Yrjö Hakanen
I am the chairman of the Communist Party of Finland, and have held various posts inside the party since 1974.
In the 2004 municipal elections I was elected as a member of Helsinki City Council. As the representative of the CPF and the City Residents List Group, In the electiuons 2008 I doupled the votes and was elected again to the City Council.
I am the only city councillor, who during the present mandate has put forward amendments to the draft municipal budget. I could not accept the fact that while the city and its business units make hundreds of millions Euros in profit, basic public services are kept short of funding. I have made numerous proposals to improve public services, to increase the wages of municipal employees, to create jobs for the unemployed and for immigrants, to slow down the rise of housing costs, to develop public transport and to improve the protection of the environment.
I am an active member of many civic movements. To work for peace, against war and NATO is of particular importance to me. I take part in the Finnish Social Forum, the European and the World Social Forums. In addition, I am involved in the Attac movement, the Network for Municipal Services called "Pro kuntapalvelut" and the civic movement "Alternative to the EU".
I am a member of the Service Sector Trade Union PAM.
I am also a member of the Council of the largest cooperative movement in Finland – HOK-Elanto.
As a representative of the CPF I take part in the cooperation at the level of the European Left as well in the international cooperation of Communist Parties. I am the Chairman of the Spartacus Foundation, dedicated to international solidarity work.
I have written books: "Six Portraits of Kekkonen" (Kuusi kuvaa Kekkosesta, Lovekirjat, 1985), "National Interest and Union" (Tutkijaliitto, 1982). I am the editor and co-author of the pamfltet "Upstream" (Vastavirta, TA-Tieto, 2008), book on history of the CP of Finland (Kolme kirjainta - SKP:n yhdeksän vuosikymmentä, TA-Tieto, 2008), book on municipal issues "Kuntapamfletti" (TA-Tieto, 2006), "Against War and Neo-Liberalism" (Sotaa ja uusliberalismia vastaan, 2006), "Imperialism and Socialism Today" Imperialismi ja sosialismi tänään, 2004), Songbook Agitprop (2002), "Marxism in the 21st century" (Marxismi ja 2000-luku, 2001), "Revisiting Working Hours" (Työaika uusiksi, 1998), "No to the EU" (1994) and "Democracy, Socialism and the Future" (Demokratia, sosialismi, tulevaisuus, 1993). I have also co-authorship in the following publications: "The Eleventh Hour – New History of Finlandization" (Entäs kun tulee se yhdestoista. Suomettumisen uusi historia, editor WSOY, 2001), "Kekkonen's Era" (Kekkosen aikaan, editor Kirjayhtymä, 1985) and "Science, Intelligentsia, Working Class" (Tiede, sivistyneistö, työväenluokka,1979).
I am married and I have two adult children.
In my professional life I have been a journalist and functionary.
I have a Masters' Degree in political sciences from the University of Helsinki.
I was born in Helsinki in1952 and I live in the Pirkkolan-Maunulan area of Helsinki.
Phone: +358 50 341 2320
E-mail: yrjo.hakanen@skp.fi
Home page www.yrjohakanen.fi