Anneli Jäätteenmäki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anneli Jäätteenmäki
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Official portrait, 2014
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| 39th Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 17 April 2003 – 24 June 2003 |
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| President | Tarja Halonen |
| Deputy | Antti Kalliomäki |
| Preceded by | Paavo Lipponen |
| Succeeded by | Matti Vanhanen |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 1 May 1994 – 13 April 1995 |
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| Prime Minister | Esko Aho |
| Preceded by | Hannele Pokka |
| Succeeded by | Sauli Niinistö |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki
11 February 1955 Lapua, Finland |
| Political party | Centre Party |
| Spouse | Jorma Melleri |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki (born 11 February 1955) is a Finnish politician. She made history as the first woman to become Prime Minister of Finland. She served as the 39th prime minister from April to June 2003. Later, from 2004 to 2019, she was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing Finland.
Contents
Anneli Jäätteenmäki's Early Life and Career
Anneli Jäätteenmäki grew up on a small farm in the forests of Ostrobothnia, Finland. Since her brother was set to take over the farm, Anneli and her sisters went to school. She became interested in politics and joined the Centre Party.
Education and First Steps in Politics
Anneli Jäätteenmäki studied law and earned a master's degree in 1980. From 1981 to 1987, she worked as a lawyer for her party's group in the Finnish Parliament. In 1987, she was elected to the Parliament herself.
Becoming Minister of Justice
From 1994 to 1995, Jäätteenmäki served as the Minister of Justice. After this, her party became part of the opposition, meaning they were not in power. She was chosen to lead the Centre Party from 2000 to 2003.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki as Prime Minister
After eight years of being in the opposition, Anneli Jäätteenmäki led the Centre Party to win the parliamentary elections in 2003. They won by a small margin against the Social Democratic Party of Finland.
Forming a New Government
Because her party won, Anneli Jäätteenmäki was given the chance to form a new government. She worked with the Social Democrats and the Swedish People's Party to create a new government team, called a coalition cabinet. This new government continued many of the previous policies. They also introduced new plans to help the economy, like cutting taxes.
Finland's Unique Leadership
During her short time as prime minister, Finland was special. It was the only country in the world to have women serving as both prime minister and president. Half of her government ministers were also women.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki's Resignation
Anneli Jäätteenmäki resigned from her role as prime minister on June 18, 2003. This happened because of questions about how she got some secret government documents. She had used these documents during her election campaign.
The Issue with Confidential Documents
The documents contained private information about Finland's view on the Iraq war. Jäätteenmäki used this information to suggest that her political rival, Paavo Lipponen, had secretly supported the U.S.-led actions. This caused problems because Finland usually stays neutral in foreign policy.
Loss of Trust and Acquittal
The use of these documents caused a loss of trust between the political parties. A police investigation was started. On June 18, 2003, Jäätteenmäki explained her actions to Parliament. She said she received the documents without asking for them and didn't know they were secret. However, her coalition partners lost trust in her leadership, and she resigned that evening. She stated she was resigning due to a lack of political trust.
Later, on March 19, 2004, the Helsinki District Court cleared Anneli Jäätteenmäki of all charges related to the documents.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki as a Member of European Parliament
After her time as prime minister, Anneli Jäätteenmäki became a MEP for the Centre Party. An MEP helps make laws and decisions for the whole of Europe.
European Parliament Elections
In the 2004 European Parliament elections, she received a very high number of votes. This showed strong support from the public.
In 2006, Jäätteenmäki took a break from her work due to breast cancer. She made a full recovery and returned to politics. She was re-elected to the European Parliament in 2009 and again in 2014, serving her final term until 2019.
Cabinets
- Jäätteenmäki Cabinet
See Also
In Spanish: Anneli Jäätteenmäki para niños
