Merja Kyllonen

Merja Kyllonen

Date of Birth: 25.01.1977
Country: Finland

Content:
  1. Biography of Merja Kyllönen
  2. Cabinet Position and Resignation
  3. Exit from Government
  4. Presidential Candidate
  5. Post-Government Activities

Biography of Merja Kyllönen

Early Life and Career

Merja Kyllönen was born on January 26, 1972, in Suomusjärvi, Finland. After entering politics as a member of the Left Alliance party, Kyllönen ascended to the position of Minister of Transport in the Katainen government from 2011 to 2014.

Cabinet Position and Resignation

On June 22, 2011, Kyllönen was appointed Minister of Transport in the Katainen cabinet. However, in November 2012, a budget deficit within the Ministry of Transport led the opposition Centre Party to demand her resignation.

Exit from Government

On March 25, 2014, Kyllönen resigned as Minister of Transport after budget negotiations failed to meet the demands of the Left Alliance. The party's leader, Paavo Arhinmäki, subsequently announced the Left Alliance's withdrawal from the government. Kyllönen was relieved of her ministerial duties on April 4, 2014.

Presidential Candidate

In 2018, Kyllönen ran for President of Finland, finishing seventh with 3.0% of the vote. Her campaign focused on environmental protection and social justice.

Post-Government Activities

Following her departure from government, Kyllönen continued her political involvement as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2014 onwards, representing the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group. In March 2019, she received the MEP Award for Transport and Tourism from Parliament Magazine for her work in the field.

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