Riitta Uosukainen | |
|---|---|
 Riitta Uosukainen in 2013 | |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Finland | |
| In office 7 February 1994 – 21 April 1995 | |
| In office 7 February 1995 – 23 March 1999 | |
| In office 20 April 1999 – 18 March 2003 | |
| Minister of Education | |
| In office 26 April 1991 – 10 February 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Ole Norrback |
| Succeeded by | Olli-Pekka Heinonen |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament | |
| In office 26 March 1983 – 18 March 2003 | |
| Constituency | Kymi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Riitta Maria Vainikka (1942-04-18)18 April 1942 (age 83) |
| Political party | National Coalition Party |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
Riitta Maria Uosukainen (néeVainikka; 18 June 1942) is aFinnish politician and formerMember of Parliament. She is one of the nine people to gain the highest honorary title,Counselor of State, given by the President, and is one of two currently alive alongsideAlexander Stubb.[1]
She was born on 18 June 1942 inJääski, which was part of theViipuri Province inFinland at the time of her birth, but is now known as Svetogorsk inLeningrad Oblast,Russia.[2] Uosukainen worked as editor of the Kustannus Oy Tammi publishing house 1965–1966, before beginning university studies.[2] She graduated with aLicentiate inPhilosophy in 1970.[2] She also worked as a teacher from 1969, becoming a Senior Teacher in 1971.[2] She continued her career in education by becoming a Lecturer inFinnish languagedidactics at theUniversity of Joensuu in 1976.[2] She also served as Regional Teacher Educator in Finnish from 1976 to 1983.[2]
She began her political career in 1977 when she was elected toImatra Town Council, retaining that post until 1992, before being elected to theFinnish Parliament in 1983 for theNational Coalition Party.[2] She remained as a member of parliament until 2003.[2]
Uosukainen wasMinister of Education (1991–1994), National Coalition Partypresidential candidate in 2000, andSpeaker of theFinnish Parliament almost continuously from 1994 to 2003.[3] After thedeath of Queen Elizabeth II, she praised KingCharles III while also commenting on theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[4] She drew a comparison of Putin toAdolf Hitler, and stated that the situation felt good in Ukraine after the mobilization backlash and the success of the2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive in September.[4]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Parliament of Finland 1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Parliament of Finland 1995–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Parliament of Finland 1999–2003 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
