NATO for diapers while the Finnish defense minister remains on paternity leave
Finland’s defense minister is changing one of the most demanding tasks in politics to an even stricter task of changing diapers and wiping the sick.
Despite a war-mongering eastern neighbour, a convoluted NATO accession process and the start of a general election campaign, Antti Kaikkonen is the first male minister in the Nordic countries to announce that he will take extended paternity leave: and he is being praised for it.
“The position of Minister of Defense is important. However, for me it has also meant a lot of traveling and time away from home, especially this year,” said 48-year-old Kaikkonen.
“Sometimes you have to put family first. I have two young children, a two-year-old and a six-month-old baby boy. I want to have memories of this time, and not just in photos,” she said. Euronews.
Kaikkonen, from Central Finland, is the latest minister in Sanna Marini’s government to be on parental leave – at least four other ministers, all women, have been on leave after having children. And although parental leave for fathers is quite routine in Finland, it seems to be rarer in politics.
“Many of the ministers of the current government are parents of small children and have been on maternity leave during these years. In the past, some male ministers in Finland have been on parental leave, but as far as I know, there has not been a male minister who has taken a longer parental leave,” he explained.
In Finland, parents are entitled to 158 working days of parental leave, which is available in addition to maternity leave and can be taken by either mother or father.
Fathers can also take separate paternity leave for a maximum of 54 weekdays and receive paternity allowance for this period.
Kaikkonen says that there is never a “right” time to take paternity leave due to the nature of his work, but states that “no one, not even a minister, is irreplaceable in their work. However, parents are irreplaceable for our children.”
Information about Tieto Kaikonen’s decision to take extended paternity leave comes the same week that Kela announced it the latest baby boxwhich has been provided free of charge to expectant mothers for the past 85 years.
The new 2023 version of the box has suffered from rising production costs and contains fewer items than before, but with an emphasis on sustainability and the use of recycled materials where possible.
Attention has also been paid to the longevity and practicality of individual items, such as a snow suit, a sleeping bag that can be converted into a felt, a bodysuit, trousers, a hat and mittens, as well as hygiene products, baby care accessories and a mattress and crib. made right out of the box.
What is the reaction to the minister’s paternity leave?
Antti Kaikkonen’s announcement regarding extended paternity leave has mostly been received positively by both political friends and enemies.
The former opposition minister called it a “good solution”, noting it showed “respect for your wife’s career and priority for the children”.
Charly Salonius-Pasternaksecurity policy researcher Institute of Foreign Policy said Kaikkonen “leads by example in a way that also inspires confidence in the officials of the Ministry of Defense”.
“A bonus,” said Salonius-Pasternak, “makes it harder for others to argue that they can’t do the same because of important work.”
During Minister Kiakkonen’s vacation, another centrist politician will take his place: “Finland’s security and our NATO membership process are in good hands at this time,” he told Euronews.
And does he have a message for other European government ministers wondering whether they should take advantage of their country’s parental leave rights?
“Every family makes their own decisions, and this was ours,” Kaikkonen said.
“However, I hope that my decision could even encourage some fathers to exercise this right. Children also bring a lot of joy and being at home with children can bring the desired balance to a hectic work life.”