Antti Kaikkonen has two children, one of whom was born at the beginning of July.
Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen (central) paternity leave plans have aroused interest in different parts of the world. Among other things, the international news agency AFP spread the news about Kaikkonen’s paternity leave.
British from European media Guardian (switching to another service) brought up Kaikkonen’s tweet, in which he said that he wanted to remember the time when the children were small, from other places than photos.
German Spiegel (you switch to another service) emphasizes the time when Kaikkonen will be on family leave.
“The Minister of Defense will be on parental leave during the process of joining NATO. Finland currently has a lot to do in terms of defense policy, but the man responsible for the country’s defense is exercising his right to paternity leave first,” writes Spiegel.
News media Euronews (you switch to another service) headlines that NATO is changing diapers and says that Kaikkonen is the first male minister in the Nordic countries who has announced that he will take extended paternity leave.
In an interview with Euronews, the minister states that sometimes the family has to be put first.
– I have two small children, a two-year-old and a half-year-old baby boy, he says.
Polish radio channel Radio7Opole (you switch to another service) points out that Kaikkonen confirmed that the security of the homeland is in good hands despite being free.
Out of the non-European media, at least three Indian online media have noted Kaikkonen’s paternity leave. Wionews (you switch to another service) highlights the fact that in Finland 80 percent of fathers use their family leave opportunities and Republicworld.com (you are moving to another service) the way the chairman of the center Annika Saarikko stressed the possibility of considering family leave as belonging to everyone.