Heidi Hautala

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Heidi Anneli Hautala (born 14 November 1955 in Oulu) is a Finnish politician. She was the leader of the Finnish Green Party in 1987-1991, and a presidential candidate in 2000 and 2006. She was a member of the national parliament from 1991 to 1995. After Finland joined the European Union (EU) in 1995, she was elected to the European Parliament. She returned to the national Parliament in the elections of 2003.

Hautala currently continues to work closely with EU affairs as a member of the Grand Committee. In addition, she chairs the Green parliamentary group and is the vice chair of the Environment Committee. She advocates environmental responsibility, openness in politics, and global justice.

In 2001, Hautala sucessfully took the Council of Ministers to the European Court of Justice over access to a document on arms export rules. The Court ruled that the ministers should have considered publishing at least part of the document. The so-called "Hautala case" set a precedent in European law for access to documents.

Hautala was the Green League's candidate in the presidential election in 2000, and again in 2006. In the first round of the 2006 election she finished fourth of the eight candidates with a vote share of 3.5% (105,248 votes).

Hautala has a master's degree in horticulture. She has one child, Jasper (b. 1981).

[edit] External link

(Finnish) Official Website of Heidi Hautala

Preceded by Kalle Könkkölä

Chairperson of the Green League 1987–1991

Succeeded by Pekka Sauri