Minister Ilkka Kanerva was a Finnish political triathlete and a world challenger in political campaigns. A long-distance runner with ambitions to westernize the political environment and bring Finland into NATO. He quickly managed to gather a group of young ambitious politicians around him. The group began to call themselves "The Demonstrators" or "The Line Drawers". They never gave in! Especially IKE.

Ike's career was full of ups and downs, but he always returned to the political battlefield. He was never elected as Finland's presidential candidate. Kanerva was the longest-serving member of the Finnish parliament. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament on 27 September 1975 and served until his death on 14 April. 2022. He was a candidate in 11 general elections. Ilkka Kanerva's career as an MP is a record that is hard to beat today. His knowledge and experience were always appreciated and his work is still highly regarded.

The tribute to this sports enthusiast was written by interviewing Ike in his home town of Turku.

Kristian Laiho, editor; Felix Manell, illustrator; Jaakko Ruola cover photograph.