“I am in Malta to brush up my English as it is a bit rusty, I haven’t used it for decades,” she explained. “Since I have taken on the party leadership I have suddenly found myself increasingly in need of mastering the English language, which is now indispensable for me to keep in touch with our international contacts. I was also hoping to enjoy some sunshine but it seems like I may have come a little late!”

Dr Rasanen, 45 years old, was elected leader of the CDP a month ago, breaking a history of male leaders. She originally graduated as a medical doctor some 20 years ago, and practiced the profession for some 10 years until she contested the election for the Christian Democratic Party.

She was elected Member of Parliament 10 years ago and this forced her to make the first of many sacrifices to pursue her career in politics, and that was to drop her medical practice and dedicate herself to parliamentary work full time. Perhaps more impressively, Dr Rasanen is happily married to a Lutheran pastor and is the mother of five with the youngest child being eight years old and the oldest 16.

Unlike in Malta and other neighbouring Mediterranean countries, Christian Democrats are a minority group in Finland as are the policies they fight for, she explained. The party represents a minority of five-six per cent of the electorate and holds seven seats in a parliament of 200 members.

The dominant parties are the Central Liberal Party with 25 per cent of the vote base, the Social Democrat Party, holding 23 per cent, and the Right-Wing coalition party, also with about 20 per cent. The other five parties represented in the Finnish parliament are minority parties with the Green Party holding some 10 per cent of the votes and the Socialist (extreme-left) 10 per cent. The Christian Democrats are followed by the Swedish People Party and a very small Populist Party.

Dr Rasanen pointed out that the Finnish system is very similar to that of their Nordic neighbours, Norway and Sweden. In fact the Finnish CDP has very close ties with its counterparts in Norway and Sweden, which she described as “our sister parties”.

Commenting on the Christian Democratic parties in the southern countries, she said that they tend to be more of centre-right type parties than political formations enlightened by Christian values.

Regarding her position as a Christian Democrat on women’s participation in the labour market, she explained that in Finland women’s participation has a long standing tradition, adding that this causes friction with Christian values in this respect. The Finnish participation of women in the workforce equals that of men, she added.

“I think it is very good that women and mothers are involved in politics, for example, as they bring their perspective to the parliament. Anyone will agree that women and mothers have an essential contribution to give to society.

“When I was elected leader of the party, I made it clear that I will always prioritise my family,” she said when asked how she manages her family and career roles herself. “However, my husband helps with the children even though he is busy with lecturing theology at a specialised institute.”

Prioritising the family is one of her political aims, she explained, as is the case locally, Finland is facing the challenges of an ageing population, which Piavi believes should be overcome through technology and innovation. “An ageing population puts a strain on the welfare system. Finland has a very good social service that can be made more efficient through technology,” she adds.

“Systems whereby parents are given more time to raise their children should increase and not decrease. Giving children a strong formation is a necessity for society and not a luxury,” she emphasised.

Another issue she mentioned is what she describes as a heavy problem with alcoholism. The country had to drop a number of levies on alcohol over the past years and this has resulted in a surge in alcoholism, especially among young people. She said that in Finland there were some 300,000 people suffering from alcoholism last year.

The figure has double this year to almost 600,000, an alarming figure when one considers that the Finish population stands at five million. Almost 4,000 people die each year from alcoholism. The problem is one of binge drinking, whereby a large amount of alcohol is consumed in a short span. The problem spills into other areas such as home violence and crime.

Speaking of abortion, one of her pet subjects, she makes clear that she has a firm stand against the practice. “This has been a serious issue for me even as a doctor. I was involved in a lot of discussions on the matter even before I joined the party. I always refused to carry out abortions, even though in Finland they are very common. I strongly believe in the right of the foetus to live.”

In Finland a staggering 11,000 abortions are performed each year, out of which 90 per cent are for social and not medical reasons, she explained. “We have such good social care that it is unnecessary to have so many abortions. Obviously I have always tried to affect legislation pertinent to the issue in my country but it is very difficult as the country is very liberal and has the majority backing the practice.”