Li Sigrid Andersson[2] (born 13 May 1987)[3] is a Finnish politician who served as Minister of Education from 2019 to 2023.[4][5] A former leader of the Left Alliance, she was a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2024. She is also a city councillor of Turku and was chair of the party's youth wing, Left Youth.
Li Andersson | |
|---|---|
 Andersson in 2024 | |
| Minister of Education | |
| In office 29 June 2021 – 20 June 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Sanna Marin |
| Preceded by | Jussi Saramo |
| Succeeded by | Anna-Maja Henriksson |
| In office 6 June 2019 – 17 December 2020 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Sanni Grahn-Laasonen |
| Succeeded by | Jussi Saramo |
| Leader of the Left Alliance | |
| In office 11 June 2016 – 19 October 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Paavo Arhinmäki |
| Succeeded by | Minja Koskela |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament | |
| In office 22 April 2015 – 15 July 2024 | |
| Constituency | Varsinais-Suomi |
| Member of the European Parliament for Finland | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Li Sigrid Andersson 13 May 1987 Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland[1] |
| Political party | Left Alliance |
| Spouse | Juha Pursiainen |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Åbo Akademi University (BSS) |
| Website | https://liandersson.fi/ |
Education
editAndersson graduated from Åbo Akademi University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Social Science in international law, specializing in international human rights law and refugee law, with an academic minor in Russian language and culture.[6]
Political career
editIn the parliamentary elections of 2015 Andersson was elected with the highest number of personal votes in Varsinais-Suomi (with 17 seats).[7] Candidates in the district included the chairmen of the National Coalition Party and the Green League.[8] In the 2017 municipal elections, she got the most votes of any candidate outside of Helsinki placing sixth, nationally.[9]
In February 2016, Andersson announced running for Left Alliance chair.[10] On 6 June 2016, she received 3,913 (61.85%) votes in an unofficial poll between the party members, after which the other candidates withdrew from the running, leaving her the only remaining candidate. The decision was confirmed on 11 June 2016 at the Left Alliance party meeting in Oulu.[11][12]
After the 2019 parliamentary election, in which the Left Alliance gained four seats for a total of 16 (out of 200)[13] the party joined the SDP-led Rinne Cabinet. Andersson became Minister of Education. She temporarily left her ministerial post in December 2020 to go on maternity leave.[14]
In September 2023, Andersson announced her candidacy for the 2024 Finnish presidential election.[15] In the election, she received 4.88% of the total vote count and failed to advance to the second round of voting.[16]
On 5 March 2024, Andersson announced that she will relinquish Left Alliance leadership to run as a candidate in the European parliamentary elections.[17]
On 9 June 2024, in the 2024 European Parliament election in Finland, Andersson received more votes (247,604) than any other candidate had ever received in a European Parliament election in Finland.[18] In July 2024, she was nominated[19] and elected[20] to chair the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, EMPL.[citation needed]
Views
editIn terms of foreign policy, she advocates for Finland to follow a Nordic policy line within NATO, promoting deeper cooperation within the alliance while adhering to principles such as the rejection of permanent NATO military bases, installations and nuclear weapons on Finland's soil.[21] Andersson criticized the Sipilä Cabinet's approach to internal devaluation, which she believes has led to declining wages and challenges for low-income earners.[22]
Personal life
editLi Andersson cohabits with former ice-hockey player Juha Pursiainen in Turku.[23][24] She gave birth to their first child, a daughter, in January 2021.[25] Andersson belongs to the Swedish-speaking Finn national minority.[26]
Honors
edit
Order of the White Rose of Finland (Finland, 2022)[27]
Electoral history
edit
Municipal elections
edit| Year | Municipality | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Turku | 175 | Not elected |
| 2012 | Turku | 2,422 | Elected |
| 2017 | Turku | 6,415 | Elected |
Parliamentary elections
edit| Year | Constituency | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Varsinais-Suomi | 2,170 | Not elected |
| 2015 | Varsinais-Suomi | 15,071 | Elected |
| 2019 | Varsinais-Suomi | 24,404 | Elected |
European Parliament elections
edit| Year | Constituency | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Finland | 47,599 | Not elected |
| 2024 | Finland | 247,604 | Elected |
References
edit- ^ "Li Andersson". Eduskunta.fi. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Li Andersson". CV. Finnish Parliament. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Auvinen, Suvi: Historian jäänteistä kohti nykyaikaa.
- ^ "Government of Prime Minister Antti Rinne". Finnish Government. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- ^ "Tässä ovat Marinin hallituksen ministerit – joukko äänikuningattaria, pikapaluun tekijä, maailman nuorin pääministeri" (in Finnish). Yle. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "Li Andersson - Li Andersson".
- ^ "Statsrådets förordning om fördelning av riksdagsmandaten mellan valkretsarna (935/2014)". Finlex.
- ^ "Li Andersson överlägsen röstdrottning". Yle nyheter. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "Här är valets drottningar och kungar". Yle. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "STT: Li Andersson lähtee vasemmistoliiton puheenjohtajakilpaan". Yle Uutiset. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Li Andersson voitti vasemmistoliiton jäsenäänestyksen uudesta puheenjohtajasta". YLE. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Li Andersson kruunattiin virallisesti puheenjohtajaksi". Iltalehti. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- ^ "Yle - Result service - Whole country - Parliamentary Elections 2019 - Yle.fi". vaalit.yle.fi. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Jussi Saramo takes over as Education Minister". Daily Finland. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "Left Alliance's Andersson announces presidential bid". Yle.fi. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ "Presidential election 2024, Whole country, Results by candidate". Ministry of Justice, Information and Result Service. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "Li Andersson to relinquish Left Alliance leadership, announces MEP run". Yle. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "As it happened: No right wing wave in Finland as Left Alliance take record result in EU elections". Yle. 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Li Andersson poised to chair major EU Parliament committee". Yle. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "EMPL constitutive meeting - election of EMPL Chair and Vice-Chairs". European Parliament. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "Left Alliance's Andersson announces presidential bid". News. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Where Next for Finland's Welfare State?". jacobin.com. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ Ylimutka, Leena (7 May 2019). "Ero ja uusi rakas! Li Andersson Me Naiset -lehdessä avoliitostaan: Urheilua ja saunomista, tulevaisuudessa myös lapsia". Iltalehti. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Iida Kantola (10 June 2019). "Li Andersson, 32, löysi uuden rakkaan – parisuhde paljastui ministerisalkun myötä". Ilta-Sanomat. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Li Andersson sai vauvan – "Me olemme maailman onnellisimmat"". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ Gestrin-Hagner, Maria (6 November 2017). "Årets finlandssvensk Li Andersson skrattade högt då hon nåddes av beskedet". Hufvudstadsbladet. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Medaljregn inför självständighetsdagen – Sanna Marin, Pekka Haavisto och Björn Wahlroos får utmärkelser". Hufvudstadsbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ Electoral information service Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ Yle European election 2024 Results Service Retrieved 10 June 2024.
Further reading
edit- Opening speech at the Future of the Arctic climate-seminar. Blog post on Li Andersson's website. Published 9 September 2017.
- Where Next for Finland’s Welfare State?. Interview with Li Andersson by Jacobin. Published 21 December 2017.
- Andersson calls for a new, more comprehensive basic income trial. Helsinki Times. Published 19 March 2019.
External links
edit