Joakim Mikael Vigelius[1] (born 30 January 1997)[2] is a Finnish politician of the Finns Party, a member of the Parliament, and a former regional councilor in the Pirkanmaa welfare region. He served as the chairman of the Finns Party Youth from 2022 to 2023,[3] until he resigned from the youth organization's chairmanship and the regional council after being elected to the Parliament from the Pirkanmaa district in the 2023 parliamentary elections.[4]
Joakim Vigelius | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Parliament | |
| Assumed office 5 April 2023 | |
| Constituency | Pirkanmaa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 30, 1997 |
| Political party | Finns Party |
| Education | University of Tampere |
| Alma mater | Bachelor of Social Sciences |
| Website | https://joakimvigelius.fi |
Biography
editVigelius graduated from the University of Tampere with a Bachelor of Social Sciences in November 2021.[1][5] His bachelor's thesis was titled "The European Union as a federation: content analysis of the European Union as a federalist political system".[6] His major is political science, and his minors include administrative science, municipal and regional management, public law, and international politics.[7]
Vigelius became known on social media when, in November 2020, a lecturer at the University of Tampere, Tuula Juvonen, removed him from her course "Equality and Gender Equality in Society." Vigelius had questioned the lecturer's stories about "men with menstruation" and shared discussions from the lecture on social media. He learned of his removal from the course from fellow participants, as the teacher had informed others before informing Vigelius days later. According to various sources, Vigelius was accused of breaching the course's privacy practices, and the university's lawyer stated that he had behaved violently or threateningly towards another student or staff member. However, Vigelius was reinstated in the course before the next lecture.[8]
Career
editIn the 2021 municipal elections, Vigelius was elected to the Tampere City Council with 1,240 votes, which was the fourth-highest number of votes on the Finns Party list.[9] In the 2022 regional elections, Vigelius ranked second on the Finns Party list with 1,272 votes and was elected to the Pirkanmaa regional council.[10] He also serves as a member of the regional executive committee.[11] In the 2023 parliamentary elections, Vigelius was elected to the Parliament with 10,113 votes from the Pirkanmaa district.[12]
Overnight Stay at the Parliament's Expense in Hometown
editIn September 2023, Ilta-Sanomat reported that Vigelius had stayed at the Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Tammer in his hometown of Tampere at the taxpayers' expense during a law committee trip. He admitted to making a mistake in the matter but clarified that he did not know in advance that the committee would be staying in Tampere. Ilta-Sanomat wrote that, according to their information, Vigelius was asked at the hotel check-in if he really intended to stay in a hotel in his own hometown. He reportedly responded by complaining about the level of his own apartment. Vigelius later denied this. The Parliament's administrative director, Pertti Rauhio, said he would ask Vigelius for further clarification on the matter. According to Rauhio, there must be a particularly compelling reason for Vigelius's actions.[13] Vigelius reimbursed the Parliament for the costs incurred from the overnight stay after Ilta-Sanomat reported on the matter.[14] Vigelius has previously been characterized as a critic of MPs' benefits, such as the taxi card.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b "Graduated after three years of studies as a Bachelor of Social Sciences!". Instagram. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Joakim Vigelius". Finns Party. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "Joakim Vigelius is the new chairman of the Finns Party Youth". Suomen Uutiset. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Nuorten kansanedustajien eroa paheksuttiin Pirkanmaan aluevaltuustossa – Miko Bergbom ja Joakim Vigelius poistuivat ennen keskustelua". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ^ Aaro Karsimus (14 August 2022). "The controversy raised the student to be a top vote-getter - "Transparency in politics is more important to me than avoiding others' indignation"". Tamperelainen. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "The EU as a federation: content analysis of the European Union as a federalist political system". Trepo. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Information". Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Educated people are disciplined sparingly in Jyväskylä, the university can, in theory, address problematic speech - at the University of Tampere, a student was punished covertly and the reason remains unclear". Jylkkari. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Tampere, elected – Municipal Elections 2021". Information and Results Service. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Pirkanmaa welfare region, elected – Regional Elections 2022". Information and Results Service. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Regional Executive Committee". Pirkanmaa Welfare Region. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Pirkanmaa electoral district, elected". tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- ^ a b Erno Laisi (27 September 2023). "PS MP stayed in a hotel at taxpayers' expense in his own hometown – this is how he explains". Ilta-Sanomat. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Pekka Ruissalo (27 September 2023). "IS: MP Joakim Vigelius stayed at Hotel Tammer during a committee trip, even though he lives in Tampere – paid back". Yle News. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
External links
edit- Vigelius's website
- Joakim Vigelius Nykyinen kansanedustaja at Eduskunta Riksdagen