New "Minority Ombudsman" for Finland

**~~Eldritch~~** · 05-06-2010, 01:45 PM

Eva Biaudet Takes Over as Minority Ombudsman

The government has appointed Eva Biaudet, a former Swedish People’s Party MP and social services minister, as Finland’s new minority ombudsman. She begins her five-year term on May 15.

Two weeks ago the government granted Biaudet special permission to apply for the job as she doesn’t hold a Master’s degree, which was a prerequisite for applicants. Some interpreted this move as the government paving the way for her to get the job. Thirty people vied for the position.

Biaudet was a member of Parliament from 1991 to 2006. During two of these years she served as Finland's social services minister. Most recently Biaudet worked in Vienna as the OSCE special representative for combating human trafficking.

The outgoing ombudsman for minorities, Johanna Suurpää, will now head the Democracy and Language Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Justice.

In Finland, the minority ombudsman monitors and promotes the interests of ethnic minorities. The ombudsman's office can take initiatives on grievances concerning the position of foreigners.

A victim of discrimination can turn to the minority ombudsman.

Link.

I think the first victim of discrimination to contact Biaudet should be the philosopher Jukka Hankamäki, who also applied for the position and was actually qualified for it -- but got passed over in favor of Biaudet, who got the job as a result of political machination/corruption. Also he is actually a member of a (sexual) minority.