Education
Born in Lapua, Southern Ostrobothnia, Urpilainen studied at the University of Jyväskylä, where she graduated as a Master of Education in 2002.
Born in Lapua, Southern Ostrobothnia, Urpilainen studied at the University of Jyväskylä, where she graduated as a Master of Education in 2002.
She was the chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Finland (Social Democratic Party) from 2008 to 2014. She was elected in June 2008 as the first female chairperson of the Social Democratic Party. She worked as a school teacher until her election to parliament. She was also president of JEF-Finland in 2001.
In 2002 she made a Civil Defense of her own Christmas carols.
Urpilainen was elected as the party"s chair in June 2008, succeeding former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Eero Heinäluoma. After the 2011 parliamentary election, where the Social Democratic Party finished second, Urpilainen was appointed Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet led by Jyrki Katainen.
On 6 July 2012, Urpilainen commented on her website: "Finland would prefer to consider leaving the Eurozone rather than to pay other countries" debts in the currency area." International news media, such as The Daily Telegraph, misinterpreted the statement as threat that Finland would leave the Eurozone. Urpilainen"s assistant Matti Hirvola later clarified her statements and that she simply meant that Finland did not wish to be responsible for paying other countries" debt deposits.
Urpilainen sought another term as party chair in the Social Democratic Party"s 2014 party conference in May.
She was, however, narrowly defeated by her challenger Antti Rinne in a 257 to 243 vote. Urpilainen subsequently stepped down as Finance Minister in June.
She has been a member of Kokkola city council since 2001. Urpilainen has been a member of parliament for the Vaasa constituency since 2003. She is a member of the Parliamentary Education and Culture Committee, a deputy member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee.
She is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.