Mari Kiviniemi

Mari Kiviniemi at "The Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy 2013" (Berlin; December 17th - 21st, 2013)

Mari Kiviniemi
Prime Minister of Finland
In office 22 June 2010 – 22 June 2011
President	Tarja Halonen
Preceded by	Matti Vanhanen
Succeeded by	Jyrki Katainen
Personal details
Born	27 September 1968 (age 45) Seinäjoki, Finland
Political party	Centre Party
Spouse(s)	Juha Louhivuori
Alma mater	University of Helsinki
Profession	Economist

Mari Johanna Kiviniemi was born 27 September 1968 in rural Southern Ostrobothnia. She is a Finnish politician, who served as the second female Prime Minister of Finland.

Political Career

Mari Kiviniemi is a Finnish politician, who served as the second female Prime Minister of Finland from 2010 to 2011. She first ran as a candidate for Member of Parliament while Secretary of the Centre Party Student Union in 1991. She was not elected at the time, but she ran again in 1995, after having completed her Master’s in Social Sciences, and was then elected. Before serving as Prime Minister of Finland, she was formerly Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development from 2005 to 2006, as well as Minister for Public Administration and Local Government from 2007 to 2010. She was also Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen’s economic policy advisor from 2004 to 2005.

Mari Kiviniemi was elected to a leadership position within the Centre Party in 2003, serving as vice-chairman until June 2008. She became a special advisor to Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen in 2004, and was twice appointed by him to serve as a cabinet minister, first in September 2005 on a temporary basis and then on a full-time basis from April 2007. Prior to her appointment as the prime minister, Kiviniemi was Minister of Foreign Trade and Development from 2005-2006 and Minister of Public Administration and Local Government from 2007-2010.

Throughout her years in Finnish politics, she also served as Vice-Chariman of the Finance Committee, and worked on the Committee on the Environment, Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Nordic Council. Her election in 2010 as prime Minister of Finland made her the second female Prime Minister of her country. In addition to her work in national politics, Kiviniemi has also been a member of the Helsinki city council since 2005.

On June 2010, as the new leader of the Centre Party, the Finnish Parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen The Hon. Kiviniemi as Prime Minister. She served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2010-2011. With her election, she became Finland's second female prime minister, following Anneli Jäätteenmäki in 2003.

Education

Maria Kiviniemi studied economics at the University of Helsinki and then completed her Master’s in Political Science at the same institution. She is fluent in German, Swedish, and English, as well as her native tongue Finnish.

Further information

The Helsinki Conference on International Law & Women's Rights

The Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy 2013

The Helsinki Conference on International Law & Women's Rights

External Links

Official Page

Political offices
Preceded by Paula Lehtomäki	Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development (Finland) 2005–2006	Succeeded by Paula Lehtomäki
New government office	Minister for Public Administration and Local Government 2007–2010	Succeeded by Tapani Tölli
Preceded by Matti Vanhanen	Prime Minister of Finland 2010–2011	Succeeded by Jyrki Katainen