Henna's Story

My name is Henna Hopia. I´m running for the Finnish Parliament in the upcoming elections in March 2007. My electoral district is the Pirkanmaa region and my party is the National Coalition Party, the Conservatives. I am 27 years old and the only conservative candidate in Pirkanmaa region who is under 30 years old. At the moment I´m finishing my studies at the University of Tampere. My Major is International Relations and I´ve also been studying Administrative Science, Political Science, International and European Law and Strategic and Security Studies. I?m working on my thesis about the strategic partnership of NATO and European Union?s Security and Defense Politics in confronting the current security threats in the world.

I?ve been living in Tampere for about six years now. Before that I went to school in Oulu and graduated with my Matriculation examination in 1998 from Oulun Lyseo Senior High School, the school that has educated three of our country´s presidents. After graduation I did my military service (which is non-compulsory for women in Finland) in the Jaeger Brigade in Sodankylä and in the Reserve Officer School in Hamina. I served the full 12 months and was released into reserve as an Second Lieutenant in Infantry. I was advanced to Lieutenant in 2004. Before coming to Tampere in early 2001 I had studied for almost two years in the University of Oulu.For a few years now I have been working as an employee for my party´s youth league (The Youth League of the National Coalition Party) as a political secretary in Pirkanmaa region. In the summer of 2006 I did my university internship at the Ministry of Defense working on the civilian and military cooperation in crisis management. During the years gone by I have worked in various jobs to finance my studies and to gain broad work experience and therefore I have learned to appreciate hard work. All this time I have also been active in student politics and in several non-governmental-organizations.

Currently I am a member of Tampere city committee for education and business and I am a vice member of our city council. I´m also active in my political party on local level and in the youth league´s international committee. I have been active in the Atlantic Council of Finland, the Young European Federalists of Finland, the Student Union of Tampere University and The Reserve Officers´ Union in Finland to name a few.