At 86 years old
Finnish ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari is dead
For his efforts as a mediator, Martti Ahtisaari received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008
© Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva / DPA
Like no other, the Finn Martti Ahtisaari has made a name for himself as a global mediator for resolving crises and conflicts. Now the former Finnish president has died at the age of 86.
Former Finnish President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari died on Monday in Helsinki at the age of 86. This was announced by the Finnish President’s office. The social democrat Ahtisaari was Finnish head of state from 1994 to 2000.
Martti Ahtisaari – a global peacemaker
For his efforts as a mediator in international conflicts on various continents since the 1970s, Ahtisaari received the coveted Nobel Peace Prize in 2008, for which he had previously been repeatedly considered the favorite. Shortly before, he had become painfully aware of the limits of his role as a mediator during one of his last major political assignments: as a UN special envoy for Kosovo, he had to experience the failure of his plan for the Balkan province due to Serbia’s resistance.
Acting Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said on Monday: “Martti Ahtisaari believed in humanity, civilization and goodness and he lived a great, meaningful life.” Ahtisaari has steered Finland into a global “EU era,” said Niinistö.
In 2021 it was announced that Ahtisaari had Alzheimer’s disease. Because of this, he gave up all public activities.