Tarja Filatov

Tarja Filatov

Date of Birth: 09.08.1963
Country: Finland

Content:
  1. Tarja Filatov: A Life in Finnish Politics
  2. Rise in the Social Democratic Party
  3. Ministry of Labor
  4. House Speaker and Deputy Speaker
  5. Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Rights
  6. Personal Life

Tarja Filatov: A Life in Finnish Politics

Early Life and Family Background

Tarja Filatov was born into a family of displaced Finns in the city of Hämeenlinna. Her parents, Paavo Filatov and Maria Pirkkö Timoskaine, had been forced to leave their ancestral home in Karelia during the Soviet-Finnish War.

Rise in the Social Democratic Party

Filatov joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and was elected to the Finnish Parliament in 1995. She quickly rose through the ranks, serving as Vice President of the SDP's parliamentary group from 1999 to 2002 and Chair from 2007 to 2010.

Ministry of Labor

In 2000, Filatov was appointed Minister of Labor in Paavo Lipponen's Second Cabinet. She continued in this role in Anneli Jäätteenmäki's short-lived Cabinet and Matti Vanhanen's First Cabinet.

House Speaker and Deputy Speaker

In February 2010, Filatov was elected one of two Speakers of the Finnish Parliament. In December 2020, she became the First Deputy Speaker.

Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Rights

Filatov is a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She has twice served as the official patron of the Helsinki Pride Festival.

Personal Life

Tarja Filatov is married to Pekko Pietari Oksanen, a businessman. They have a daughter named Veera (born 1993).

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