Who was Finland’s first female prime minister?
The first female prime minister of Finland was Anneli Jäätteenmäki. He served as prime minister for a short time in 2003. Jäätteenmäki is a significant figure in Finnish political history, as his appointment as prime minister was an important step towards gender equality in politics.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki’s background
Anneli Jäätteenmäki was born on February 11, 1955 in the city of Lapua. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Helsinki in 1980. Before his political career, Jäätteenmäki worked as a lawyer and as a legislative adviser to the Ministry of Justice.
Political career
Jäätteenmäki joined Suomen Keskusta (Centre party) and was elected to parliament for the first time in 1987. He served in several important positions, such as Minister of Justice in 1994-1995. In 2002, he was elected chairman of Keskusta, which opened the way to the prime ministership.
Prime ministerial term
Anneli Jäätteenmäki became prime minister on April 17, 2003, when the Center won the parliamentary elections. His government was a coalition government, which included Keskusta, SDP and RKP. However, Jäätteenmäki’s tenure as prime minister was short-lived, as he resigned from his position already on June 24, 2003 as a result of the so-called “Iraq-gate”. He was accused of mishandling confidential documents, but was later acquitted.
The meaning of Jäätteenmäki
Although Anneli Jäätteenmäki’s term as prime minister was short, her appointment was a significant step in the position of women in Finnish politics. She opened the way for other women to high political positions and showed that women can succeed at the top of politics.
