Sauli Niinistö
Sauli Niinistö | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, c. 2018 | |
| 12th President of Finland | |
| In office 1 March 2012 – 1 March 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Tarja Halonen |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Stubb |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Finland | |
| In office 24 April 2007 – 27 April 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Timo Kalli |
| Succeeded by | Ben Zyskowicz |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 2 February 1996 – 17 April 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Paavo Lipponen |
| Preceded by | Iiro Viinanen |
| Succeeded by | Antti Kalliomäki |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 13 April 1995 – 30 August 2001 | |
| Prime Minister | Paavo Lipponen |
| Preceded by | Pertti Salolainen |
| Succeeded by | Ville Itälä |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 13 April 1995 – 2 February 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Paavo Lipponen |
| Preceded by | Anneli Jäätteenmäki |
| Succeeded by | Kari Häkämies |
| Leader of the National Coalition Party | |
| In office 1994–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Pertti Salolainen |
| Succeeded by | Ville Itälä |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament | |
| In office 21 March 2007 – 19 April 2011 | |
| Constituency | Uusimaa |
| In office 21 March 1987 – 18 March 2003 | |
| Constituency | Helsinki (1999–2003) Southwest Finland (1987–1999) |
| President of the Football Association of Finland | |
| In office 2009–2012 | |
| Preceded by | Pekka Hämäläinen |
| Succeeded by | Markku Lehtola (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sauli Väinämö Niinistö 24 August 1948 Salo, Finland |
| Political party |
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| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Ville Niinistö (nephew) |
| Alma mater | University of Turku |
| Signature | |
| Website | Official website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Finland |
| Branch/service | Finnish Army |
| Rank | Captain |
Sauli Väinämö Niinistö (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsɑu̯li ˈʋæinæmø ˈniːnistø], born 24 August 1948) is a Finnish politician who served as the 12th president of Finland from 2012 to 2024.
A lawyer by education, Niinistö was Chairman of the National Coalition Party (NCP) from 1994 to 2001, Minister of Justice from 1995 to 1996, Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2003, Deputy Prime Minister from 1995 to 2001 and the NCP candidate in the 2006 presidential election. He served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland from 2007 to 2011 and has been the honorary president of the European People's Party (EPP) since 2002.
Niinistö was the NCP candidate in the 2012 presidential election, defeating Pekka Haavisto of the Green League (VIHR) with 62.6% of the vote in the decisive second round. Niinistö assumed office on 1 March 2012; he is the first NCP president since Juho Kusti Paasikivi, who left office in 1956. In May 2017, Niinistö announced that he would seek reelection in the 2018 presidential election, running as an Independent candidate. The NCP and Christian Democrats (KD) supported his candidacy. He won reelection in the first round on 28 January 2018 with 62.7% of the vote and his second term began on 1 February 2018.