Karl-August Fagerholm | |
---|---|
20th Prime Minister of Finland | |
In office 29 August 1958 – 13 January 1959 | |
President | Urho Kekkonen |
Preceded by | Reino Kuuskoski |
Succeeded by | V. J. Sukselainen |
In office 3 March 1956 – 27 May 1957 | |
President | Urho Kekkonen |
Preceded by | Urho Kekkonen |
Succeeded by | V. J. Sukselainen |
In office 29 July 1948 – 17 March 1950 | |
President | Juho K. Paasikivi |
Preceded by | Mauno Pekkala |
Succeeded by | Urho Kekkonen |
Personal details | |
Born | Siuntio, Finland | 31 December 1901
Died | 22 May 1984 Helsinki, Finland | (aged 82)
Political party | Social Democratic |
Spouse | Judith Jormala |
Children | 3 |
Karl-August Fagerholm (31 December 1901, in Siuntio – 22 May 1984, in Helsinki) was a Finnish politician. Fagerholm served as Speaker of Parliament[1] and three times Prime Minister of Finland (1948–50, 1956–57, and 1958–59).[2] Fagerholm became one of the leading politicians of the Social Democrats after the armistice in the Continuation War. As a Scandinavia-oriented Swedish-speaking Finn, he was believed to be more to the taste of the Soviet Union's leadership than his predecessor, Väinö Tanner. Fagerholm's postwar career was, however, marked by fierce opposition from both the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of Finland. He narrowly lost the presidential election to Urho Kekkonen in 1956.