President Halonen inaugurated for her second term

Finnish President Tarja Halonen began yesterday March 1 her second and last six-year term in office by emphasizing the importance of social fairness and shared responsibility.

In the inauguration speech in Parliament she said that thanks to the two core values, Finland of today was wealthier and more competitive than ever before.
"Yet we also have our problems. Income differentials are again growing, and new poverty has emerged in Finland. The pay for a full-time job is not enough to support a family," she said.
"Women still earn about 80 per cent of what men earn on average. There are problems with the system of welfare services, and employees have difficulty coping at work. Social inequality takes many forms."

Halonen is unique among heads of state in that she has been the chairwoman of a national LGBT organisation, the Finnish National organization for Sexual Equality, SETA.

A summary of her work with SETA was compiled six year ago when she was elected for the first time, and can be found here.