After six years back in Finnish parliament, in the summer of 2009, Heidi Hautala was re-elected to the European Parliament. In the beginning of the parliamentary term she was appointed as the chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights. Before the latest European elections, Heidi worked closely with EU affairs in the Finnish parliament as a deputy member of the Grand Committee. In addition, she was the chair of the Committee of Legal Affairs. Heidi also chairs the Council for Gender Equality in Finland. Heidi Hautala used to be a national MP also in 1991-1995 and a member of the Helsinki city council in 1985-1994. Before tackling politics she has founded a vegetarian restaurant, graduated as a Master of Science and edited a few alternative cultural papers.

Heidi Hautala has experience of chairing various groups and organizations. In 1988 she became the young chair of the Finnish Green League (1988-91). In 1998 she was elected as Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities. In 1999 Heidi’s experience as a parliamentarian and in international green politics led her to chair the Greens/EFA Group in the European parliament. Heidi has enjoyed wide popularity: in the European parliament elections, in 1999, she received the largest number of votes by a wide margin. In the 2009  European elections she received the fifth most votes in Finland.

Heidi will lead the EU parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights Delegation to Washinton, DC from May 25th to 27th, 2010. She will participate in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Brookings Institution and the Heinrich Boell Foundation and meet with members of Congress, the State Department and the US National Security Council.