Helena Petäistö, Finland’s legendary France correspondent, has died at 75 – leaves behind a 35-year career, bold expertise, and a trailblazing legacy in journalism, with tributes marked by half-mast flags

Finland has lost one of its most distinguished journalists and European affairs experts with the death of Helena Petäistö, who passed away on Thursday, 9 July, in a hospital in Tampere at the age of 75 (Yle, Ilta-Sanomat). She was previously reported to be 73, but Yle clarifies her correct age at the time of her death. The news was confirmed to MTV Uutiset by her godson, Matias Petäistö, and her close friend, journalist Markku Veijalainen (MTV Uutiset). The suddenness of her death came as a shock to many, including longtime friend and former Social Democratic Party MP Lasse Lehtinen, who learned of her passing through a television news broadcast. "It was a shocking piece of news. There had been no prior warning, at least not to me," Lehtinen said (Ilta-Sanomat).