High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Paavo Tapio Lipponen (About this sound pronunciation (help·info)) (born April 23, 1941) is a Finnish politician and former reporter. He was Prime Minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003 , and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 1993 to 2005. He also served as Speaker of the Parliament of Finland 2003-2007 .Lipponen was born in Turtola (subsequently renamed Pello), son of Orvo Lipponen and his wife Hilkka Iissalo. Paavo's maternal grandparents were Jaakko Antero Ingman/Iissalo (a distant relative of Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila and Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim) and his wife Siiri Törnroos. Paavo Lipponen spent his childhood and youth in Kuopio.