“Your sweater has been empty for a long time” –

Former chairman of the centre, member of parliament and multiple minister Paavo Väyrynen has said that giving up the chairmanship of the center was his biggest mistake.

– Giving up the chairmanship of the center is the biggest mistake I have made, and it has had far-reaching consequences, Väyrynen, who turned 70, commented to Iltalehti in September 2016.

Väyrynen led the center from 1980 to 1990.

He was followed Esko Ahowho was elected to his position at the central Pori party meeting in the summer of 1990.

Former center chairman and prime minister Aho says in Thursday’s publication The moment strikes – Perspectives for ending crisis times (Otava) news book, that Väyrynen’s biggest mistake was giving up the position of foreign minister (you can read the reasons at the end of the article). Väyrynen served as foreign minister in Aho’s bourgeois government (1991–1995) until the beginning of May 1993.

Aho: Väyrynen desperately wanted to be prime minister

Aho’s government led Finland in the middle of the recession of the early 90s.

– Although the first clear signs of an economic turnaround were already visible, at the beginning of 1993, distrust in the government’s ability to manage the situation was at the bottom. Both in the center and in the coalition, they started to find out the possibilities for expanding the government base. Also many social democrats, especially the party chairman Ulf Sundqvistwarmed up to the idea of ​​the big three collaborating, Aho writes.

According to Aho, Väyrynen, who felt that he needed new ideas for the approaching presidential election, pushed for a change of government most enthusiastically.

– Väyrynen estimates that the foreign minister’s post will do more harm than good in terms of the presidential election. He had to bear responsibility for unpopular economic policy decisions and push for EU membership in a situation where a very large number of supporters of the center doubted or opposed the whole project. Väyrynen saw only two options for himself: either become prime minister or free himself from responsibility by resigning from the government, Aho writes.

According to Aho, the discussions on the expansion of the board opened up the first opportunity.

– Väyrynen believed that the Social Democrats would be ready for a government of the big three under his leadership. I myself was involved in discussions with the leadership of the Sdp and the leaders of the social democratic trade unions, but they never progressed beyond the beginning. I got the president (Taste) From Koivisto a detailed report on how Väyrynen had approached at least Ulf Sundqvist and the bank manager in his own name Caleb SorceryI want to write.

Aho reveals the content of the letter sent by Väyrynen

According to Aho, when the option of expanding the government base faded, Väyrynen began pursuing an alternative route to the prime ministership.

– Citing the opinions of the parliamentary group, he suggested that we change seats in the government. Väyrynen believed that a change was possible, as long as I sincerely wanted it. The reasons were not at all related to Väyrynen’s own plans, but to his assessment of my own mental state, Aho writes.

In the book, Aho reveals the content of Väyrynen’s letter to him:

“I have been worried about you for several months now. As I said last Tuesday, according to my observations, your blouse has been empty for a long time. The same has been noted by many others. In addition, you don’t seem to be able to realistically assess the situation and your own position. There is a chance that you will run into a complete dead end. There is a danger that this would cause quite a bit of damage to both the country and the party.”

– When we met later, I made it clear to Väyryne that if the parliamentary group so desired, I would of course be ready to leave the duties of prime minister, but in that case I would be left out of the government. Väyrynen probably assumed that by threatening to leave the government, he would force me to make room on my own initiative, Aho writes.

According to Aho, Väyrynen’s threat was serious, as Väyrynen’s role in submitting the EU membership application had been decisive.

– Without his active support, the majority of the central parliamentary group would not have been ready to submit the application. Väyrynen’s move to the side would leave a bad gap that seemed difficult to fill, Aho writes.

According to Aho, there was only one explanation for Väyrynen’s persistent pursuit of the position of prime minister.

– Väyrynen believed that he would thereby gain an advantage in the presidential elections held in less than a year. The experience of history supported this assumption. Urho Kekkonen and also his followers Mauno Koivisto cleared their way to the presidency specifically from the prime minister’s chair, Aho writes.

According to Aho, a change of government seemed very possible amid the crisis of early 1993.

– However, it ran into many practical obstacles that Väyrynen could not or did not want to foresee. Succeeding in the presidential election had become an all-conquering obsession. The readiness of the Social Democrats for government was far from clear. There was one reason for that Ulf Sundqvistin rapid deterioration of position. On the other hand, at no point in the deliberations did we get to talk about the main issue itself, i.e. why the government of the big three would be needed or what its program would be, Aho writes.

Aho: Väyrynen drifted onto the siding

As stated at the beginning of the story, Väyrynen considers giving up the party chairmanship as the worst mistake of his political career.

– I think leaving the government in 1993 was an even bigger mistake. It became the turning point of his handsome political career. If and when Väyrynen’s big dream was to be elected president of the republic, leaving the government did not help. On the contrary, the exceptionally talented and capable politician ran into a rut that made subsequent attempts at the number one spot in the country useless, Aho writes.

Väyrynen’s replacement had to be quickly found. He was the chairman of MTK Heikki Haavisto.

– Everyone gathered around Kesäranta’s table knew exactly what Väyrynen’s successor had to be capable of. The most decisive thing would be the ability to answer credibly about the EU membership negotiations. After hours of brainstorming, the solution came lightning fast, when we realized that a candidate who met the criteria could indeed be found among those stigmatized as an opponent of membership, Aho writes.

Haavisto accepted the task. The choice made many jaws drop.

– How are the EU negotiations going when a well-known opponent of membership and, on top of that, the leader of an interest organization rise up to answer them. It dawned on many people only afterwards what kind of historic decision Heikki Haavisto made that day.

Haavisto’s transition from the front line of EU opponents to the minister responsible for membership negotiations seemed like a turnaround.

– That’s not what it was. Haavisto had been mentally preparing for Finland joining the European Union for a long time. He, if anyone, also knew how it could be done so that the viability of Finnish food production is secured.

According to Aho, President Koivisto immediately understood the Prime Minister’s move.

– The old player quickly understood the cleverness of the solution, Aho writes.

The relationship between Aho and Väyrynen is broken

When Väyrynen heard from Aho about his successor, something dramatic happened.

– Väyrynen looked genuinely confused after hearing about the candidate and only said briefly: “Well, then the matter is clear.” It soon became clear that that was the moment after which our almost two decades of cooperation would never return to the way it was before. It shouldn’t have happened that way, but the choice was made by Väyrynen himself, Aho writes.

In the 1994 presidential election, Väyrynen did not even make it to the second round. Väyrynen famously took the loss hard and blamed his loss on e.g. “media game”.

According to Aho, Väyrynen started looking for a new start by aspiring to become the chairman of the centrist parliamentary group and moving to oppose membership of the European Union.