Anders Adlercreutz

Anders Adlercreutz
Adlercreutz in 2023
Minister of Education
Assumed office
5 July 2024
Prime MinisterPetteri Orpo
Preceded byAnna-Maja Henriksson
Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering
In office
20 June 2023 – 5 July 2024
Prime MinisterPetteri Orpo
Preceded byTytti Tuppurainen
Succeeded byJoakim Strand
Member of the Finnish Parliament for Uusimaa
Assumed office
22 April 2015
Leader of the Swedish People's Party
Assumed office
16 June 2024
Preceded byAnna-Maja Henriksson
Personal details
Born
Anders Erik Gunnar Adlercreutz

(1970-04-26) 26 April 1970 (age 54)
Helsinki, Uusimaa Province, Finland
Political partySwedish People's Party
Alma materHelsinki University of Technology
OccupationArchitect, entrepreneur
Websitehttp://andersadlercreutz.fi/blog/?lang=en
Military service
AllegianceFinland Finland
Branch/service Finnish Army
Rank Lieutenant[1]

Anders Erik Gunnar Adlercreutz (born 26 April 1970) is a Finnish architect and politician. He has represented the Swedish People's Party of Finland in the Parliament of Finland since 2015, and has served as the party's chair since 2024.[1][2] He has served as Minister of Education in the Orpo Cabinet since July 2024, having previously served as Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering.

Early life and education

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Adlercreutz was born on 26 April 1970. His family, the Adlercreutz family, are among the over 170 surviving noble families in Finland, with the Adlercreutz line being one of three count families.[3] His parents, Eric Adlercreutz and Gunnel Adlercreutz, are both architects.

He grew up in Kirkkonummi (Kyrkslätt).[4] In 1987, Adlercreutz studied abroad in Portugal.[5] He has lived in multiple European countries, including Spain, where he was residing as a student when he voted in favor of Finland's accession to the European Union.[6] In 1999, he completed his degree in architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology.[7]

Architectural and military career

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Adlercreutz is an architect by profession and was a partner at an architecture firm in Helsinki for over twenty years.[8] He sold significant shares in the firm, known as Arkkitehtoimisto A-konsultit Oy, in 2023, allowing him to accrue over 322,744 euros in capital income that year.[9]

As part of compulsory military service, Adlercreutz reached the rank of reserve lieutenant, and was part of the Uusimaa Brigade brigade in Dragsvik.[10]

Political career

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Prior to serving as an MP, he was a local councilor in Kirkkonummi, where he served alongside with Finns Party chair Riikka Purra.[11] He was dubbed the " Trudeau of Kirkkonummi" in reference to the Prime Minister of Canada in a 2017 interview.[3]

He was elected to Parliament from the Uusimaa constituency in the 2015 election with 3,337 votes.[12] In June 2016, Adlercreutz ran for the chairmanship of the Swedish People's Party, finishing second behind Anna-Maja Henriksson. He was subsequently elected as the vice-chairman of the party.[13] He was re-elected vice-chairman in May 2018.[14]

Adlercreutz was re-elected as an MP in 2019, garnering 9,425 votes.[15] He was once again reelected as an MP in the 2023 election, winning 9,442 votes.[16] He succeeded Henriksson as party chair in June 2024, defeating his only opponent, SPP parliamentary group chair Otto Andersson, in a 183-84 vote.[11]

Ministerial tenure

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In June 2023, he was appointed Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering in the Orpo Cabinet.[17] He stated that cultivating closer ties with Sweden would be a priority of his tenure.[6]

On 5 July 2024, he succeeded Henriksson as Minister of Education.[18] In this capacity, he has advocated in favor of exchange student programs, citing his own positive experience.[5] Adlercreutz has advocated for banning the use of smartphones in Finnish schools.[19]

Personal life

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Adlercreutz is a father of five.[4] He reportedly is fluent in five languages.[11]

Adlercreutz plays the piano and cello. In July 2023, in honor of Ukraine, he published a video where he played Oi u luzi chervona kalyna in cello in the corridors of the parliament house. The video hit over 250,000 views on Twitter and was noted in The New York Times.[20][21]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kansanedustajat: Anders Adlercreutz". Parliament of Finland. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Swedish People's Party elects Adlercreutz as new chair after Wickström drops out of race". yle. yle.fi. 16 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b Ahonen, Hannamari (2024-06-16). "Tällainen on Anders Adlercreutz – Aatelinen viiden lapsen isä on tehnyt uran arkkitehtinä" [This is Anders Adlercreutz - Aateline's father of five children has made a career as an architect]. Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  4. ^ a b "Who am I?". Anders Adlercreutz. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  5. ^ a b Martin, Kim (2024-07-10). "Finland's new education minister advocates for student exchange". The PIE News. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  6. ^ a b Björklund, Daniel (2024-09-03). "Interview with Anders Adlercreutz – An International Man For an International Position". The New Federalist. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  7. ^ "Minister of Education". Finnish Government. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  8. ^ "Minister of Education". Valtiovarainministeriö. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  9. ^ Laisi, Erno (2023-11-08). "Yllätysnimi Orpon hallituksen tulokärjessä: tienasi liki 430 000 euroa". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  10. ^ Äijälä, Satu (2023-07-11). "Katso, kenellä ministereistä on korkein sotilasarvo – yhdellä unohtumaton muisto tykistön talvileiriltä" [See which of the ministers has the highest military rank - one has an unforgettable memory from the artillery winter camp]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  11. ^ a b c "Swedish People's Party elects Adlercreutz as new chair after Wickström drops out of race". Yleisradio Oy. 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  12. ^ "Valitut ehdokkaat: Uudenmaan vaalipiiri". Ministry of Justice. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Anna-Maja Henriksson valittiin Rkp:n puheenjohtajaksi – "Me teimme sen. Me rikoimme lasikaton!"". Helsingin Sanomat. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Anna-Maja Henriksson valittiin uudelleen RKP:n puheenjohtajaksi". SFP. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Parliamentary Elections 2019 / Results / Whole country". Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Parliamentary Elections 2023 / Results / Whole country". Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Prime Minister Orpo's Government appointed". Valtioneuvosto. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  18. ^ "RKP vaihtaa ministereitä ensi perjantaina" [RKP will change ministers next Friday]. Yleisradio Oy (in Finnish). 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  19. ^ Teivainen, Aleksi (2024-08-08). "Adlercreutz: Constitution unlikely an obstacle to school smartphone ban". Helsinki Times. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  20. ^ Hernández, Javier C. (2023-07-12). "A Finnish Official Plays the Cello to Support Ukraine, Irking Russia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  21. ^ "Kolumni | Suomalaisministerin sellonsoitto pysäyttää nyt ihmisiä ympäri maailmaa, ja tästä se voi johtua". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
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