Pentti Arajärvi

Pentti Arajärvi
Arajärvi in 2012

Spouse of the President of Finland
In office 1 March 2000 – 1 March 2012
President	Tarja Halonen
Preceded by	Eeva Ahtisaari
Succeeded by	Jenni Haukio

Personal details
Born	(1948-06-02) 2 June 1948 (age 76) Helsinki, Finland
Political party	Social Democratic Party of Finland
Spouse	Tarja Halonen (m. 2000)
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Helsinki
Occupation	Doctor of Law

President Halonen and Pentti Arajärvi with US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on 2009 in New York.

Pentti Ilkka Olavi Arajärvi (born 2 June 1948, Helsinki) is a Finnish Doctor of Law, Professor Emeritus and Docent of the University of Helsinki,^[1]^[2] a former civil service official and a Social Democratic politician from Helsinki.^[3] Arajärvi was awarded the honorary title of valiokuntaneuvos ("Committee Counselor") for his work in parliamentary committees. He is the spouse of Tarja Halonen, who was the President of Finland between 2000 and 2012.

Arajärvi was elected to the Helsinki City Council in the 2012 municipal elections.

Personal life

On 26 August 2000, after a relationship of more than fifteen years, Arajärvi married his longtime partner, Tarja Halonen, who was at the time the President of Finland, in a civil ceremony at her official residence, Mäntyniemi. The couple has no children. Arajärvi has an adult son from a previous relationship.^{[citation needed]}

Honours

National honours

Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose

Foreign honours

Belgium: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
Estonia:^[4]
- First Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2000)
- First Class of the Order of the White Star (2007)
Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon^[5]
Latvia: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars
Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau^[6]
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry
Sweden:
- Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star^[7]
- Commander 1st Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star^[8]

References

^ "Pentti Arajärvi kertoo IL:lle elämästään "maan ensimmäisenä miehenä" ja asumisesta Mäntyniemessä".
^ "Professorit | Helsingin yliopisto". Archived from the original on 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
^ "Pentti Arajärvi SDP:n eduskuntavaaliehdokkaaksi | Helsinki". Archived from the original on 2019-11-02. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
^ "Teenetemärkide kavalerid". Vabariigi Presidendi Kantselei (in Estonian). Retrieved 2024-01-28.
^ Icelandic Presidency Website (Icelandic), Order of the Falcon, Arajärvi, Pentti^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ www.gouvernement.lu Archived 2013-05-24 at the Wayback Machine, State visit of President Tarja Halonen in Luxembourg in november 2008 (article in French with photos showing the decorations)
^ "King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia attending state banquet hosted by the President of Finland". Imago-Images. 26 August 2003.
^ "President Halonen and First Gentleman Pentti Arajärvi attending state banquet hosted by the King of Sweden". Imago-Images. 2 May 2000.

External links

Pentti Arajärvi in the archived website of The President of the Republic of Finland

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