60 years old | Anna-Maja Henriksson's difficult year is ending with a big decision

Rkp's chaired by the Minister of Education Anna-Maja Henriksson has the hardest year of his political career behind him.

“It really hasn't been easy. The year 2023 is by far my most difficult year in politics, even though I have been in the parliament since 2007, and many other years have not been easy either,” he says.

Even the beginning of last year was miserable, when Sanna Marini (sd) the government's decision-making stalled due to the upcoming elections and the bickering of the governing parties.

During the spring parliamentary elections, Henriksson broke his hand in tennis and had to take a long sick leave.

Soon, exceptionally long and painful government negotiations for the Rkp were ahead, as well as debate over whether the liberal party Rkp could enter the same government with the national conservative fundamental Finns.

Already during the elections and during the government negotiations, Henriksson seemed to be completely exhausted, but the hard work was still ahead.

The summer was spent working on the discussion of racism that emerged from the old publications of basic Finnish ministers.

“It was close that the government didn't fall. There were mornings in the summer when I didn't know if this government would still exist in the evening.”

Henriksson says that it is “absolutely clear” that the Orpo government would not exist without the joint statement against racism made by the government at the end of the summer.

Have you ever felt like giving up?

“It's only human if you sometimes ask yourself, how much longer can I take this? However, it is known that long-term and sustainability is needed in politics. I've learned that when you're in a really bad mood, you shouldn't make decisions, you should sleep and think things over. If you raise your hands, at least you won't get anything done.”

Parliamentary many in the corridors have guessed that Henriksson is going to be a candidate for the European elections this year and will leave the position of chairman at the June party meeting of Rkp.

Henriksson says he is seriously thinking about running for the European elections and will announce the matter in the second half of January. He remains silent on other speculations.

During Christmas and the beginning of the year, Henriksson has had time to vacation and relax with his family.

Do you yourself know what you are going to do?

“It's starting to take shape, in which direction the decision will go. Actually today [haastattelu tehtiin 3.1.2023] it's the first day I'm on vacation alone at home with the dog. It's a good opportunity to have a thorough discussion with myself.”

Are you going to reveal to the dog today where you end up?

“I can ask the dog's opinion. He is old and wise. 14-year-old bichon frisé.”

Henriksson is a much stricter and more controlling party leader than his public image. He wants to keep the strings of the party in his own hands.

This year marks his eight years as chairman of Rkp. The last time Rkp had a chairman who served for more than eight years was in the early 1960s.

Henriksson has already achieved a lot. She is the first woman as chairperson of Rkp and Finland's longest-serving minister of justice.

The board does not know anything nice, but in the spring the board has to decide on additional savings of possibly up to a billion euros and other adjustment measures.

Rkp and Perussuomalaiset have tried to refrain from barking at each other in public, but even this seeming harmony will hardly last forever.

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“I can ask the dog's opinion. He is old and wise. 14-year-old bichon frisé.”

Henriksson's think that tax increases should be considered as part of adjustment measures, because the six billion euro adjustment package made by the government already in the spring was difficult to put together.

According to him, an increase in taxes is completely possible, because during the current term of office the total tax rate will clearly decrease, and the government has only agreed that the total tax rate must not increase.

“The work must always be worthwhile. Basic education must be taken care of. I'm worried about social security, and we still need to invest in education.”

However, income taxation must not be tightened, he says.

Henriksson hopes that, even in such miserable times, there would be more talk about positive things and things that give hope for the future, not just about debt and gloom.

In his opinion, Finns have a tendency to be “hemmablind”.

“We don't always know how to see and appreciate what's good around us.”

Henriksson says that Finland still has, for example, a good education system, free school meals, a welfare state, strong institutions, diverse nature and a lot of know-how. Finland is still a country where children dare to be sent to school without an adult escort.

Message? Petteri Orpon (kok) the government in a too negative tone?

“I personally miss thinking more about how we can achieve growth and investments. Of course, the economic situation is difficult, but it has been difficult in this country before.”

Henriksson recalls the recession of the early 1990s, when Finland's economic problems were significantly greater than now.

Then the gross national product collapsed for several years in a row, foreclosures affected ordinary working families, unemployment rose to 17 percent and commercial banks were bailed out with billions of marks.

“When I was working as a bank lawyer in Pietarsaari, every morning there were new debt restructuring or bankruptcy applications on the table and people were really worried. But we got through that too.”

Who?

Anna-Maja Henriksson

Picture: Christoffer Björklund

• Born 1964 in Pietarsaari.

• Deputy judge 1989.

• Chairman of Rkp since June 2016.

• Member of Parliament since 2007.

• Served as Minister of Justice 2011–2015 and 2019–2023 and as Minister of Education since June 2023.

• Turns 60 on Sunday, January 7th.