Career
He is perceived as one of the major Finnish social democratic politicians of the 1950s and 1960s. Before his political career Leskinen was a successful swimmer in the association of Helsinki Workers" Swimmers. Leskinen was later the Secretary General of the Finnish Workers" Sports Federation 1940-1943 and the chairman 1951-1955.
Leskinen fought in the Winter and Continuation Wars.
He was wounded in 1941. His military denomination was a Major.
Leskinen was a key member in the union of brother"s in arms movement which operated among the Social Democrats after the war. The group was called "asevelisosialistit" and it defeated the Communists in the fight for a majority in several left-wing organizations.
In the 1950s the fragmented Social Democratic Party was led by Väinö Tanner as figurehead while Leskinen was considered as one of the most important leaders.
Leskinen sought to offset the relations with the Soviet Union following the defeat of Social Democratic Party in the 1962 parliamentary election. He also tried to increase cooperation among the Left in Finland. Leskinen led the negotiations for the founding of Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions.
In 1966, Leskinen visited Moscow in an effort to re-establish relations with the Communist Party of Soviet Union.
Leskinen and Social Democratic Party supported Urho Kekkonen in the 1968 presidential election. His career as minister is divided into two parts.
During the 1940s and 1950s, he was in the cabiner as a right-wing representative of Social Democratic Party. - Minister for Social Affairs 1952-1953
- Minister of the Interior 1954-1955
- Minister for Social Welfare 1958-1959
- Minister of Trade and Industry 1968-1970
- Minister of Foreign Affairs 1970
- Minister of Foreign Affairs 1970-1971
Väinö Leskinen died of a heart attack on his 55th birthday while skiing near Lauttasaari in Helsinki.