Jutta Urpilainen
Jutta Urpilainen | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 22 June 2011 – 6 June 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Jyrki Katainen |
| Preceded by | Jyrki Katainen |
| Succeeded by | Antti Rinne |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 22 June 2011 – 6 June 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Jyrki Katainen |
| Preceded by | Jyrki Katainen |
| Succeeded by | Antti Rinne |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 6 June 2008 – 9 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Eero Heinäluoma |
| Succeeded by | Antti Rinne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 August 1975 Lapua, Finland |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Juha Mustonen |
| Alma mater | University of Jyväskylä |
| Website | Official website |
Jutta Pauliina Urpilainen (born 4 August 1975 in Lapua) is a former Minister of Finance of Finland.[1] She was the chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) from 2008 to 2014. She was elected in June 2008 as the first female chairperson of the SDP.
Early life
Born in Lapua, Southern Ostrobothnia, Urpilainen studied at the University of Jyväskylä, where she graduated as a Master of Education in 2002. She worked as a school teacher until her election to parliament. She was also president of JEF-Finland in 2001. She has been a member of Kokkola city council since 2001. In 2002 she made a CD of her own Christmas carols.[2]
Urpilainen has been a member of parliament for the Vaasa constituency since 2003.[3] She is a member of the Parliamentary Education and Culture Committee, a deputy member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee. She is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
Urpilainen was elected as the party's chair in June 2008, succeeding former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Eero Heinäluoma. She won on the second ballot, defeating former Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja by 218 votes to 132. After the 2011 parliamentary election, where the SDP finished second, Urpilainen was appointed Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet led by Jyrki Katainen.
Minister for Finance
On 6 July 2012, Urpilainen commented on her website: "Finland would prefer to consider leaving the Eurozone rather than to pay other countries' debts in the currency area."[4] International news media, such as The Daily Telegraph, misinterpreted the statement as threat that Finland would leave the Eurozone. Urpilainen's assistant Matti Hirvola later clarified her statements and that she simply meant that Finland did not wish to be responsible for paying other countries' debt deposits.[5]
Urpilainen sought another term as party chair in the Social Democratic Party's 2014 party conference in May. She was, however, narrowly defeated by her challenger Antti Rinne in a 257 to 243 vote.[6] Urpilainen subsequently stepped down as Finance Minister in June.
References
- ^ "Sdp valitsi ministerinsä" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. 2011-06-18. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
- ^ Suomen kansallisdiskografia search keywords: Jouluisia ajatuksia
- ^ "Edustajamatrikkeli". Eduskunta.
- ^ Urpilainen says that Finland may leave the euro zone. (in Swedish)
- ^ Kansainvälinen media tulkitsi Urpilaisen uhkaavan erolla euroalueesta (Helsingin Sanomat)
- ^ http://yle.fi/uutiset/antti_rinne_on_sdpn_uusi_puheenjohtaja/7230581
External links
