In English

Mrs. Liisa Jaakonsaari MEP

  • Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue / Finlands Socialdemokratiska Parti / Born on 02 September 1945, Oulu
  • Professional experience: Journalist in Oulun Ylioppilaslehti and Pohjolan Työ; Member of the Finnish Parliament 1979 – 2009
  • Minister of Labour 1995 – 1999; Member of the European Parliament since 2009
  • Served as a Vice Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party and of the Sdp-Parliamentary Group
  • Served as the Chairperson of the Social Democratic Women’s Organisation
  • Civil status: Married
  • Influencial Figure: Goethe, Albert Camus, Hermann Hesse, Mahatma Gandhi
  • Hobbies: Fishing, reading politics and literature, hiking and spending time in the summer cottage at a lake in the forest of Northern Finland
  • Favourite Book: “Steppenwolf” by Hermann Hesse
  • Favourite Movies: “Das Leben der Anderen” by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
  • Favourite Music Group: Angeli’s Girls; Radio symphony orchestra
  • Favourite TV Show: “Ihmisten Puolue” (People’s Party), “Keeping appearance”
  • Favourite Local Meal: Finnish fish dishes

Finland is a country with a huge territory. In the EU elections, the entire country is each candidate’s constituency. Therefore, now as an MEP elected by the entire Finnish electorate, I feel like a MEP representing all Finns in Finland. Of course, being born, brought up and living in Oulu, Northern Finland is my home and my home constituency. However, due to my work place being so many miles away from home, I am very pleased to keep up contact with my voters by means of the smart new ways of technology. For example, email and Facebook facilities allow citizens to communicate with me. Daily, I receive many emails and within the Facebook community I have about 2000 friends. Particularly, I like to write columns and articles for newspapers. Without a doubt, though, nothing can beat the traditional ‘old’ way of meeting people face to face on market places, in the street, or at various events that take place all round the country. The work of a MEP is a work mandated by the voters. Thus, the MEP’s work is based on confidence and trust. To me, the idea of working in the European Parliament is to search for and create common European solutions for employment, equality and for some other important questions related to our future, like sustainable environmental development. No doubt, by understanding the problems of other regions and countries, our particular Finnish problems that are related to the cold climate and the sparsely populated areas in Finland will find an ear and an understanding, too.