Dead | Minister of Science and Culture Honkonen plans to investigate the possibility of a state funeral for Vesa-Matti Loir

Science- and the Minister of Culture Petri Honkonen (central) is going to find out if it will be organized for the deceased on Wednesday for the artist Vesa-Matti for Loir state funeral.

“I don’t rule it out. Ultimately, his relatives will decide what kind of funeral will be organized for him,” Honkonen tells HS.

Honkonen says that he wanted to give the relatives peace to grieve, so he has not yet promoted the issue further. However, he intends to find out.

The minister says he considers a state funeral a recognition that can also be given to an artist.

“Myself, I think that an artist’s career can also be state- and nationally significant,” says Honkonen.

“It’s quite clear that Vesa-Matti Loir’s importance has been really big in terms of the state, as an entertainer for the entire Finnish people and also as a profound artist. He has undoubtedly played an iconic role in Finnish cultural life.”

Last the state funeral was organized for the artist in 1992, when it was organized for the writer For Väinö Linna.

According to the website of the Prime Minister’s Office, state funerals are currently only paid for by the president from state funds. In exceptional cases, however, the Government can decide to organize them, for example, for persons of “special national importance”. As an example, the pages give Nobel Prize winners.

Singer and actor Vesa-Matti Loiri died of a long-term illness on Wednesday, August 10. The death was confirmed by Loir’s longtime friend and manager Pete Eklund.