Eva Biaudet

Eva Biaudet
Minister of Health and Social Services
In office 19 April 2002 – 17 April 2003
Prime Minister	Paavo Lipponen
Preceded by	Osmo Soininvaara
Succeeded by	Liisa Hyssälä
In office 15 April 1999 – 25 April 2000
Prime Minister	Paavo Lipponen
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Osmo Soininvaara
Personal details
Born	27 February 1961 Helsinki, Finland
Political party	Swedish People's Party
Alma mater	University of Helsinki
Religion	Lutheranism

Eva Rita Katarina Biaudet (born 27 February 1961)^[1] is a Finnish politician and Member of Parliament of Finland in the parliamentary group of the Swedish People's Party. She returned to the Finnish Parliament in the parliamentary election of April 2015. Eva Biaudet was Member of Parliament of Finland (1991–2006) and is a former Minister of Health and Social Services (1999–2000 and 2002–2003). After the election of 2003 Biaudet did not want to continue as a cabinet minister.^[2]

Biaudet was appointed as the Ombudsman for Minorities for a term of five years period starting in 2010. Even though she had no official competence for the position, her references in the election were, according to Ritva Viljanen, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of the Interior, who appointed her, strong enough to validate her appointment, and she was given a special permission. A complaint was made concerning her nomination because she was formally unqualified for the office, as she lacked a university degree. Biaudet had studied law, but never graduated.^[3] The complaint did not succeed, as Biaudet was granted a special permission.^[4] Her lack of a university degree caused a lot of debate and brought accusations of politics in her appointment.^[5] Among others Green League member and a lawyer Husein Muhammed lodged a complaint against her, but none were sustained.^[6]

Eva Biaudet asked for preliminary investigation concerning the weblog writings of the vicar of the Pohja Evangelical Lutheran Parish Juha Molari. Biaudet suspected Molari of incitement.^[7] Eva Biaudet also asked the police to investigate Teuvo Hakkarainen's (The Finns Party) interview with Helsingin Sanomat, suspecting Hakkarainen of incitement against Muslims.^[8] The police saw no crime in his comments.^[9]

2012 Eva Biaudet was the Swedish People's Party candidate in the Finnish presidential election, finishing 7th with 2.7% of votes in the first round of voting. In June 2011 the U.S. credited Biaudet for her continued work against human trafficking.^[10][11]

In 2015 Biaudet was declared unqualified to seek a continuation for her five-year term as the Ombudsman for Minorities due to her lack of a university degree; though an exception was made in her case in 2010, no such exception could be made in 2015, because the formal qualifications of the office had been defined by law after 2010.^[12]

References

1. http://www.eduskunta.fi/thwfakta/hetekau/hex/hxent.htm
2. "HS Kotimaa 19.3.2003 - Eva Biaudet ei halua enää ministeriksi". 2003-03-19. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
3. Cord, David J. (2012). Mohamed 2.0. Helsingfors: Schildts & Söderströms. p. 6. ISBN 978-951-52-2898-7.
4. "atuubi.yle.fi". atuubi.yle.fi. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
5. Raeste, Jukka-Pekka (7.5.2010). "Eva Biaudet valittiin erivapaudela vähemmistövaltuutetuksi". Helsingin Sanomat: A8. Check date values in: |date= (help);
6. Välimaa, Mikko (2010-06-15). "Jonkka: Vähemmistövaltuutetun valinnassa ei moitittavaa". Helsingin Sanomat. HS. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
7. STT  (2009-08-13). "Kirkkoherran blogikirjoittelusta taas rikostutkinta | Kotimaa". Kaleva.fi. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
9. http://www.kotimaa24.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/5125-poliisin-mukaan-hakkarainen-ei-tehnyt-rikosta
10. "Eva Biaudet palkittiin ihmiskaupan vastaisesta työstään". Yle Uutiset. 2011-06-21. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
11. "Trafficking in Persons Report 2011". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
12. Biaudet ei saa jatkaa virassa epäpätevyyden takia, Iltalehti 10 March 2015, accessed 11 March 2015.