Tanja Karpela

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Tanja Tellervo Karpela (née Vienonen; previously Karpela and Saarela. b. August 22, 1970, Salo, Finland) is a Finnish Member of Parliament and a former Finnish Minister of Culture, a position she held in 2003-2007.

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[edit] Overview

A former beauty queen who held the title of Miss Finland and represented her country in the Miss Universe pageant in 1991, Saarela was elected to the Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta) from the Electoral District of Uusimaa [1] in 1999, representing the Centre Party. She was appointed Minister of Culture in Prime Minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki's cabinet in 2003. After the resignation of Ms. Jäätteenmäki, Saarela went on to serve in the same post under Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.

On May 21, 2006, Saarela married Olli Saarela, and changed her name from Tanja Karpela to Tanja Saarela. Tanja Saarela has two children from her previous marriage to Totti Karpela. Tanja Saarela filed for divorce from Olli Saarela in November 2007.

On February 22, 2008 Tanja Saarela changed her name back to Tanja Karpela.

[edit] Controversy

Saarela caused a stir in 2001 when it became public that she (a divorcée), was having a relationship with then Finance Minister Sauli Niinistö (a widower). Ms. Saarela's Centre Party was in opposition and Mr. Niinistö was considered the second-most influential man in government. Under close press scrutiny ever since, in 2003 Saarela and Niinistö announced their engagement. Their engagement was dissolved in 2004. Subsequently, a contested news report alleged that Saarela and Prime Minister Vanhanen had been involved in an intimate hotel room incident six years ago. While both parties have admitted spending the night in the room together, both have vehemently denied any sexual aspects of it.

[edit] Trivia

In December 2005 Saarela received a Big Brother Award from the Finnish on-line civil rights organization EFFI for proposing Internet traffic blocking software be installed in schools and libraries.

She was also a supporter of the 2005 amendment to the Finnish Copyright Act and Penal Code, which has been nicknamed Lex Karpela[citation needed] due to her acceptance of what many perceive to be a highly controversial addition to the Finnish law.

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Karpela, Tanja
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Finnish politician
DATE OF BIRTH August 20, 1970
PLACE OF BIRTH Salo, Finland
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages