Päivi Räsänen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Päivi Räsänen
Räsänen in 2023
Minister of the Interior
In office 22 June 2011 – 29 May 2015
Prime Minister	Jyrki Katainen Alexander Stubb
Preceded by	Anne Holmlund
Succeeded by	Petteri Orpo
Member of the Finnish Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 March 1995
Leader of the Finnish Christian Democrats
In office 2 October 2004 – 28 August 2015
Preceded by	Bjarne Kallis
Succeeded by	Sari Essayah
Personal details
Born	(1959-12-19) 19 December 1959 (age 65) Sonkajärvi, Northern Savonia, Finland
Political party	Christian Democrats
Children	5
Occupation	Physician
Profession	Licentiate in Medicine

Päivi Räsänen (born 19 December 1959) is a well-known Finnish politician. She was the leader of the Christian Democrats party from 2004 to 2015. She also served as the Minister of the Interior for Finland between 2011 and 2015.

Before becoming a politician, Päivi Räsänen studied medicine and became a doctor. She started her political career in the early 1990s. She joined the Riihimäki City Council in 1993. Then, in 1995, she became a member of the Finnish Parliament.

On 2 October 2004, she was chosen to be the chairperson of the Christian Democrats party. After the 2011 election, her party joined the government. Päivi Räsänen was then named the Minister of the Interior. She officially started this important job on 22 June 2011.

Political Career and Views

Päivi Räsänen is known for her conservative political views. This means she often supports traditional ideas and values.

Views on Immigration

In 2010, Päivi Räsänen spoke about how people from different cultures adjust to life in Finland. She said that she wanted to highlight how religious connections could help refugees settle in.

She later clarified that she did not mean religion should be the main reason for accepting asylum seekers. As a minister in charge of immigration, she actually supported taking in more refugees. She especially wanted to help those coming from Syria.

Government Appointments

In September 2012, Päivi Räsänen made a decision that caused some discussion. She appointed a person to a high position in the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Some people in the media thought this person was less qualified than other candidates.

This created debate because she had previously spoken against political appointments. Political appointments are when someone gets a job based on their political connections, not just their skills.

Personal Life

Päivi Räsänen is married to a Lutheran pastor. They have five children and ten grandchildren. She lives in the city of Riihimäki.

As mentioned, she is a physician by profession. She holds a Licentiate of Medicine degree.

See also

• Dariusz Oko [de]
• Johannes Stöhr [de]