Kairi Sokk

Kairi Sokk
Sokk in 2018
Minister of Foreign and Euclean Affairs
In office 12 October 2022 – 17 May 2023
Preceded by	Achje Koopmans
Succeeded by	Liekele Ykema
Leader of Radical Movement
In office 25 July 2022 – 17 May 2023
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Ydo Pasma
Member of the Folkssenaat
In office 10 September 2018 – 17 May 2023
Constituency	Martiland
Personal details
Born	(1977-06-12) 12 June 1977 Yndyk, Alsland
Citizenship	Alsland
Political party	Vox–Plus (2023-present) Independent
Other political affiliations	Greens (2018–2022) Together for Alsland (2022–2023)
Spouse	Aleksandris Bērziņš (m. 2010)
Alma mater	University of Yndyk College of Euclea

Kairi Eva Kuusk-Sokk (born 12 June 1977), is an Alslandic politician, astronomer and Glacian researcher who founded the Radical Movement and briefly held the position of Minister of Foreign and Euclean Affairs between 2022 and the present with a brif hiatus when she temporarily stood down from politics over policy disputes between herself and the party. Sokk returned to the leadership of the Radicals following a dissappointing series of electoral results.

Sokk was awarded her bachelor of science degree in astronomy from the University of Yndyk in 2001. Sokk has wintered six times at Jamestown Station carrying out research on exoplanets between 2002 and 2015, additionally she has also worked temporarily in Glacia between 2016 and 2018 carrying out research on cosmic and gamma rays before permanently relocating to Alsland the same year. As of 2018 she held the record for the longest time spent in Glacia by any Alslandic researcher. In 2018 she joined the Greens and was elected to the Folkssenaat in the same year. Sokk left the Greens to found the Radical Movement after the SYFA spying scandal and served as the Minister of Foreign and Euclean Affairs between 2022 and 2023 under Liekele Ykema before she resigned after coming into conflict with the party over ideological issues, particularly on a proposed bailout and constitutional reforms. After stepping back from politics Sokk formally re-joined the Greens and it was announced she would become the party's co-leader alongside Sjearp Groeneveld at the party's 2023 Summer Conference.

Early life

Kairi Sokk was born on 12 June 1977 in Yndyk to Eero Sokk and Silja Kuusk-Sokk. Her father was a diplomat whilst her mother was a geologist who had previously also worked as a researcher in Glacia. Kairi was the second of the couple's 5 children and was their only daughter. The family moved frequently and Kairi spent large amounts of her childhood and teenage years in Rimso where her father was a diplomat at the Alslandic embassy. Sokk returned to Alsland to study at the University of Yndyk when she was 18 and studied in astronomy which she achieve her bachelor of science degree at in 2001. She continued to study astronomy at the College of Euclea where she earned her masters degree. It was at the College of Euclea where Sokk volunteered to become an assistant researcher at the Jamestown Station in Glacia.

She volunteered five more times to continue research at the Jamestown station continuing her research on exoplanets. In 2014 she helped narrate a segment of a documentary filmed from the South Pole and was interviewed live from the station regarding her work in 2015. In 2015 she completed her final winter research mission at the station and returned to Alsland where she appeared on several talk shows talking about growing pollution in Glacia. She returned to the continent the following year and lived permanently in Instead conducting research on cosmic and gamma rays as well as documenting pollution in the area. Her research tenure expired in 2018 and she returned to Alsland again the same year.

Political career

Ahead of the 2018 Alslandic legislative election she was placed on the Green Party's list in the Martiland constituency where she won a seat for the party. Most of her votes came from a surge in support from the party amongst suburbs in Rahu. She was sworn in as a Senator shortly afterwards and became a parliamentary adviser to Aadu Kotka. She was placed on the Green Party's list in Martiland ahead of the 2019 Euclean Parliament election where she came close to winning a seat for the party which had doubled its vote share at the election.

In 2020, she was Sjearp Groeneveld's campaign manager ahead of the 2020 Alslandic presidential election. She was credited for making Groeneveld's candidacy look appealing to large swathes of voters during the election but was criticised by some within the campaign for having much of the media attention placed on herself instead of Groeneveld. Shortly before the election she was replaced as campaign manager over her media attention. Groeneveld went on to narrowly lose the election over a controversy surrounding his Hennish citizenship. She was speculated to have been a potential candidate for the Green Party's candidacy for Premier prior to the 2022 Alslandic legislative election and featured in many of the party's early campaign materials although Groeneveld was selected instead of herself.

Leader of the Radical Movement

Sokk during a radio interview and debate with certain candidates ahead of the 2022 Alslandic legislative election

After the SYFA spying scandal brought down the Cabinet of Alsland she called for the party to immediately withdraw from the coalition which caused a split in the party between factions who supported leaving which were led by Sokk and factions who supported remaining in the coalition which were led by Groeneveld. The party did not withdraw from the coalition which prompted 4 Senators including Sokk to resign from the party and found their own faction, Radical Movement on 25 July 2022. The Senators agreed to appoint Sokk as their chairwoman and de-facto leader, the group was joined by 2 more Senators and 1 MEP from the Green Party and the Progressive Alliance.

After an extremely positive public reaction to the new splinter faction, Sokk became the party's candidate for Premier and she quickly became one of the favourites to become Premier after the election due to her high approval rating and populist platform. The party was criticised for its close ties to various technology companies who largely funded its expensive campaign which helped to boost the party's platform and message. Shortly after the party's founding she was invited to various party candidates debates which was criticised by other candidates.

Minister of Foreign and Euclean Affairs

Sokk meeting with Chancellor of Aucuria in Petras Uspelevičius in December 2022

Sokk officially took office as the Minister of Foreign and Euclean Affairs on 12 October 2022. She held initial meetings with several Euclean heads of governments and foreign ministers to discuss Alsland's public debt problem in the first few months of her tenure. She was critical of austerity measures introduced by Liekele Ykema and was also opposed to the increasing powers delegated to Luka Bodenschatz as Minister of Finance. She resigned from the party and cabinet on 17 May 2023 citing policy differences in her resignation letter.

Personal life

Sokk married Aleksandris Bērziņš in 2010 after the pair had met in 2002 whilst Sokk was studying at the College of Euclea. They have a child together and live in Rahu.

Sokk is fluent in 5 languages: Martish, Mescon, Estmerish, Dellish and Gaullican.