Speaker of Parliament announces surprise marriage
Sauli Niinistö and Jenni Haukio married on Saturday
Sauli Niinistö
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Jenni Haukio
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Speaker of Parliament Sauli Niinistö, 60, and National Coalition Party communications chief Jenni Haukio, 31, were married at the Reposaari Church in Pori on Saturday.
The two had been dating in secret for two years. Not even all National Coalition Party Members of Parliament knew of the impending marriage.
Surprise marriages of Finnish politicians have taken place before. President Tarja Halonen married her long-time companion Pentti Arajärvi shortly after taking office. However, their cohabitation had been public knowledge for some time.
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) has tried to keep his relationships out of the public eye, but has not been very successful at it.
Haukio has served in her present post for about a year and a half.
Before that, she worked as executive director of the National Coalition Party’s Satakunta organisation, and has published two collections of poetry.
She is also a graduate student of political science at the University of Turku.
Niinistö has published two books, both of which deal with issues such as the fragility of life.
In the first, he writes about the death of his first wife in a car accident, and the second includes observations on the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, which he experienced very dramatically at first hand while on holiday in Thailand with his children.
Niinistö is considered a leading contender for the Finnish Presidency in 2012. He was the defeated candidate in 2006 in a run-off with incumbent Tarja Halonen.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 5.1.2009 - TODAY |
 Speaker of Parliament announces surprise marriage |
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