Paavo Väyrynen

Paavo Väyrynen
Väyrynen in 2017
Member of the European Parliament
for Finland
In office
1 July 2014  11 June 2018
In office
1 January 1995  26 November 2007
Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development
In office
19 April 2007  22 June 2011
Prime MinisterMatti Vanhanen
Mari Kiviniemi
Preceded byPaula Lehtomäki
Succeeded byAlexander Stubb (Foreign Trade)
Heidi Hautala (International Development)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
26 April 1991  5 May 1993
Prime MinisterEsko Aho
Preceded byPertti Paasio
Succeeded byHeikki Haavisto
In office
6 May 1983  30 April 1987
Prime MinisterKalevi Sorsa
Preceded byPär Stenbäck
Succeeded byKalevi Sorsa
In office
15 May 1977  26 February 1982
Prime MinisterKalevi Sorsa
Mauno Koivisto
Preceded byKeijo Korhonen
Succeeded byPär Stenbäck
Deputy Prime Minister of Finland
In office
6 May 1983  30 April 1987
Prime MinisterKalevi Sorsa
Preceded byAhti Pekkala
Succeeded byKalevi Sorsa
Minister of Labour
In office
29 September 1976  15 May 1977
Prime MinisterMartti Miettunen
Preceded byPaavo Aitio
Succeeded byArvo Aalto
Minister of Education
In office
30 November 1975  29 September 1976
Prime MinisterMartti Miettunen
Preceded byLauri Posti
Succeeded byMarjatta Väänänen
Member of the Finnish Parliament
In office
18 June 2018  16 April 2019
In office
19 March 1970  1 July 2014
ConstituencyLapland
Personal details
Born
Paavo Matti Väyrynen

(1946-09-02) 2 September 1946
Kemin maalaiskunta, Finland
Political partyCentre
Citizens' Party
Seven Star Movement
SpouseVuokko Tervonen (1968–present)
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Helsinki
Åbo Akademi University
WebsiteOfficial website

Paavo Matti Väyrynen (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpɑːʋo ˈmɑtːi ˈʋæy̯rynen]; born 2 September 1946) is a Finnish politician who has served, among other things, as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1982, and again from 1983 to 1987 and from 1991 to 1993. He is a former member of the Finnish Parliament who has represented the Seven Star Movement, the Citizen's Party and Centre Party. He left the Centre Party in 2023.

Väyrynen has been a member of the Finnish Parliament previously from 1970 to 1995, and again from 2007 to 2011 and has held many ministerial portfolios. He has also been a Member of the European Parliament from 1995 to 2007, and again from 2014 to 2018.

Väyrynen has been the Centre Party candidate for Finnish president three times – finishing second in 1988, third in 1994 and third in 2012. In 2018, he ran as an independent candidate finishing fourth. Väyrynen has announced that he will run for president for the fifth time in the 2024 presidential elections.