Vaiko Kotka
Vaiko Kotka | |
|---|---|
 Kotka in 2022 | |
| Acting Premier of Alsland | |
| Assumed office 23 September 2022 | |
| President | Hepke Veltman |
| Preceded by | Ottila Möller |
| 1st Deputy-President of the Folkssenaat | |
| In office 18 September 2018 – 23 September 2022 | |
| President | Arved Levandi |
| Preceded by | Thiadrik Nauta |
| Succeeded by | Ruurd de Haan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vaiko Peter Kotka 4 October 1979 Rahu, Martiland, Alsland |
| Political party | Kirenian People's Party |
| Other political affiliations | Progressive Alliance (2008–2013) |
Vaiko Peter Kotka (born 4 October 1979) is an Alslandic politician serving currently as acting Premier of Alsland since 23 September 2022 following the resignation of Ottila Möller. He is a member of the Kirenian People's Party (KRP) and was the 1st Deputy-President of the Folkssenaat until his appointment as Premier and was a member of the Folkssenaat between 2018 and 2022. Kotka became the first openly-gay Premier in Alsland after his appointment as well as the first from the KRP.
Early life
Vaiko Kotka was born on 4 October 1979 in Rahu. Kotka's parents were both from an agricultural background in Martiland, Vaiko was the couple's second and final child, his elder sister Aino had Down Syndrome until her death in 1998, for most of his formative years Vaiko was one of his sister's primary caregivers and said the experience fundamentally shaped his youth. Kotka attended the Tarlingi College of Agricultural and Rural Studies which he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science in 2000. From there Kotka worked as an Agricultural Consultant in Delland until 2014.
Political career
Kotka was elected to the Folkssenaat in 2014 under the Kirenian People's Party list despite having previously been a member of the Progressive Alliance. Kotka was later appointed as the Deputy-President of the Folkssenaat. Ahead of the 2022 Alslandic legislative election, Kotka announced his retirement from politics and vacated his position on his party's list before the campaign.
Acting Premier
On 23 September, Premier Ottila Möller resigned after giving evidence to a committee of Senators investigating the SYFA spying scandal. Despite having retired from politics, Kotka remained as Deputy-President of the Folkssenaat as a successor had not been due to be appointed until the following week and agreed to take on the position of acting Premier until a successor was appointed. Kotka was sworn in as acting Premier the same day and confirmed his intention to step down when a new coalition was formed, he agreed to help coalition talks between Liveable Alsland, Together for Alsland and the Orange Party. Kotka's cabinet consisted of members of the previous Möller cabinet and he resisted calls for him to appoint a new cabinet. He justified this decision by saying: "both my and the cabinet's position are temporary, we'll be gone in a few weeks if talks go to plan. I don't think it's necessary to appoint a new cabinet." His decision to keep the previous cabinet was condemned by the outgoing opposition parties, most notably Together for Alsland who announced they would call a vote of no confidence in the cabinet if a new government was not formed by October.
Personal life
Kotka is single and came out as gay in 2003. Him and his long-term partner Rene separated in 2021. Speaking about his sexuality, Kotka has said a person's sexuality should not be their defining feature. He appeared in a documentary on Alslandyske Nijs en Radiotsjinst in 2021 alongside other prominent LGBT+ figures in Alsland to discuss their experiences throughout their lives, in which Kotka said he struggled with coming to terms with his sexuality during his conservative, amendist upbringing. In 2018 it was revealed he was receiving professional medical support for alcoholism and health problems which arose stemming from this.