LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Tarja Halonen: Finnish Parliament
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In 1974 Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa appointed Halonen as a parliamentary secretary. She became acquainted with the world of Finnish politics and government and began her political career, going on to hold a number of public offices. From 1975 until 1996, she was a member of Helsinki City Council. Additionally, in 1979 she was elected to Parliament as a member for the Helsinki constituency. She served as a member of Parliament until her inauguration as President in 2000. In the Parliament her first formal post was as Chairman of the Social Committee from 1984 to 1987.
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Halonen says that she has tried to promote Finnish organically produced food at her Independence Day parties. She considers Finland’s EU Presidency to be an excellent opportunity to influence foreign colleagues’ opinions about the merits of Finnish food. “The comment by Berlusconi was a sort of wake-up call, but it steered debate in Finland onto the right path”, Halonen explains, adding that the food catering arrangements for Finland's Presidency have been planned jointly by Finns.
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Through the 1970s Halonen worked as a labour lawyer at the SAK. From1979, until2000, she served as a Social Democrat Member of Parliament. Between 1987 and 2000 she held four ministerial posts, in all, covering Social and Health Affairs, Foreign Policy, Justice and Nordic co-operation.
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Despite the band growing success Tarja made time available for her studies and other projects. In the end of 1999 Turunen took part as a soloist singer in a modern ballet production of the Finnish National Opera House called "The Evankeliumi".
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Halonen warmly congratulated China on the successful convocation of the Party Congress. She said that the Finnish side is glad to note that China has made remarkable achievements in political, economic, democracy, legal system and human rights fields in the past decades, and accumulated a lot of experience. She said that to maintain long-term stability is an important factor in China's sustained economic development and social progress.
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Halonen has special praise for those who are married to Finns. After all, they see the Finnish character even on those days when it is not necessarily at its best. “If they then become friends of Finland, then of course that is of course a tremendously good thing,” she adds.
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