Mari Kiviniemi

Mari Johanna Kiviniemi (born 27 September 1968) is a Finnish politeecian, who servit as the seicont female Prime Meenister o Finland.

 Life an career 
Kiviniemi wis born in Seinäjoki, Finland. She grew up in rural Soothren Ostrobothnie, the dochter o a chicken fermer, an went tae schuil in Jalasjärvi. As a teenager durin heich schuil, she spent a year as an exchynge student in Germany. She enrolled in the University o Helsinki in 1988 tae study economics an marriet Juha Mikael Louhivuori, a businessman, in 1996. They hae twa childer, Hanna an Antti. In addition tae her native Finnish, she speaks Swadish, German an Inglis.

She leets her hobbies as listenin tae classical muisic (she plays the piano an flute), runnin, skiin an in-line roller bladin. The family haes a simmer cottage on lake Vanajavesi.

Kiviniemi is a career politeecian, an first ran as a candidate for Member o Parliament in 1991, garnerin less nor 5,000 votes, while servin as the Secretary General o the Centre Pairty Student Union. The year efter completin the wirk for her Maister's degree in Social Sciences, she ran again in the 1995 general elections, this time winnin a seat frae the Soothren Ostrobothnie destrict wi 9,350 votes.

Kiviniemi is an' a' a member o the Helsinki ceety cooncil, in addition tae her wirk in naitional politics. She haes been on the ceety cooncil syne 2005.

 Leader o Centre Party 
In 2003, Kiviniemi wis electit tae a leadership position athin the Centre Pairty, servin as vice-chairman (ane o three) till Juin 2008, when she wis votit aff at that simmer's party convention. She became a special advisor tae Prime Meenister Matti Vanhanen in 2004, an wis twice appointit bi him to serve as a Cabinet minister: first in September 2005 on a temporary basis when the incumbent went on maternity leave for sax month; an then on a full-time basis in Aprile 2007.

On 22 Januar 2010, ane month efter Prime Meenister Vanhanen annoonced he wad be steppin doun as leader (chair) o the Centre Pairty at its Juin 2010 convention, Kiviniemi annoonced her candidacy for the vacancy. Her campaign wis formally launched in Aprile.

Delegates tae the Centre Pairty Convention met in Lahti tae elect a new leader on 12 Juin 2010. Kiviniemi wan the seicont-roond run-aff, defeatin Mauri Pekkarinen bi a vote o 1,357 tae 1,035. Prime Meenister Vanhanen met wi Preses Tarja Halonen on Friday 18 Juin an asked her for permission tae resign as Prime Meenister. Kiviniemi's new post wis approved bi Parliament on 22 Juin 2010, wi a vote o 115 in favour, 56 against an 29 MPs abstainin or absent. Her election made her Finland's seicont female prime meenister, efter Anneli Jäätteenmäki in 2003.

 References 

 Freemit airtins 

 Offeecial wabsteid  
 CV at the Prime Meenister's wabsteid  

Category:1968 births
Category:Centre Pairty (Finland) politeecians
Category:Female heids o govrenment
Category:Finnish weemen in politics
Category:Govrenment meenisters o Finland
Category:Livin fowk
Category:Fowk frae Seinäjoki
Category:Prime Meenisters o Finland