Matti Vanhanen responds to a question

Matti Vanhanen: A man of word

Great leaders don’t promise, they deliver. That holds true for ex-Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. I was entrusted to interview the prime minister for my newspaper in the Persian Gulf. Vanhanen was heading a business delegation to the Gulf. Finland and the Gulf states enjoy cordial relations.

The interview was scheduled to be held on the sidelines of a confab. However, due to some unavoidable circumstances, the interview was called off. That left me red-faced. However, I did not give up hope. As soon as the meeting was over, I tried to approach the prime minster but in vain.

When I saw the prime minister leaving the building, I darted towards him as security men intercepted me. But I managed to draw the attention of the prime minister.

I quickly introduced myself. “I just have two questions for you, sir,” I said in a shaking voice. “It will take only two minutes.”

The prime minister remembered the interview but his assistant told him that the interview didn’t fit into his schedule due to last minute changes. The prime minister, however, told him that he would go ahead with the interview to keep his commitment.

I could see the disappointment in his assistant’s face but he couldn’t do much about it. As he was walking to the convoy, the prime minister said he was ready for the interview and looked around. He then sat on a nearby bench and told me to begin the interview.

I was emotionally charged when I saw a prime minister seating on a public bench and treating me with respect. However, local leaders intervened and moved the interview to a hall and it lasted for almost 35 minutes.

The prime minister was forthcoming in his replies and fielded a range of questions from Iraq, Gulf States to economic climate in Finland. The interview was a huge shot in the arm for my career and did a world of good to my brand.

The interview is etched in my mind like a serial number. This was one of the most memorable events of my life. I interviewed many world leaders, but I never met anyone so humble and down-to-earth. Vanhanen has an aura of simplicity surrounding him, and makes you feel important.