Ilkka Kanerva

Infobox Politician

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name = Ilkka Kanerva
office = Minister for Foreign Affairs
term_start = April 19, 2007
term_end = April 4, 2008
predecessor = Erkki Tuomioja
successor = Alexander Stubb
office2 = Member of the Parliament of Finland
term_start2 = 1975–
term_end2 =
constituency2 = Finland Proper
birth_date = birth date and age|1948|1|28
birth_place = flagicon|Finland Lokalahti, Finland
death_date =
death_place =
party = National Coalition Party
relations =
residence =
alma_mater =
occupation =
religion =


website = [http://www.ilkkakanerva.net www.ilkkakanerva.net]
footnotes =

Ilkka Armas Mikael Kanerva (born 28 January 1948, Lokalahti) is a member of the Finnish Parliament. He was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2008. He was forced to resign from the position [London Telegraph April 02, 2008; [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/02/wfinn102.xml Finnish minister quits over saucy texts] .] due to a scandal involving hundreds of text messages he sent to an erotic dancer from his work mobile phone. [Iltasanomat 1.4.2008: [http://www.iltasanomat.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/uutinen.asp?id=1512893 Näin Kanerva tekstaili: "Miten ois koskettaa yökerhossa sua sormilla"] ] Kanerva left for a sick leave on the first of April, officially his term ended on the 4^th of April, 2008. [The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1.4.2008: [http://formin.finland.fi/Public/default.aspx?contentid=124866&nodeid=15145&contentlan=2&culture=en-US National Coalition Party proposes Alexander Stubb as foreign minister] ]

Kanerva is a member of the National Coalition Party. He graduated with a master's degree in Political Science from the University of Turku in 1980. Kanerva was leader of the political youth organisation Kokoomuksen Nuorten Liitto ry. 1972-1976 and was first elected to the Finnish Parliament in 1975. As of 2008 he is longest standing Member of Parliament along with Esko-Juhani Tennilä.

As Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kanerva was the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe for 2008.

Private life

In March 2008 it was revealed that Kanerva had sent 200 SMS messages within a month to Johanna Tukiainen, a 29-year old erotic dancer. Kanerva had previously sent SMS messages to nude model Marika Fingerroos in 2005. [ [http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Foreign+Minister+admits+to+sending+text+messages+to+dancer/1135234716668 Foreign Minister admits to sending text messages to dancer] , Helsingin Sanomat] [ [http://www.hs.fi/english/article/National+Coalition+Party+leader+perplexed+by+Kanerva+SMS+message+uproar/1135234691301 National Coalition Party leader perplexed by Kanerva SMS message uproar] , HS] [ [http://www.yle.fi/news/id85048.html Kanerva Garners Support of Both Party and Government] , YLE] . According to Kanerva, Tukiainen had wanted to perform with her dance group at his birthday party, and he responded to this request by text message.

On March 30 Kanerva unexpectedly cancelled his plan to participate in Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, and returned to Finland. The Hymy magazine published on April 1, 2008 printed several of the messages, and on the same morning party leader Jyrki Katainen stated that Kanerva can not continue in his position.

Kanerva was granted sick leave, and later that day it was released that his term as Foreign Minister will end on April 4, 2008 due to loss of confidence. He was replaced by Alexander Stubb. [ [http://www.hs.fi/politiikka/artikkeli/Kanerva+joutuu+eroamaan/1135235204029 Katainen liikuttui kertoessaan Kanervan erottamisesta - HS.fi - Politiikka ] ]

Career

* Member of Parliament (Varsinais-Suomi constituency) 1975–
* Minister at the Prime Minister's Office 1987–1990 (Harri Holkeri's cabinet)
* Minister at the Ministry of Finance 1989-1991 (Harri Holkeri's cabinet)
* Minister of Transport 1990–1991 (Harri Holkeri's cabinet)
* Minister of Labour and Minister at the Ministry of Finance 1991-1995 (Esko Aho's cabinet)
* Deputy Prime Minister (April-August 1991)
* Chair, Parliamentary Defence Committee 1999-2003
* Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament 2003–2007
* First Deputy Speaker of Parliament (March to April 2007)
* Minister for Foreign Affairs 2007–2008.

Sources

External links

* [http://www.eduskunta.fi/Kanerva_Ilkka Ilkka Kanerva's page at Finnish Parliament site]
* [http://www.ilkkakanerva.net Ilkka Kanerva's homepage]