Elvi Õja

**Elvi Õja** (born 11 February 1978) is an Ecklander politician and lawyer who has served as Eckish Center Party leader since 2015. She has additionally served as a member of the Maagukoorpuu since 2008.

Born in Poorgu as the only child of former Center Party leader Ilves Õja, Elvi attended Poorgu Language Academy and graduated in 1996. After finishing upper secondary school, she enrolled in the University of Uuguu and received her law degree in 2002. Õja worked as a private practice attorney for several years until running in the 2008 parliamentary election with the Center Party. She was ultimately elected to the Maagukoorpuu. In 2015, Elvi's father announced his retirement as party leader, and named his daughter as his successor. Elvi led the party into the 2016 parliamentary election, where the Center Party won the most seats in parliament, although not an outright majority. Despite attempting to negotiate a coalition with Därdo Kuikas and the Social Democrats which would require Kuikas to relinquish the role of Prime Minister to Õja, Kuikas went back on his word to Õja and ultimately formed a coalition with the All-Eckland Party, Progressive Party, and A New Movement in order for himself to remain as Prime Minister. The move was widely unpopular and criticized by both Õja and the media.

Õja has been ranked as one of the most visible and popular members of parliament in Eckland. She has been credited with turning the Center Party from a minor party to one of the major Eckish political parties, and is widely predicted to eventually be elected Prime Minister.

## Early life and education

Õja was born on 11 February 1978 in Poorgu to parents Ilves Õja (born 1938) and Anna-Maarja Radukone (born 1942). Her father was a lawyer-turned-politician who founded and led the Center Party in the Maagukoorpuu from 1987 until 2015, while her mother was a sociologist and professor of women's studies at the University of Poorgu. Õja's parents struggled immensely with conception, and Õja was raised an only child. Õja was raised in the Oteküla neighborhood of Palriita in Poorgu.

Õja began her education in 1984, receiving admission to the prestigious Poorgu Language Academy as a first-year primary school student. She received bilingual education in Eckish and English in her early years at school, and later additionally became fluent in Fargonian, Forsish, and Helvarian. Õja graduated from upper secondary school at Poorgu Language Academy in 1996, and afterwards enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Uuguu, where she graduated with her law degree in 2002.

## Law career

After graduating with her law degree in 2002, Õja returned to Poorgu and completed her law apprenticeship at her father's law firm in 2003. She later began working at her father's law firm, where she specialized in private litigation. In 2005, she was made a partner at the firm. Following the retirement of her uncle in 2006, Õja became the head lawyer of the firm, as her father did not practice law due to his political duties.

In 2007, Õja was said to be considering leaving law in order to enter politics. She began taking on a lighter caseload in late-2007 in order to prepare for the upcoming 2008 parliamentary election. After being elected to parliament in June 2008, Õja resigned from her position at the firm.

## Political career

### Political beginnings

In 2008, Õja was included on the Center Party electoral list for the 2008 parliamentary election as the number-two slot, directly below her father. Prior to the election, some allegations of nepotism arose as Õja had been placed higher on the list than some sitting members of parliament. Ultimately, Õja was elected to parliament and took office on 28 June 2008.

After becoming a member of parliament, Õja was reported in the media as being "a highly influential member" of the Center Party, and was widely thought of as being "second-in-command" to her father. She influenced the party's stances on numerous issues, particularly dealing with women's rights and LGBT rights. Õja was reelected to parliament in the 2012 parliamentary election, once again the number-two slot on the electoral list.

### Leader of the Center Party

On 1 November 2015, it was reported in the media that Ilves Õja would retire from politics following the 2016 parliamentary election, and that Elvi was the top contender to take his spot as party leader. The following day, Ilves confirmed that he would step down as leader and not stand in the 2016 election. He confirmed 20 November as his official final day as party leader, and that he would nominate Elvi to take over the position. On 12 November, a vote amongst Center Party members of parliament unanimously decided to elect Elvi as the next party leader. Ilves stepped down as previously announced on 20 November, and Elvi was sworn in as party leader.

After becoming leader, Õja was tasked with leading the party into the 2016 elections. Following well-received debate performances that positioned the party as a "common sense" alternative to the heavy partisanship of the left-wing and right-wing parties and a "bridge" to unite voters of all socioeconomic backgrounds, the Center Party began gradually improving its polling in the run-up to the election. By May 2016, the party had become a major frontrunner in the election, and Õja was predicted by many media outlets as the most likely next Prime Minister. Ultimately, the party won 27 seats in the Maagukoorpuu, making them the largest party in parliament although not achieving an outright majority.

Following the election, Õja began coalition talks with incumbent Prime Minister Därdo Kuikas of the Social Democrats. The Social Democrats had won 24 seats, and a coalition between the two parties would give them a majority in parliament. Õja negotiated a deal which would appoint Kuikas Minister of Foreign Affairs and require him to relinquish his role as Prime Minister to Õja, which he conditionally accepted. The deal was widely publicized in the media, although on 18 June 2016, Kuikas announced he had negotiated a coalition between the Social Democrats, All-Eckland Party, Progressive Party, and A New Movement in order for himself to remain as Prime Minister, leaving Õja and the Center Party in the opposition despite being the largest party in parliament. Following this announcement, approval ratings of Kuikas and the Social Democrats dropped from 55–60% to 25–30%, while approval ratings of Õja and the Center Party rose as high as 80%. Kuikas was widely criticized in the media for "stealing the election" from Õja, and calls were made for his resignation and fresh elections.

On 30 June, after the new government had already been sworn in, Õja gave a televised speech regarding the scandal, in which she stated that coalition-building is simply part of the political process, but reaffirmed that voters should make their opinions well-known at the next election.

## Personal life

Õja began a relationship with fellow Center Party member of parliament Jõrgit Müüna in 2007; they were introduced by her father, while she was preparing to run for parliament in the following year's election. Õja and Müüna became engaged in 2009, and married the following year. They have two children together: Inger, born  (2011-11-28) 28 November 2011 (age 12), and Frederik, born  (2014-02-13) 13 February 2014 (age 9). The family resides in a high-rise apartment in Sentraliin.

Õja declined maternity leave while pregnant with both of her children, and only missed parliamentary sessions the day of and the day after the births of her two children. After giving birth to Inger, Õja brought her to parliamentary sessions to breast feed. She has been the recipient of widespread praise and admiration for her handling of her two pregnancies.