Katri Kulmuni


Katri Briitta Ilona Kulmuni is a Finnish politician and the leader of the Centre Party of Finland.

Early life and education

Kulmuni graduated as Master of Social Science from the University of Lapland in 2018.

Political career

Kulmuni was elected to the Parliament of Finland in 2015 and reelected in 2019. After the 2019 elections she was named the Minister of Economic Affairs in Antti Rinne's cabinet.
On 7 September 2019, Kulmuni defeated Antti Kaikkonen in the leadership election of the Centre Party. On 12 September 2019 she succeeded Mika Lintilä as the Deputy Prime Minister of Finland. After the collapse of the Rinne Cabinet, Kulmuni became Minister of Finance in the Marin Cabinet.
On June 5, 2020, Kulmuni resigned as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister after it was revealed that she had been given media training at the cost of 56,203 euros, which was billed to her two ministries. Two days before the resignation announcement, she told media that she would repay the cost. On June 8, former Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen was elected to succeed Kulmuni as Minister of Finance.

Other activities

European Union organizations

Shortly after her 2019 appointment as finance minister, Kulmuni caused controversy when she posted an informal Instagram poll on whether the government should allow Finnish women with links to Islamic State to return from Syria, or just their children. She deleted the post and apologized after criticism by Human Rights Watch.