President speaks on behalf of immigrants and the aged in New Year address

print this

In her traditional New Year's speech on Monday, President Tarja Halonen took up issues ranging from immigration to appreciation of the contribution made to society by the elderly.
      According to Halonen, society at large should "respect the legacy represented by the life experience and accumulated knowledge of the elderly" , adding that this respect should be manifested in practical action.
      The President added that maintaining services is a great challenge in a situation in which the structure of the population is undergoing changes.
      Halonen emphasised the importance of education, noting that the rapidly changing world requires lifelong learning. "Therefore we must also ensure that people who are already working have the opportunity to improve their professional skills and knowledge."
      She said that people of all ages should have equal opportunities for education, regardless of their different regional and social origins.
     
In the international part of her speech, Halonen observed that the world is not fair and just by nature: "It is up to us, the people in it, to make it so."
      She noted that migration is a central theme in European and worldwide debate.
      "Migration is always about people, and migrants should never be seen merely as a labour supply", she said.
      "People must be allowed free movement, but migration must be turned into a positive matter for all parties concerned."
     
Halonen expressed a personal concern about climate change, noting that experts have predicted that the consequences of the phenomenon will be the most severe in the most impoverished countries, "whose citizens are facing grave difficulties even in present circumstances".
      She reminded viewers of the importance of personal choices in fighting climate change.
     
Concluding her speech, the President praised what she saw as Finland's success in dealing with the Presidency of the European Union in the latter half of 2006. "We did a fine job", she said.


Links:
  New Year´s Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen on 1 January 2007

Helsingin Sanomat