A biography for Harri Holkerihasn’t been written yet.
“You cannot make easy decisions unless you first commit yourself to hard solutions.”
“If we go back in the history of different nations, violence and the use of force are part of their heritage. These are the traditions of mankind.”
“I recently reread an article of mine written in 1964, and I think it is still valid. There is not much difference. Many of the items on the agenda 37 years ago are still there.”
“I think we have grave problems. I am very much concerned about environmental questions, even though in Finnish society, we are not facing the most urgent problems.”
“Peace enforcement is a much more difficult kind of operation than peacekeeping.”
“Without rebuilding the confidence between parties, you will never succeed.”
“Without accepting the other person's thinking, you cannot further your own interest. You need the other's help to get results.”
“In every European nation, there have been problems in history when the society was too divided.”
“Finland had a civil war less than 100 years ago, just like in Ireland. If you look at the history of newly independent nations, civil war is almost every time present, even in the United States.”
“We have the tools, but we have to learn how to use them. That is my political philosophy.”