Arvo Aalto
{{Short description|Finnish politician (1932–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = File:Arvo Aalto 1970.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Aalto in 1970
| office = Chairman of the Communist Party
| term_start = June 1984
| term_end = 1988
| predecessor = Jouko Kajanoja
| successor =
| office1 = Minister of Labour
| term_start1 = 1977
| term_end1 = 1981
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 = Jouko Kajanoja
| primeminister1 =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|7|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Rovaniemi, Finland
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|4|28|1932|7|13|df=y}}
| death_place =
| burial_date =
| restingplace =
| party = Communist Party of Finland
| spouse =
| children = 2
| alma_mater = Sirola Institute
| profession =
}}
Arvo Aulis Aalto (13 July 1932 – 28 April 2025) was a Finnish politician who headed the Communist Party of Finland between 1984 and 1988. He also served as the Minister of Employment in the Finnish government from 1977 to 1981.
Early life and education
Aalto was born in Rovaniemi on 13 July 1932.{{cite news|author=Veli-Pekka Leppänen|title=Arvo Aalto pani taannoin hanttiin Kremlille – nyt hän ei pidä viisaana Suomen Nato-päätöstä|work=Helsingin Sanomat|url=https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000008881589.html
|access-date=26 July 2022|date=12 July 2022|language=fi}} He graduated from Sirola Institute{{cite news|title=Paper Views Possible Successors|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA347575.pdf|access-date=26 January 2023|work=JPRS Report|date=24 May 1988|author=Pekka Ervasti|page=17|agency=Helsingin Sanomat}} in 1956 and also, received education at Moscow Party School in the period 1961–1962.{{cite news|author=Mirja Niemitalo|title=SKP:n ex-pääsihteeri Arvo Aalto: Sotauhittelu vaarallista politiikkaa
|language=fi|url=https://www.satakunnankansa.fi/kotimaa/art-2000007018007.html|access-date=26 July 2022|work=Satakunnan Kansa|date=11 June 2016}}
Career
Aalto was a trade unionist.{{cite journal|author=R. Neal Tannahill|title=Leadership as a Determinant of Diversity in Western European Communism|journal=Studies in Comparative Communism|date=Winter 1976|volume=9|issue=4|page=361|jstor=45367151}} He joined the Communist Party in 1951. He was its secretary in Lapland in 1956 and part of the progressive group in the party. He was elected as the general secretary of the party under party chairman Aarne Saarinen in 1969 replacing Ville Pessi in the post.{{cite journal|author=John H. Hodgson|title=The Finnish Communist Party|journal=Slavic Review|date=March 1970|volume=29|issue=1|page=79|author-link=John H. Hodgson|doi=10.2307/2493091|jstor=2493091 |s2cid=163842405 |doi-access=free}} Pessi had resigned from the post due to internal conflicts in the party.{{cite journal|issue=6
|author1=George Schöpflin|author2=Michael Leifer|title=Notes of the Month|journal=The World Today|date=June 1969
|volume=25|page=233|jstor=40394276}} Aalto served as the general secretary until 1984 with some interruptions. During his term the leadership of the Communist Party was progressive and revised the manifesto of the party.{{cite journal|author=Pirkko Kotila|title=Hertta Kuusinen - The "Red Lady of Finland"|journal=Science & Society|date=January 2006|volume=70|doi=10.1521/siso.2006.70.1.46
|issue=1|page=69}}
Aalto served as the Minister of Employment in the Finnish Government from 1977 to 1981. He was replaced by Jouko Kajanoja in the post. In June 1984, Aalto was elected as the chairman of the Communist Party obtaining 183 votes against 163 votes in favor of the former chairman Jouko Kajanoja.{{cite news|title=Finnish Party Ousts Pro-Soviet Faction|access-date=26 July 2022|date=6 June 1984|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/06/world/around-the-world-finnish-party-ousts-pro-soviet-faction.html}} During his tenure Aalto visited China in January 1987 becoming the highest ranking Finnish communist to visit China in more than 20 years.{{cite news|author=Jane Macartney|title=Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping said today the Communist Party...|date=15 January 1987|access-date=26 July 2022|work=United Press International|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/01/15/Chinese-leader-Deng-Xiaoping-said-today-the-Communist-Party/1689537685200/}} Aalto headed the party until May 1988 when he and the politburo resigned due to economic crisis experienced by the party.{{cite news|title=CP Politburo Quits Following Finance Scandal|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA347575.pdf|access-date=26 January 2023|work=JPRS Report|date=12 May 1988|page=5|agency=Helsingin Sanomat}}{{cite news|title=KU:n arkistosta: Vasemmistoliiton perustamisessa koettiin intohimoa, rakkautta, vihaa, petoksia ja pettymyksiä|newspaper=Kansan Uutiset|date=2 May 2020| url=https://www.ku.fi/artikkeli/4254359-kun-arkistosta-vasemmistoliiton-perustamisessa-koettiin-intohimoa-rakkautta-vihaa-petoksia-ja-pettymyksia |language=fi|access-date=24 May 2024}}
Personal life and death
Aalto had two daughters, Pirjo and Sirpa. While serving as the chairman of the Communist Party he was not so close to the Soviet Communist Party. He did not support the NATO membership of Finland.
Aalto died on 28 April 2025, at the age of 92.[https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000011199251.html Entinen ministeri Arvo Aalto on kuollut 92-vuotiaana] {{in lang|fi}}
References
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Category:Communist Party of Finland politicians
Category:Ministers of labour of Finland
Category:People from Rovaniemi