Tanja Karpela

Tanja Tellervo Karpelacite web
url = http://www.eduskunta.fi/triphome/bin/hex5000.sh?hnro=569&kieli=en
title = Tanja Karpela / Finnish Centre Party
work = Present parliament members
publisher = The Finnish Parliament
date = 2008-06-27
accessdate = 2008-09-02] ("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 from 2003 to 2007.cite web
url = http://www.government.fi/tietoarkisto/aiemmat_hallitukset/vanhanen/jasenet/kulttuuriministeri/en.jsp
title = Minister of Culture Tanja Saarela
work = Vanhanen's Cabinet 2003–2007
publisher = Finnish Government
accessdate = 2008-09-02]

Overview

A former beauty queen who held the title of Miss Finland and represented her country in the Miss Universe pageant in 1991, Karpela was elected to parliament from the Electoral District of Uusimaa in 1999, representing the Centre Party. She was appointed Minister of Culture in Prime Minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki's cabinet in 2003.cite web
url = http://www.government.fi/tietoarkisto/aiemmat_hallitukset/jaatteenmaki/henkilotiedot/kulttuuriministeri/fi.jsp
language = Finnish
title = Kulttuuriministeri Tanja Karpela
work = Jäätteenmäen hallitus 2003
publisher = Finnish Government
accessdate = 2008-09-02] After the resignation of Ms. Jäätteenmäki, Karpela went on to serve in the same post under Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.

On 21 May 2006, Karpela married film director Olli Saarela, and took her new husband's surname.cite news
url = http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/txt/kotimaa.shtml/arkistot/kotimaa/2006/05/446371
language = Finnish
title = Tanja Karpela avioon
work = MTV3
date = 2006-05-21
accessdate = 2008-09-02] She filed for divorce from Olli Saarela in November 2007,cite news
url = http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/txt/kotimaa.shtml/arkistot/kotimaa/2007/11/585167
language = Finnish
title = Tanja Saarela hakee avioeroa
work = MTV3
date = 2007-11-24
accessdate = 2008-09-02] and on 22 February 2008 she changed her name back to Karpela.cite news
url = http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200802267303611_uu.shtml
language = Finnish
title = Tanja Saarela on taas Karpela
work = Iltalehti
date = 2008-02-26
accessdate = 2008-09-02]

Karpela has two children from her previous marriage to Totti Karpela.

Controversy

Karpela 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). cite news
url = http://viihde.mtv3.fi/arkisto.shtml?673644
language = Finnish
title = Kaikki Tanjan miehet: Huh, mitä suhdesoppaa!
work = MTV3
date = 2008-07-15
accessdate = 2008-09-02] Karpela'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 Karpela and Niinistö announced their engagement.cite news
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HXI/is_2003_Nov_27/ai_n25078126
title = Finnish politicians reveal engagement
work = Nordic Business Report
date = 2003-11-27
accessdate = 2008-09-02] They broke their engagement in 2004.cite journal
url = http://www.oyy.fi/fileadmin/Ylkkari/taitto_6_2005.pdf
format = PDF
title = News in Brief: Sauli Niinistö for a Presidential Candidate
journal = Oulun Ylioppilaslehti
volume = 6/2005
year = 2005-04-15
pages = p. 6
accessdate = 2008-09-02]

In December 2005 Karpela 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.cite press release
url = http://www.effi.org/julkaisut/tiedotteet/lehdistotiedote-2005-12-08.html
publisher = Electronic Frontier Finland - EFFI ry
date = 2005-12-07
title = EFFIn Big Brother -palkinnot EU:n ministerineuvostolle, juorulehdille, Karpelalle
language = Finnish
accessdate = 2008-09-02] She was also a supporter of the 2005 amendment to the Finnish Copyright Act and Penal Code, which has been nicknamed "Lex Karpela"cite web
url = http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/smur/vakiintuneet.php
language = Finnish
title = Säädöksille käytännössä vakiintuneita nimikkeitä
work = FINLEX database of Finnish legislation
publisher = Finnish Ministry of Justice / Edita Ltd.
accessdate = 2008-09-02] due to her acceptance of what many perceive to be a highly controversial addition to the Finnish law.

References

External links

* [http://www.tanjakarpela.fi Personal home page] (in Finnish)

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