Alexander Stubb facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexander Stubb
Stubb in 2024
13th President of Finland
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 March 2024
Prime Minister	Petteri Orpo
Preceded by	Sauli Niinistö
43th Prime Minister of Finland
In office 24 June 2014 – 29 May 2015
President	Sauli Niinistö
Deputy	Antti Rinne
Preceded by	Jyrki Katainen
Succeeded by	Juha Sipilä
Minister of Finance
In office 29 May 2015 – 22 June 2016
Prime Minister	Juha Sipilä
Preceded by	Antti Rinne
Succeeded by	Petteri Orpo
Leader of the National Coalition Party
In office 14 June 2014 – 11 June 2016
Preceded by	Jyrki Katainen
Succeeded by	Petteri Orpo
Minister for European Affairs and Trade
In office 22 June 2011 – 24 June 2014
Prime Minister	Jyrki Katainen
Preceded by	Astrid Thors
Succeeded by	Lenita Toivakka
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 4 April 2008 – 22 June 2011
Prime Minister	Matti Vanhanen Mari Kiviniemi
Preceded by	Ilkka Kanerva
Succeeded by	Erkki Tuomioja
Member of the Finnish Parliament for Uusimaa
In office 20 April 2011 – 30 July 2017
Member of the European Parliament for Finland
In office 20 July 2004 – 3 April 2008
Personal details
Born	Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb (1968-04-01) 1 April 1968 (age 57) Helsinki, Finland
Political party	National Coalition Party
Spouse	Suzanne Innes ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	2
Relatives	Göran Stubb (father) Kai Setälä (maternal grandfather)
Education	Furman University (BA) Sorbonne University (GrDip) College of Europe (MA) London School of Economics (PhD)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Finland
Branch/service	Finnish Army
Rank	Korpraali (Lance Corporal)

Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb (born on 1 April 1968) is a Finnish politician. He became the 13th and current President of Finland in 2024. Before this, he was the Prime Minister of Finland from 2014 to 2015.

Stubb started his political journey as a researcher focusing on the European Union. In 2004, he was elected to the European Parliament as a member of the National Coalition Party. He later served as Minister for Foreign Affairs starting in 2008. In 2011, he was elected to the Parliament of Finland for the first time. He then became the Minister for European Affairs and Trade.

In 2014, Stubb was chosen as the leader of the National Coalition Party. He then became Prime Minister, leading a government made of five parties. After the 2015 election, his party lost its top spot. Stubb then became Minister of Finance. In 2016, he lost the party leadership. He later left the Finnish Parliament in 2017 to work as a vice-president at the European Investment Bank. After this, he became a director and professor at the European University Institute.

In 2023, Stubb decided to run for president. He won the election in February 2024. He is the second Finland-Swedish president in Finland's history.

Early Life and Education

Alexander Stubb was born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1968. His family spoke both Swedish and Finnish at home. His father, Göran Stubb, worked in professional ice hockey. His mother, Christel Stubb, was from the Setälä family.

Stubb grew up in Helsinki and played ice hockey and golf. He was even part of the Finnish national golf team in high school. In 1986, he graduated from high school in Florida, USA. Two years later, he finished high school in Helsinki and completed his military service.

He received a golf scholarship to Furman University in the United States. He first wanted to be a professional golfer. However, he decided to focus on his studies and earned a degree in political science in 1993.

In 1994, Stubb studied French in Paris at the Sorbonne University. He speaks five languages: Swedish, Finnish, English, French, and German.

He continued his studies at the College of Europe in Belgium, getting a master's degree in 1995. He then earned his PhD in international politics from the London School of Economics in 1999. His PhD focused on how the European Union works.

Early Career

From 1995 to 1997, Stubb worked as a researcher for the Finnish Foreign Office. He also wrote columns for newspapers starting in 1997.

Stubb in 2004

From 1999 to 2001, he was a researcher for Finland's team in the European Union in Brussels. He also advised the President of the European Commission. In 2003, he returned to Finland's EU team. In 2004, he ran for the European Parliament.

Political Career

European Parliament (2004–2008)

Stubb was a member of the European Parliament for Finland from 2004 to 2008. He was very popular, getting the second-highest number of votes in Finland in 2004. He was part of the European People's Party group.

He worked on committees dealing with budgets and consumer protection. He also wrote a report about the costs of translation in the EU Parliament. He believed that speaking many languages is a great strength for the EU.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (2008–2011)

Stubb with Urmas Paet, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (at the time), in April 2008

On 1 April 2008, Stubb became Finland's new Minister for Foreign Affairs. People saw him as a skilled politician. He supported Finland joining NATO.

In 2010, Stubb worked with Sweden's Foreign Minister to suggest creating the European Institute of Peace. This institute was later founded in 2014.

Stubb with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in April 2011

Stubb also brought attention to issues faced by disabled people. He worked with a Finnish sign language rapper to support sign language speakers. As Foreign Minister, Stubb led the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2008. During this time, the Russo-Georgian War happened, and the OSCE helped make an agreement for military observers.

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade (2011–2014)

Stubb with Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Jyrki Katainen in March 2013

In 2011, Stubb was elected to the Finnish Parliament for the first time. He became the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade.

Stubb in India, 2013

During the Euromaidan events, Stubb said that money could help bring peace. He later changed his view on sanctions against Russia, saying they were needed. He stated that sanctions would stay until Russia met the EU's demands.

Prime Minister (2014–2015)

Stubb in the European People's Party Summit in July 2014

In June 2014, Stubb was elected leader of the National Coalition Party. He then became Prime Minister of Finland on 24 June. One big challenge was Finland's relationship with Russia.

Stubb supported trying out a basic income system in Finland. He also organized a meeting of Northern European Prime Ministers in 2014. In 2015, he invited companies to discuss the "Industrial Internet."

In the April 2015 election, his party came in third place. He resigned as Prime Minister on 29 May 2015.

Minister of Finance (2015–2016)

Stubb and Pedro Passos Coelho in March 2016

Stubb became Minister of Finance on 29 May 2015. He pushed for many "structural reforms." His time as Finance Minister faced some criticism. This was due to how spending cuts affected Finland's public services.

In 2016, Stubb lost the leadership of his party to Petteri Orpo. Orpo then took Stubb's place as Minister of Finance. Stubb chose to remain a Member of Parliament instead of taking another ministerial role.

After Finnish Politics

Stubb in European People's Party Helsinki Congress, 7–8 November 2018

In June 2017, Stubb became the vice-president of the European Investment Bank. He left his role in the Finnish Parliament in July 2017. Stubb later said he was not interested in returning to Finnish politics. He was interested in leading the European Commission or European Council.

Stubb with Petteri Orpo in 2019

In November 2017, he was chosen to lead the Crisis Management Initiative. This group works to prevent and solve conflicts. In October 2018, Stubb ran to be the leader of the European Commission. He lost this election in November 2018.

In January 2020, Stubb became a director and professor at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.

2024 Finnish Presidential Election

Presidential inauguration

Stubb was a strong candidate for the 2024 Finnish presidential election. On 16 August 2023, he announced he would run.

In the first round of voting on 28 January, Stubb received the most votes. He then faced former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto in the second round. Stubb won the second round with 51.4% of the votes.

Presidency (2024–present)

Stubb meets with U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the 2024 NATO Washington summit in Washington, D.C., 10 July 2024

Stubb became President of Finland on 1 March 2024. He was sworn in before Finland's parliament. He is the first president from the Swedish-speaking minority since Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.

Overseas Visits

On the day he was sworn in, King Carl XVI Gustaf invited Stubb to visit Sweden. On 7 March 2024, Stubb made his first foreign trip as president. He visited a NATO military exercise in Norway. In July, he attended the 2024 NATO summit in Washington, D.C. This was Finland's second NATO summit as a member.

Political Views

Stubb supports making the European Union stronger. In 2008, he said the EU should play a big role in world politics. He believes the EU is a "soft power" in the world. When running for party leadership in 2014, he called himself an "academic federalist" for the EU. He also said he was no longer a "pure federalist." Stubb has supported Turkey joining the EU. He warned that Brexit could cause problems for the EU. Stubb has long believed Finland should join NATO.

Stubb is seen as a liberal politician. He calls himself a "moderate liberal." He wants to bring a "more positive way of doing politics." He believes everyone should be respected, even with disagreements. He supports same-sex marriage. He also supports multiculturalism and believes more immigration is good. Stubb thinks the biggest political difference today is between those who support globalization and those who oppose it.

Other Work

Stubb is an active writer. He has published 16 books and many articles and columns. He believes in discussing things openly and honestly. In 2016, he started writing columns for the Financial Times. Stubb also has a blog and is active on Twitter. He has written an e-book about using Twitter.

He often contributes to the EUI School of Transnational Governance YouTube channel. His book, The Naked Truth and Other Stories About Finns and Europeans, is a collection of his columns.

Electoral History

Finnish Presidential Election

European Parliament Elections

Finland Parliamentary Elections

Honours

National Honours

•  Finland: Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2010)
•  Finland: Grand Master and Commander Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2024)
•  Finland: Grand Master and Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland (2024)
•  Finland: Grand Master and Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty (2024)

Foreign Honours

•  Estonia:
  • Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (23 May 2024)
  • First Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2014)
•  France: Officer of the Order of Legion of Honour (2018)
•  Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (5 September 2008)
•  Norway:
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav (15 October 2024)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (2012)
•  Sweden: Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (23 April 2024)

Honorary Doctorates

•  Finland: Honorary Doctor of Business Sciences – LUT University (2012)
•  United States: Honorary Doctor of Philosophy – Furman University (2017)
•  Finland: Honorary Doctor of Arts – University of the Arts Helsinki (2024)

Personal Life

Family

Stubb is married to Suzanne Innes-Stubb. She is a British-Finnish lawyer. They met at the College of Europe. They have two children, born in 2001 and 2004. Suzanne is the first First Lady of Finland who was born outside of Finland.

Before becoming president, Stubb lived in Espoo, Finland. He has a cat that he adopted in 2016. Stubb is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Sports Enthusiasm

Stubb in Frankfurt 2009

Stubb loves sports. He often competes in marathons and triathlons. He has finished several Ironman Triathlons.

In 2012, he competed in the Frankfurt Ironman with a team called "Iron Birds Finland." They were raising money for leukemia research. In 2013, his Ironman Sweden time was 9 hours, 55 minutes, and 47 seconds. His best marathon time is 3 hours, 8 minutes, and 13 seconds, from the 2015 Frankfurt Marathon.

Alexander Stubb is also a regular at HIFK ice hockey games in Helsinki.

Languages

Stubb is a polyglot, meaning he speaks many languages. He speaks both Finnish and Swedish as his native languages. He also speaks English, French, German, and Italian.

Cabinets

• Stubb Cabinet

Images for kids

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  Stubb in 2004

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  Stubb with Urmas Paet, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (at the time), in April 2008

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  Stubb with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in April 2011

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  Stubb with Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Jyrki Katainen in March 2013

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  Stubb in India, 2013

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  Stubb in the European People's Party Summit in July 2014

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  Stubb and Pedro Passos Coelho in March 2016

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  Stubb in European People's Party Helsinki Congress, 7–8 November 2018

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  Stubb with Petteri Orpo in 2019

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  Presidential inauguration

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  Stubb meets with U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the 2024 NATO Washington summit in Washington, D.C., 10 July 2024

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  Stubb in Frankfurt 2009

See also

In Spanish: Alexander Stubb para niños