Hanna Södermalm

*This is a Velkanian name. The last name is a family name, but this person should be referred to by the given name* Hanna*.*

**Hanna Sofia Södermalm** (born 4 July 1982) is a Velkanian politician who has served as Minister of the Environment since 2016. A Liberal-Democrat, Hanna has additionally served as a member of the Stádlink since 2012.

Born to a Velkanian Fors family in Raufardur, Hanna graduated from Raufardur Gymnasium in 2001. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the University of Naríthjábæk and received a degree in political science in 2004. Following the completion of her education, Hanna began working at the Liberal-Democratic Party headquarters in Naríthjábæk, working in the voter outreach division with an emphasis on Velkanian Fors and women. Hanna was elected to the Stádlink for the Liberal-Democrats in the 2012 election, representing the Capital Region constituency. Following the 2016 election, Hanna was appointed Minister of the Environment by Síf María Vílhelmsdætr for her second cabinet.

## Early life and education

Hanna was born on 4 July 1982 in Raufardur to parents Daniel Södermalm (born 1955) and Rebecca Grönlund (born 1955). Daniel worked as a landscaper, while Rebecca was a secretary at a primary school. Hanna comes from a Velkanian Fors family and was raised speaking primarily Forsish. Hanna is the second of four children; her siblings include Paul, born  (1980-06-01) 1 June 1980 (age 43), Anna, born  (1985-01-03) 3 January 1985 (age 39), and Tor, born  (1986-12-05) 5 December 1986 (age 37).

### Education and early career

Hanna began her education in 1988, attending a Forsish-language public primary school in Raufardur. While in primary school, Hanna became interested in politics after Brigitta Magnúsdætr visited to read a story to her class in 1991. Hanna graduated from primary school in 1998, and afterwards enrolled in Raufardur Gymnasium, a Forsish-language high school, where she studied a social sciences program.

Hanna graduated from high school in 2001, and afterwards enrolled in the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at the University of Naríthjábæk. She graduated with a degree in political science in 2004. Following her graduation, Hanna was hired in the division of voter outreach at the Liberal-Democratic Party headquarters in Naríthjábæk, focusing specifically on outreach towards Velkanian Fors and women. In 2008, Hanna was promoted to Vice President of Velkanian Fors' Voter Outreach for the Liberal-Democrats.

## Political career

### Political beginnings

After turning 16, Hanna registered with the Liberal-Democratic Party. She was raised in a non-political family, and decided to register with the Liberal-Democrats instead of the Fors People Party as she identified herself as predominately Velkanian, and felt as if the Fors People Party wished to return the Velkanian Isles back into the era of the Velkanian Duchy.

In 2012, Hanna applied to stand as a candidate in the 2012 election in the Capital Region constituency of the Stádlink. She went on to be elected, and has been reelected in 2016.

### Minister of the Environment

After the Liberal-Democrats won the 2016 election with an outright majority and ended their coalition with the Green-Agrarian Party, it was announced by Síf María Vílhelmsdætr that she would be nominating Hanna for the position of Minister of the Environment in her second cabinet, since the previous minister Björn Eiríkur Halldórsson was a member of the Green-Agrarians. Ragnhildur IV formally appointed Hanna as Minister of the Environment on 1 December 2012.

## Personal life

Hanna began a relationship with Velkanian Fors real estate broker Elias Nackerholm in 2006, after having been set up on a blind date by mutual friends. They later became engaged in 2008, and married the following year. Hanna and Elias have two daughters together: Clara, born  (2011-06-01) 1 June 2011 (age 12), and Elinor, born  (2014-01-17) 17 January 2014 (age 10). The family resides in Raufardur.