Li Andersson

Personal details

Minister of Education, 10 December 2019 to present
Party Leader, Bachelor of Social Sciences, Member of Parliament
Left Alliance
Date and place of birth: 13 May 1987 Turku
Place of residence: Turku

Political career

Minister of Education, 10 December 2019 to present
Minister of Education (Rinne), 6 June 2019–10 December 2019
Left Alliance, Party Leader, 2016 to present
Left Alliance Parliamentary Group, 1st Vice Chair 23 April 2015–23 August 2016

The Left Youth of Finland, Chair 2011–2005

Member of Parliament, 2015 to present
Parliament work

Turku City Council, Member 2012 to present
Left Alliance, Turku Local Council group, Chair 2012–2015
Regional Council of Southwest Finland, Assembly, Member 2017–
Regional Council of Southwest Finland, Assembly, Member, 3rd Chair 2013–2019

Other work experience and societal responsibilities

Swedish-speaking School-student Union of Finland, FSS, President 2006–2007
Civil rights defenders, intern 2010

Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Services (JHL), Union Council Representative 2017–2019
Tradeka Board of Representatives, Member 2016–2019
Turku City Theatre, Board, Member 2018–2019

Publications

Li Andersson, Dan Koivulaakso, Mikael Brunila: Äärioikeisto Suomessa (The Far Right in Finland)
Li Andersson, Susanna Koski: Punavihreä, sinivalkoinen (Red and Green, Blue and White)

Other information

Spouse: Juha Pursiainen
Language skills: Finnish, Swedish (mother tongue), English, Russian (basic skills)
Interests: literature and physical exercise

Profile

Li Andersson was born in Turku in May 1987 and continues to live in the city.

Li Andersson has served in Prime Minister Rinne’s Government as the Minister of Educationfrom 6 June to 10 December 2019 and has held the position in Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government since 10 December 2019. She has been the Party Leader of the Left Alliance since 2016. Before that, she chaired the Left Youth of Finland in 2011–2015. She is now serving her second term as Member of Parliament.

Li Andersson holds the Bachelor of Social Sciences degree. She has majored in international law, with particular focus on international human rights legislation and refugee law. As minors she has studied the Russian language and culture.

She has worked in several associations, including as President of the Swedish-speaking School-student Union of Finland (FSS), Deputy District Secretary of the Southeast Finland Left Youth of Finland, and intern in the human rights organisation Civil Rights Defenders.

Before politics and civil sector organisations, she has worked in Moominworld, as hotel receptionists, waitress, kitchen worker and face-to-face fundraiser for Greenpeace, at a fruit processing plant in France, and as translator.

She has served as a member of the City Council of Turku since 2012 and in the Assembly of the Southwest Finland Regional Council since 2017.

As her favourite leisure activities she lists travelling, festivals and concerts, literature and physical exercise.