Alexander Stubb, the prime minister of Finland
Alexander Stubb, the prime minister of Finland going forward, believes that Finland ought to have joined NATO at the time of its EU membership in 1995. Stubb, who holds a PhD from the London School of Economics, describes himself as a “sports nut and EU nerd.” On Saturday, Alexander Stubb was chosen by his center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) to succeed retiring Party Chair Jyrki Katainen, and consequently, to become Finland’s prime minister.
During his acceptance speech, Stubb said that he would call the other party leaders and discuss the impending special government negotiations with them. Even though several of the major parties in the current five-party coalition have had significant personnel changes, he is optimistic that Finland’s government will come to a consensus on policy. Stubb restated his belief that urgent matters should be handled swiftly and that the government’s spring decisions should remain largely unchanged. He adds that it is impossible to rule out new decisions. “We will take action if additional adjustment or structural reforms are required,” he declares.
In a very Finnish election, Alexander Stubb triumphs
In this episode of All Points North, we examine the implications of the election and the potential outcomes of Alexander Stubb’s presidency in Finland, which has a new president. Speaking to foreign media on Sunday night, Stubb declared that Finland’s democratic election had been run flawlessly. Stubb, who will take office as Finland’s 13th president on March 1, stated, “I’m very proud of the way we have conducted the elections here in Finland.”
It’s been positive, very productive, and respectful in a lot of ways. I believe that liberal democracy has won. That’s because our foreign and security policies are existential. We are fully aware that, given the current state of international politics, we are unable to engage in contentious discussions about foreign and security policy.” Use the player that is embedded here, Yle Areena, Apple, Spotify, or any other podcast app to listen to this episode. Teivo Teivainen, a professor of world politics, predicted that the less stable global environment would present new difficulties for Sauli Niinistö’s successor.
“In Finland, many people have been thinking throughout independence that it’s an existential question if and when Russia attacks, will someone come and help us?” Finland not only gets a new president but also its first spouse who was born outside the country. The lawyer Susanne Innes-Stubb, who was born in Britain, expressed her excitement for the new position at APN on Sunday.
“Realism is who I am.”
Some Finns believe that Stubb takes a right-wing stance on economic matters. For instance, he is prepared to abolish Finland’s union dues tax deduction and inheritance tax, two policies that politicians on the left find objectionable. Stubb refutes the claim that he stands for an extreme right-wing fiscal viewpoint. When it comes to economic policy, I consider myself to be a realist. “I support tax reduction and entrepreneurship,” he declares. According to Stubb, even with the new prime minister, Finland’s current approach to Europe will stand. Though he has been remarkably transparent about his support for Finland’s membership in NATO, he also emphasizes his support for a common European defense. Stubb has previously stated that, if necessary, a people’s vote should not be used to remove Finland from NATO during the term of the country’s incoming government. “There is nothing that stops us from advancing European defense cooperation and having an honest conversation about Finland joining NATO at the same time,” he claims.
His narrative
Stubb, 46, was raised in an apartment complex in the Lehtisaari neighborhood of Helsinki. He earned a golf scholarship to a South Carolina university after serving in the military, and he attended and graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. The following year, he graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris with a diploma in French language and civilization. He earned his master’s degree in Belgium and his doctorate in 1999 from the London School of Economics, both in European Union studies.
Stubb was hired in Brussels as an EU special researcher and afterwards worked as an advisor to Romano Prodi, the president of the European Commission. After that concluded in 2004, he ran for the European Parliament for the first time as a Finnish National Coalition candidate. He was elected as an MEP and served as one from 2004 to 2008. Since then, after being elected as a Member of the Finnish Parliament in 2011, he has held the positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs for Finland from 2008 to 2011 and Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade from 2011 to 2014. With an astounding 148,000 votes, Stubb was elected to the European Parliament in Finland’s most recent elections.
For eighteen years, Stubb has worked or studied overseas in the United States, France, Great Britain, and Belgium. Stubb is a native Swedish and Finnish speaker who speaks English, French, and German. Stubb is wed to British-born attorney Suzanne Innes-Stubb, who practices law at White & Case. Their two children, Oliver, born in 2004, and Emilie, born in 2001, live in Espoo. As a self-described sports fan, Stubb frequently participates in triathlons and marathons and writes passionately for several magazines.