Rafael Paasio

Kustaa Rafael Paasio (6 June 1903 – 17 March 1980) was a prominent Finnish politician and editor from Social Democratic Party. He served as Prime Minister of Finland twice.[2]

Rafael Paasio
Paasio in 1963.
31st Prime Minister of Finland[1]
In office 23 February 1972 – 4 September 1972
President	Urho Kekkonen
Deputy	Mauno Koivisto
Preceded by	Teuvo Aura
Succeeded by	Kalevi Sorsa
In office 27 May 1966 – 22 March 1968
President	Urho Kekkonen
Deputy	Reino Oittinen
Preceded by	Johannes Virolainen
Succeeded by	Mauno Koivisto
Speaker of the Finnish Parliament
In office 3 April 1970 – 29 February 1972
Preceded by	V. J. Sukselainen
Succeeded by	V. J. Sukselainen
In office 14 April 1966 – 1 June 1966
Preceded by	Karl-August Fagerholm
Succeeded by	Johannes Virolainen
Member of the Finnish Parliament
In office 22 July 1948 – 26 September 1975
Constituency	Turku
Personal details
Born	Kustaa Rafael Paasio (1903-06-06)6 June 1903 Uskela, now a part of Salo, Finland
Died	17 March 1980(1980-03-17) (aged 76) Turku, Finland
Nationality	Finnish
Political party	Social Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Regina Wahlman
Children	Pertti Paasio

Paasio was born in Uskela and was in contact with the Social Democratic Labor movement at an early age. Paasio was elected to the parliament in 1948. Before that he participated in Turku municipal politics and was since 1942 the chief of newspaper Turun Päivälehti. Paasio was the chairman of SDP from 1963 to 1975, and served as the prime minister twice, 1966-1968 and 1972, and was also twice the Speaker of the Parliament.[3] Both his son, Pertti Paasio, and his granddaughter, Heli Paasio, have been members of the parliament.

Social Democrats remember Rafael Paasio, above all, as party unifier and strengthener. In addition, the party reached decent relations with Soviet Union during his term. Paasio positioned himself in the middle of left-wingers and right-wingers in the party. His support to Kekkonen allowed a new coming for SDP-led governments. His first cabinet began building the modern Finnish welfare state, and the second government laid the foundation for Finland's EEC agreement. Therefore, his actions had a revolutionary impact on Finnish history.

Paasio was the Social Democrat candidate in the 1962 presidential elections. He died in Turku, aged 76.