliamentarism and I am prepared to support this development.

The same Constitution also emphasises equality between people. It will probably be considered natural for me, as Finland’s first female President, to continue to draw attention to gender equality. It is an important matter. But the Constitution presents an even broader concept of equality and I hope that all of us will have sufficient enthusiasm for it.

We would be well-advised to remember that freedoms and responsibility must balance each other. A combination of equality and freedom creates the foundation that is a prerequisite for justice. Without equality, there is a danger that freedom will become the right of the stronger.
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The President of the Republic conducts Finland’s foreign policy in collaboration with the Government, which must enjoy the confidence of Parliament also with respect to the foreign policy it pursues. This forms the triangle of power that guides our foreign policy in the European Union, international organisations and also in bilateral relations. Good-neighbourly relations and the whole of the region in our geographical vicinity remain important to us, but we also want to bear our broader international responsibility with honour.

Foreign and security policy has in recent years undergone a parliamentarisation in practice. The first Lipponen Government outlined its position on Finnish security policy in two reports to Parliament, which accepted the policies outlined in the documents with a high degree of unanimity. The great majority of the people have expressed their support for these policies in a variety of ways.

The then President of the Republic Martti Ahtisaari accepted these policies and I was personally involved in the decision making. A need to prepare for membership of NATO is not an aspect of the jointly-approved position that I have described. By contrast, the cooperative architecture of European security is in a lively phase of development and we shall certainly have to return to those matters.

Security is a broad concept. Security policy is a part of life and we must constantly take good care of it. Respect for human rights, democracy and the principle of the rule of law as well as concern for our shared environment are effective guarantees of security. As President I will see to it that they continue to have a central place in Finnish foreign policy.

Our international environment has changed very rapidly in the past fifteen years and change is continuing. Yet we have always been able to agree on the goals and means which help us find a safe road to the future. This capacity for cooperation is still needed. I am prepared to play my part in this cooperation both here in Finland and abroad.

I thank you for the wishes for success that you have conveyed on behalf of Parliament and you personally for promoting equality. In the spirit of the new Constitution I shall strive in all of my actions to take into account the need for good cooperation with Parliament and the Government. I am hoping for support from you and all of the Finns in my work for this country.