Pentti Väänänen (12 February 1945 – 17 July 2020) was a Finnish politician and Master of Laws from the Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP).

Pentti Väänänen
Pentti Väänänen with Willy Brandt and Kalevi Sorsa in 1977
Deputy Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe[1]
In office
1999–2004
Secretary-General of the Socialist International
In office
10 April 1983 – 22 June 1989
Preceded byBernt Carlsson
Succeeded byLuis Ayala
Personal details
Born12 February 1945
Keuruu, Finland
Died17 July 2020 (aged 75)
Helsinki, Finland[2][1]
NationalityFinnish
Political partySocial Democratic

Career

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He was a Master of Laws. He worked in the Social Democratic Party of Finland as the secretary for international affairs between 1976 and 1983, and also as an advisor for Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa from 1980 to 1983. In 1983 Väänänen was elected as the Secretary General of the Socialist International to succeed Bernt Carlsson,[3] and served until 1989.[4] Later he worked in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly until 2004.

He is also the author of the book Purppuraruusu ja samettinyrkki (in Finnish).ISBN 9789525787115

Personal life

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On July 17, 2020, Väänänen died in his sleep with his wife by his side after battling cancer for a year.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "OSCE PA saddened by passing of former Deputy Secretary General Pentti Väänänen | www.aravot-en.am". Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  2. ^ "My Father's Passing". 6 August 2020.
  3. ^ "PRESIDIUM ELECTED BY THE XVII CONGRESS". Socialist International.
  4. ^ "PRESIDIUM ELECTED BY THE XVIII CONGRESS". Socialist International.
  5. ^ "OSCE PA saddened by passing of former Deputy Secretary General Pentti Väänänen". www.aravot-en.am. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  6. ^ Vaananen, Jay (6 August 2020). "My Father's Passing". Medium. Retrieved 14 October 2020.