Who was the youngest president of Finland?
The youngest president of Finland at the time of taking office was Lauri Kristian Relander. He was born on May 31, 1883, in Kurkijoki and was elected president in 1925 at the age of just 41. Relander served as President of the Republic of Finland from 1925 to 1931.
Lauri Relander’s background and career
Relander was an agronomist by training, and before his presidency he served, among other things, as Speaker of the Finnish Parliament. He was not especially well known in national politics before his election, and he rose to the presidency as a compromise candidate when the presidential electors could not agree on the other candidates.
Presidential term
During Relander’s term, Finland was still a young independent state, and his limited experience in national politics was at times a challenge. After his presidency he worked, among other things, as the managing director of an insurance company. Relander died in 1942.
Other presidents who took office young
Other presidents who took office at a relatively young age include Risto Ryti (51 in 1940), Urho Kekkonen (55 in 1956) and Martti Ahtisaari and Tarja Halonen (both 56), but none of them was as young as Relander. The oldest president to take office was C.G.E. Mannerheim, who was 77 when he was elected in 1944.
