Office of the President of the Republic
Press Release 60/2014
7 November 2014
The mailing of invitations to the Independence Day Reception of the President of the Republic has begun. This year, the list of invitees includes a high number of Finns dedicated to volunteer work. By recognising these people, the President and his spouse wish to pay tribute to the important contribution made by volunteers to Finland’s success story.
“Without volunteers, we could never have built the Finnish welfare state, let alone maintain it. Selfless efforts towards the greater good of Finnish society have always been needed and always will be,” says President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö.
The Independence Day Reception will return to the President’s Palace this year: following a two-year renovation, the President’s Palace will be reopened for Independence Day, 6 December 2014.
As in previous years, the list of invitees also includes war veterans and members of the Lotta women’s auxiliary. “Although the number of war veterans still among us is shrinking every year, this does nothing to diminish their importance as the defenders of our independence. We should remind ourselves that it is less than a lifetime ago that our independence was seriously threatened,” says President Niinistö appreciatively.
In all, President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and his spouse Jenni Haukio will be hosting about 1,800 guests at the President’s Palace, distinguished in various ways in different areas of Finnish society.