Tarja Kaarina Halonen is a Finnish politician who served as the 11th president of Finland, and the first and to date only woman to hold the position, from 2000 to 2012. She first rose to prominence as a lawyer with the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), and as the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary (1974–1975) and a member of the City Council of Helsinki (1977–1996). Halonen was a Social Democratic Party member of parliament from 1979 until her election to the presidency in 2000. She also served as a minister at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health from 1987 to 1990, as Minister of Justice from 1990 to 1991, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 2000.
Nils Ole Hilmer Torvalds is a Finnish politician who had been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2012 to 2024. He is a member of the Swedish People's Party of Finland, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
Taisto Kalevi Sorsa was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland three times: 1972–1975, 1977–1979 and 1982–1987. At the time of his death he still held the record for most days of incumbency as Finnish prime minister. He was also a long-time leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland.
The National Coalition Party is a liberal-conservative political party in Finland. It is currently the largest and the governing political party of Finland.
Matti Taneli Vanhanen is a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2003 to 2010. He was also Chairman of the Centre Party in 2006. In his earlier career, he was a journalist. Vanhanen is the son of professor Tatu Vanhanen and Anni Tiihonen.
Heidi Anneli Hautala is a Finnish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. She is a member of the Green League, part of the European Green Party.
Sauli Väinämö Niinistö is a Finnish politician who served as the 12th president of Finland from 2012 to 2024.
Olli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish public official who has been serving as governor of the Bank of Finland since 2018. A member of the Centre Party, he previously served as the European Commissioner for Enlargement from 2004 to 2010, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro from 2010 to 2014, and Minister of Economic Affairs in Juha Sipilä's cabinet from 2015 until 2016. Rehn ran for President of Finland as an independent candidate in 2024, but was not elected.
Anders Ivar Sven Wijkman is a Swedish politician who was Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2009. As a member of the European Parliament, he focused on issues related to climate change, environment, development cooperation and humanitarian affairs. He is a member of the Christian Democrats, part of the European People's Party - European Democrats group.
Johannes (Hans) Blokland is a former Dutch politician and former Member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the ChristianUnion, former treasurer of the Independence and Democracy group, and former vice-chair of the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
Paavo Matti Väyrynen is a Finnish politician who, in his long and eventful political career, 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.
Presidential elections were held in Finland on 15 and 29 January 2006 which resulted in the re-election of Tarja Halonen as President of Finland for a second six-year term.
Cecilia Karin Maria Wikström, née Sundström, originally Nodbjörk is a Swedish politician who served as Member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2019. She is a member of the Liberal Party of Sweden, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
Pekka Olavi Haavisto is a Finnish politician of the Green League who served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2023.
Holger Gustafsson is a Swedish Christian Democratic politician, member of the Riksdag since 1991.
Leonidas Donskis was a Lithuanian-Jewish philosopher, political theorist, historian of ideas, social analyst, and political commentator, professor of politics and head of "VDU Academia Cum Laude" at Vytautas Magnus University, Honorary Consul of Finland in Kaunas and deputy chairman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community. He was also the member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 to 2014.
Merja Kyllönen is a Finnish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. She is a member of the Left Alliance, part of The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL. She was the Minister of Transport in Katainen Cabinet 2011–2014. From 2014 to 2019 she was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), representing Finland.
Presidential elections were held in Finland on 28 January 2018. The incumbent Sauli Niinistö received 63% of the vote and was re-elected for a second term, avoiding a second round. He received a plurality of the vote in every municipality and a majority in all but 13 municipalities.
Pertti Edvard Salolainen CBE is a Finnish politician. He has served as MP from the National Coalition Party and party chairman (1991–1994) and Minister (1987–1995).
The ninth European Parliament was elected during the 2019 elections and sat until the tenth European Parliament was sworn in on 16 July 2024.
