WHO IS IDA SCHAUMAN?

My name is Ida Schauman and I want to represent you in the European Parliament. I define myself as a free-thinking social liberal feminist.

In April 2017, nearly a thousand inhabitants of Turku chose me as their representative in the City Council, an interesting and demanding assignment. Since then, I also represent the Swedish People’s Party in the Turku City Council Board. In working life, I have worked as, among other things, the president of the Swedish People’s Party Youth Organization, Swedish Youth, as an advisor in Parliament and as a communication consultant. Today I am the head of Public Affairs at the Finnish Refugee Council.

Over the years I have moved a lot and I have lived in Italy, Sweden and England. Changing countries and surroundings has made me outgoing and fearless. This can also be seen in my choice of profession at the Finnish Refugee Council, working with one of the most challenging topics of our time - migration.

The move has also made me interested in different cultures and languages. Language skills gave me my first job, at restaurant Sergio’s in Turku. After that, I worked for four years in the restaurant business, including at Naantali Spa, Restaurant Koulu and Kasnäs Skärgårdsbad.

I enjoy meeting new and old friends, listening to old rock music and testing my cooking limits. But most of all I like long discussions in the middle of the night in good company. I have previously had a horse and I miss it very much. I don’t function without my morning coffee.

I have always been interested in the world around me. There are those who say you cannot change the world. I firmly believe that you can, everything else would mean giving up on change. You just have to have enough patience, ambition and commitment.