Kalevi Sorsa
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Taisto Kalevi Sorsa (December 21, 1930 - January 16, 2004) wasFinnish politician who was Prime MinisterFinland four times: 1972-1975, 1977-1979, 1982-19831983-1987atdatehis death still heldFinnish recordmost daysincumbency as prime minister. He was also longtime leader ofSocial Democratic PartyFinland.
Beforemeteoric rise totopFinnish politics Kalevi Sorsa worked aspublishing editor,his greatest "claimfame" beingturn downfirst novelKalle Päätalo, which turned outbe one ofgreatest Finnish bestsellersall time. Sorsa was broughtfrom this relative obscurity by Rafael Paasioassumeinfluential postparty secretary without much previous experiencepolitics.
One ofmost strongwilled but also thinskinned public figures, Sorsa had numerous fractious relationsother politicians andwhole ofmedia, which he lambasted by coiningpejorative epithet "infokratia". He had good relationsthose politicians he could holdsway, tolerating very little independencethought.
Valco scandal
During1970s Finland started an experimentstate capitalism called Valco which washave utilized Finnish high-tech know-howmass produce television screens. Kalevi Sorsa affiliated himself very prominently withproject, inmanner that would have undoubtedly assured himgreat dealcreditits inception, ifhad turned outbesuccess. Unfortunately Japanese high-tech know-how trumped thatFinland, andproject plunged deeply intored. To add insultinjury, muckrakers uncovered copious product gifts fromcompanyKalevi Sorsa among others. Thoughpractise was arguably nearly legal attime, subsequently passed corruption laws would classifypractise as gross corruptioneven attimematter wasdark splotch on Sorsa's reputation.
The fact that Sorsa never attainedFinnish presidency, nor even candidacy forpost, wascauselasting bitterness,his memoirs were not lackingbarbs towards his predecessors, contemporariessuccessors.
