Radio | News week in plain Finnish | Saturday 27 January 2024

Role of the President’s Spouse.

The topic of the news week this time is the role of the president’s spouse.

Finland will soon have a new president. At the same time, Finland also gets a new president’s spouse. But what does the president’s spouse do and why is he an important person for Finns? This is what we are talking about now.

Presidential couple

The spouse of the president represents Finland together with the president. Many events involve the presidential couple, not the president alone.

For Finns, the most important celebration of the year is the Linna celebration on Independence Day. The castle’s celebration is also the most popular TV show in Finland.

Last year, half of Finns watched on TV when President Sauli Niinistö and Niinistö’s wife Jenni Haukio shook hands with guests at Linna’s party.

For Finns, it is important that the president has a stylish spouse by his side. He must represent Finland stylishly also abroad.

The role changes

The role of the president’s spouse has changed over time.

Earlier in Finland, people talked about the mother of the country. The president’s spouse was the mother figure of the entire country.

Nowadays, the president’s spouse can also have their own job.

When Tarja Halones became president in 2000, the spouse of the president was a man for the first time. Halonen’s spouse Pentti Arajärvi continued his work as a researcher and professor.

Jenni Haukio has also continued her own work during Niinistö’s presidency. Haukio has been, for example, the program director of the Turku Book Fair.

One thing about the role of the president’s spouse does not change. The president’s spouse does not take a position on politics.

Spouses of presidential candidates

There are now 9 presidential candidates in the presidential election, 6 men and 3 women. Everyone has a spouse.

There are many different types of people among spouses. They are of different ages, have different professions and some have a foreign background.

We still don’t know who will be the next spouse of the president. What is certain, however, is that he is a modern person. Finns don’t talk about mother earth anymore.

Repeat

This time, the topic of Uutisvikio has been the role of the president’s spouse.

Finland will soon have a new president.

Finns are also interested in the new spouse of the president, because he also represents Finland.

The role of the president’s spouse has changed. Nowadays, he can also have his own job.

This was Uutisviikko in plain Finnish, see you again. Goodbye!