Annika Saarikko
Date of Birth: 10.11.1983
Country: Finland |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Annika Saarikko was born on November 10, 1983, in Oripaa, Finland. In 2002, she completed her secondary education and went on to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Turku, graduating in 2008. She completed her Master of Philosophy degree in Media Studies from the same university in 2013.
Political Career
Early PositionsSaarikko's political journey began with her election as Vice-Chair of the Centre Party in 2010 at a party convention in Lahti. On September 5, 2020, at a convention in Oulu, she was elected as the Chair of the party, succeeding Katri Kulmuni.
Member of Parliament
Saarikko was first elected to the Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta) in the parliamentary elections held on April 17, 2011. She has also served as a member of the Turku City Council and the Regional Council of Varsinais-Suomi since 2013.
Ministerial Roles
Saarikko has held various ministerial positions in the Finnish government. On July 10, 2017, she replaced Juha Rehula as Minister of Family Affairs and Basic Services in Juha Sipila's cabinet. On June 6, 2019, she was appointed as Minister of Science and Culture in Antti Rinne's cabinet. She went on maternity leave on August 9, 2019, and was replaced by Hanna Kosonen. She returned to the government under Prime Minister Sanna Marin on August 6, 2020.
On May 27, 2021, Saarikko succeeded Matti Vanhanen as Minister of Finance. In this role, she has advocated for mass vaccination and COVID-19 passports to combat the pandemic.