Merikukka Forsius (born August 12, 1972, in Helsinki) is a Finnish politician and former member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the centre-right National Coalition Party (Kokoomus). She was first elected to parliament in 1999 from the Finnish Green League, but defected to National Coalition Party in 2008. She has also been a member of the city council of Vihti from 1997 to 2003.
Forsius has a master's degree in education from the University of Turku. She has been married twice, and has two sons: Dan (born 2004) and Jim (born 2008). Her second husband was Harry Harkimo, and he is the father of her first son, Dan. Forsius and Harkimo divorced after Dan's birth. Forsius was involved with prime minister Matti Vanhanen during spring and summer 2007. In September 2007 she got engaged to Vihti municipal manager Petri Härkönen, but they split up in November. Their son, Jim, was born in spring 2008. Forsius currently lives in Vihti with her sons. In 2014 it was announced that Forsius got engaged to a female teacher. [1]
Tarja Kaarina Halonen is a Finnish politician who served as the 11th president of Finland, and the first and to date only woman to hold the position, from 2000 to 2012. She first rose to prominence as a lawyer with the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), and as the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary (1974–1975) and a member of the City Council of Helsinki (1977–1996). Halonen was a Social Democratic Party member of parliament from 1979 until her election to the presidency in 2000. She also served as a minister at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health from 1987 to 1990, as Minister of Justice from 1990 to 1991, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 2000.
The Green League, shortened to the Greens, is a green political party in Finland. Ideologically, the Green League is positioned on the centre-left of the political spectrum. It is a reformist party and it is supportive of feminism, animal rights and green liberal ideas.
Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki is a Finnish politician who was the first female and 39th prime minister of Finland from 17 April 2003 to 24 June 2003. From 2004 until 2019, she served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland.
The Centre Party, officially the Centre Party of Finland, is an agrarian-centrist political party in Finland. Ideologically, the Centre Party is positioned in the centre of the political spectrum. It has been described as liberal, social-liberal, liberal-conservative, and conservative-liberal. The party’s leader is Antti Kaikkonen, who was elected in June 2024 to succeed former minister Annika Saarikko. As of June 2023, the party has been part of the parliamentary opposition.
Kirkkonummi is a municipality in Finland, located in the southern coast of the country. Kirkkonummi is situated in the western part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Kirkkonummi is approximately 41,000. It is the 28th most populous municipality in Finland. Kirkkonummi is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which has approximately 1.6 million inhabitants.
There are four types of elections in Finland. Each Finnish citizen at least 18 years of age has the right to vote in each of the elections, which decide the following: the president, the parliament, the MEPs, and the municipal and city councils.
Vihti is a municipality in Finland, located in the southern interior of the country. Vihti is situated in the Uusimaa region. The population of Vihti is approximately 29,000. It is the 37th most populous municipality in Finland. Vihti is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area, which has approximately 1.6 million inhabitants.
Karkkila is a town and a municipality of Finland.
Harry Juhani "Hjallis" Harkimo is a Finnish businessman, sportsperson, and a member of the Finnish Parliament. Previously a National Coalition Party MP, he now chairs his own political party, Movement Now.
Piia-Noora Kauppi is a Finnish former politician who currently serves as the managing director of the Federation of Finnish Financial Services. She served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) of the European People's Party from 1999 to 2008.
The Communist Party of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Kommunistinen Puolue, abbr. SKP; Swedish: Finlands kommunistiska parti, abbr. FKP) or New Communist Party of Finland (Finnish: Uusi Suomen Kommunistinen Puolue, abbr. USKP; Swedish: Finlands nya kommunistiska parti, abbr. FNKP) is a political party in Finland. It was founded in the mid-1980s as Communist Party of Finland (Unity) (Finnish: Suomen Kommunistinen Puolue (yhtenäisyys), abbr. SKPy; Swedish: Finlands kommunistiska parti (enhet), abbr. FKP(e)) by the former opposition of the old Communist Party of Finland (1918–1992). SKP has never been represented in the Parliament of Finland, but the party has had local councillors in some municipalities, including the city councils of major cities such as Helsinki and Tampere. SKP claims 2,500 members.
Arvo Ilmari Salminen was a Finnish Lutheran clergyman and politician. Salminen held a divinity degree as well as a law degree.
Anne Elisabeth Holmlund is a Finnish politician and Minister of the Interior of Finland from 2007 to 2011. She was a Member of Parliament for the National Coalition Party from 2002 until 2015.
Sirpa Pietikäinen is a Finnish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. She is a member of the National Coalition Party, part of the European People's Party.
Kerttu Nuorteva was a Soviet intelligence agent. She was the daughter of Santeri Nuorteva, the president of the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and was parachuted into Finland by the Soviet Airborne Troops in 1942. She was arrested and deported to the Soviet Union at the end of the war.
Marja Johanna Tiura is a Finnish former Member of Parliament representing the National Coalition Party. She was first elected to parliament for the Pirkanmaa region in the 1999 general election, and retained her seat in the 2003 and 2007 elections. She lost her seat in the 2011 general election. She has also served as a locally elected politician on the Tampere Municipal Authority from 2000 to 2008. She was local party secretary from 1996 to 1999. Tiura has made headlines in Finland in 2009 and 2010 for coming under parliamentary and police investigation for allegedly taking bribes from significant business enterprises led by Kyösti Kakkonen of the KMS Group and Arto Merisalo of the Nova Group. The accusation is that she received this money so that she would become an undeclared lobbyist for their own business concerns. In the end the accusations did not lead to charges.
Movement Now is an economically liberal political party in Finland.
Leena Harkimo is a Finnish business executive and ex-politician.
Saara Margareta Elisabet Forsius was a Finnish agronomist, farmer, bank director and politician, born in Vihti. She began her political career in the Patriotic People's Movement (IKL). She was a member of the Parliament of Finland from 1954 to 1970, representing the National Coalition Party. She was a presidential elector in the 1962 and 1968 presidential elections. Saara Forsius was the daughter of Artturi Hiidenheimo, the granddaughter of Kaarle Ojanen, the niece of Pentti Hiidenheimo and the grandmother of Merikukka Forsius.
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