Vesa-Matti Saarakkala
| Vesa-Matti Saarakkala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Finnish Parliament for Vaasa | |
|
Assumed office 20 April 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 March 1984 |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Political party | True Finns |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | Saarakkala's Official Website |
Vesa-Matti Saarakkala (born 24 March 1984 in Kurikka, Finland) is a Finnish Member of Parliament and a member of Kurikka's city council.
Personal life
Saarakkala was born on 24 March 1984 in Kurikka, Finland. His father was an office manager and his mother worked various jobs before becoming a practical nurse. He has one sister who is older than him by thirteen years.[1]
He is married to a classroom teacher. He and his wife have two children together: a daughter named Lilja (born 2009) and a daughter named Sonja (born 2012).[2]
Political Positions
He represents the Finns Party and is the 3rd vice-chairman of the party. He was elected chairman of the youth organization for the party in Autumn 2003, he held the position until 2010. He was elected 17 April 2011 to the parliament of Finland from the Vaasa electoral district.[3]
On 13 June 2017, Saarakkala and 19 others left the Finns Party parliamentary group to found the New Alternative parliamentary group.[4]
Sour Electoral Manifesto
Vesa-Matti Saarakkala was one of the underwriters of the "Nuiva Manifesti" (The Sour electoral manifesto), an election campaign program critical of current immigration policy. The other signers were Juho S. A. Eerola, Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari, Olli Immonen, Teemu Lahtinen, Maria Lohela, Heikki Luoto, Heta Lähteenaro, Johannes Nieminen, Pasi Salonen, Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo and Freddy Van Wonterghem.[5][6]
Circumcision Ban Proposal
In March 2012, Saarakkala called for the criminalisation of male circumcision in Finland.[7][8][9] In October 2012, it was reported that he had plans to submit a bill proposing the criminalisation of ritual circumcision involving males under the age of 15.[10][11]
Sources
- ↑ Saarakkala's Official Biography in English
- ↑ Saarakkala's Official Biography in English
- ↑ http://www.saarakkala.fi/3
- ↑ "Tällainen on Uusi vaihtoehto – Nämä kansanedustajat jättivät perussuomalaiset". Yle. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ↑ http://www.vaalimanifesti.fi/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nuiva-vaalimanifesti/138069976216112
- ↑ Finns Party proposes circumcision ban, Published March 7, 2012, Updated March 8, 2012
- ↑ Saarakkala Kysyy Poikien Ymparileikkauksesta Published March 6, 2012
- ↑ Ijäs, Johannes Saarakkala: Myös poikien ympärileikkauksen voisi kriminalisoida Published March 6, 2012]
- ↑ Finnish party plans new bill to ban ritual circumcision, Haaretz, Published October 2, 2012
- ↑ Denniz Mitzner, Finland debates circumcision, The Jerusalem Post, Published October 2, 2012