President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
In office 21 November 2018 – 17 May 2019
Preceded by
Marija Pejčinović Burić
Succeeded by
Jean-Yves Le Drian
Leader of the Finns Party
In office 1997–2017
Preceded by
Raimo Vistbacka
Succeeded by
Jussi Halla-aho
Personal details
Born
Timo Juhani Soini
(1962-05-30) 30 May 1962 (age 62) Rauma, Finland
Political party
Independent[1]
Other political affiliations
Finnish Reform Movement (2017-2023) Finns Party (1995–2017) Finnish Rural Party (1979–1995)
Alma mater
University of Helsinki
Website
Official website
Military service
Allegiance
Finland
Branch/service
Finnish Army
Rank
Corporal
Timo Juhani Soini (born 30 May 1962) is a Finnish politician who is the co-founder and former leader of the Finns Party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Finland from 2015 to 2017 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2015 to 2019.[2]
He was elected as a member of the Espoo city council in 2000, and the Parliament of Finland in 2003. In the 2009 European Parliament election, he won a seat in the European Parliament with Finland's highest personal vote share (nearly 10% of all votes), becoming the first member of the Finns Party in the European Parliament.[3][4] He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Finnish Parliament.
In the 2011 parliamentary election, his party won 19.1% of the votes, which was described as "shocking" and "exceptional" by the Finnish media.[5] Soini himself won the most votes of all candidates,[6] leaving behind the Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and the Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen in their Uusimaa electoral district.[7]Helsingin Sanomat concluded that "Timo Soini rewrote the electoral history books".[8]
Soini has become one of the internationally best-known critics of European Union bailouts and safety mechanisms.[citation needed] Following the 2015 parliamentary election, his party joined a coalition government and Soini became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in May 2015. In March 2017, Soini announced that he would step down as Chair of the Finns Party in June 2017,[9] causing a hotly contested leadership election. After the selection of Jussi Halla-aho as new party chairman – prompting a break between Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and the Finns Party – Soini declared his intention to form a new parliamentary group and remain in the government, causing a split in the party.[10] Soini was subsequently expelled from the party along with the other defector MPs.[11]
Soini did not take part in the 2019 parliamentary election and announced soon after the election that he was leaving politics behind.[12]
^"Vapaa vennamolainen". Timo Soini. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
^"Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland – Ministers of Foreign Affairs". Valtioneuvosto.fi. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
^"Helsingin Sanomat – International Edition – Home". Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
^"Nationalist Finns Party make gains in Finland vote". BBC News. 18 April 2011.
^"Helsingin Sanomat, April 18 2011, 'SUNDAY EVENING : ELECTION SPECIAL'". Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"Soini nousi äänikuninkaaksi". Yle Uutiset. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
^"Vaalit 2011". Yle Uutiset. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
^"Helsingin Sanomat, April 18 2011, 'EDITORIAL: Timo Soini rewrote the electoral history books'". Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^Soini announces he will not continue at Finns Party helm Yle News on 5 March 2017. Retrieved on 12 March 2017.
^"Sannfinländare bryter sig loss – delar partiet – DN.SE". Dagens Nyheter. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"Jussi Halla-aho hämmentävän viikon jälkeen: "Ystävyyssuhteet kovalla koetuksella"". 16 June 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^Pekonen, Juha-Pekka (18 April 2019). "Timo Soini jättää politiikan". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
Timo Juhani Soini (born 30 May 1962) is a Finnish politician who is the co-founder and former leader of the Finns Party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister...
decision to found the Finns Party was made by TimoSoini, Raimo Vistbacka, Urpo Leppänen and Kari Bärlund. Soini had been the Rural Party's last party secretary...
Soini may refer to: Emilia Soini, Finnish squash player TimoSoini, Finnish politician Voitto Soini, Finnish ice hockey player Yrjö Soini, Finnish journalist...
revolutionary Timo Kalli (born 1947), Finnish politician Timo Laaninen (born 1954), Finnish politician TimoSoini (born 1962), Finnish politician Timo Vornanen...
other cabinet ministers who were previously members of the Finns Party: TimoSoini, Jussi Niinistö, Jari Lindström and Pirkko Mattila. It was one of the...
Ari Vatanen, and two candidates in the presidential election of 2006: TimoSoini and Arto Lahti. Other candidates have stated that Finland has signed a...
office 28 June 2017 – 6 June 2019 Prime Minister Juha Sipilä Preceded by TimoSoini Succeeded by Mika Lintilä Minister of Finance In office 22 June 2016 –...
Financial Stability Facility that led to bailouts for Ireland and Greece. TimoSoini asked: "How come they (the European Union) can't see the euro doesn't...
Halla-aho as the new leader of the party, after the long-time leader TimoSoini had decided to step down. Following the talks among the three coalition...
the 2009 European Parliament elections. He succeeded TimoSoini in the European Parliament when Soini was elected to Parliament of Finland in the 2011 elections...
January 2012. Nuutti. "Soinin minimitavoite päästä toiselle kierrokselle – TimoSoini – Politiikka". HS.fi. Retrieved 13 January 2012. Nuutti. "Väyrysestä virallisesti...
her books A Feast for Lent and A Feast for Advent involve Catholicism TimoSoini: politician who leads the Eurosceptic True Finns party; converted during...
Niinistö, Jussi Niinistö, Harry Harkimo, Juhana Vartiainen, Matti Vanhanen, TimoSoini, Paavo Arhinmäki, Simon Elo, Touko Aalto and Ilkka Kanerva. Nordman's...
party's first MP and chairman. The Rural Party's last party secretary TimoSoini likewise became the Finns Party's first party secretary. With the Finns...
party got 4360 votes (4.3%). It got three seats in the municipal council, TimoSoini (1484 personal preference votes), Kurt Byman (360 votes) and Heidi Mikkola...
Jyrki Katainen Alexander Stubb Preceded by Jutta Urpilainen Succeeded by TimoSoini Speaker of the Parliament of Finland In office 24 April 2019 – 5 June...
confirm their candidate in summer 2017. The leader of the Finns Party TimoSoini announced early on in November 2014 that he would not seek candidacy in...
available. On 23 January 2016, it was reported, that Finnish Foreign Minister TimoSoini concluded that "closing the eastern border is possible". He stated that...
Blue Reform 1.7% Espoo is the home for the former Finns Party chairman TimoSoini. The Otaniemi campus of the Aalto University is located in Espoo, containing...
several famous Finnish people, such as Sauli Niinistö, Paavo Väyrynen, TimoSoini, Antero Mertaranta, Carl-Erik Creutz, Raimo Ilaskivi, Tommi Mäkinen and...
subscription were allowed to vote in the election. The incumbent party chair TimoSoini, who had led the party since 1997, did not run for the leadership this...
2019 – 20 June 2023 Prime Minister Antti Rinne Sanna Marin Preceded by TimoSoini Succeeded by Elina Valtonen Minister of the Environment In office 13 April...
Global Information
Finland
Corporal