Jutta Zilliacus, Finnish politician who coined the term “political broiler,” dies at 100

Jutta Zilliacus, the former Swedish People’s Party (RKP) MP and Helsinki city councillor who introduced the enduring political term “poliittinen broileri” (“political broiler”) into Finnish discourse, has died at the age of 100, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported Sunday.

Zilliacus, who served three terms in parliament from 1975 to 1987, first used the phrase in the 1970s to describe young, inexperienced male MPs elected at the time. In a 2021 interview with Yle’s Itse asiassa kuultuna program, she recalled calling them “varhaiskypsiä broilereita” (“prematurely mature broilers”), singling out figures like Social Democrat Erkki Liikanen and National Coalition Party members Pertti Salolainen and Ilkka Kanerva.

“I said in some interview or wrote that these young men—back then, young people were being elected to parliament—knew nothing about life. They were like broilers,” she said. When Liikanen, whom she described as a “huuliveikko” (smooth talker), embraced the label, Zilliacus retorted: “Okay, if you’re broilers, I’m the fully cooked hen.”

Gender equality became a defining cause for Zilliacus, who recalled navigating a “macho world” where women’s voices were sidelined. When appointed to the board of Yle, she was told decisions were made in the sauna—a men-only space. “I said if decisions are made in the sauna, I’ll go to the sauna with the boys. And I did,” she said. “I’ve never seen so many shy men as I did in that sauna.” After her intervention, she noted, “no more decisions were made in the sauna.”

Zilliacus, who also served for decades as a Helsinki city councillor, died in the capital on Saturday, May 30, 2026.