Minister for Foreign Affairs (Finland) facts for kids

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (also called ulkoministeri in Finnish) is a very important person in the Finnish Government. This minister is in charge of Finland's foreign policy and how Finland gets along with other countries. They lead the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Another minister, the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, also works closely with this ministry. Right now, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is Elina Valtonen from the National Coalition Party.

What Does the Constitution Say About Foreign Policy?

Finland's main rulebook, the Constitution of Finland, explains who handles foreign policy. Section 93 talks about this.

Here's what it says in simpler words:

• The President of Finland guides the country's foreign policy. They work together with the Government.
• However, the Parliament must agree to Finland's international agreements. They also decide if Finland should stop being part of an agreement.
• The President decides if Finland goes to war or makes peace. But they need the Parliament's approval for this.
• The Government gets ready for important decisions made in the European Union. They also decide what Finland will do about these decisions. But if Parliament needs to approve something, they do.
• The Parliament also helps prepare for European Union decisions.
• It's the job of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to tell other countries and international organisations about Finland's important foreign policy ideas.

This last part clearly shows that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has a special role in talking to the world.

List of Ministers for Foreign Affairs

Below is a list of all the people who have served as Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs. This list shows when they started and ended their time in office, and which government they were part of.

No.	Portrait	Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Otto Stenroth (1861–1939)	27 May 1918	27 November 1918	184 days	Young Finnish	Paasikivi I
2		Carl Enckell (1876–1959)	27 November 1918	28 April 1919	152 days	Independent	Ingman I K. Castrén
3		Rudolf Holsti (1881–1945)	28 April 1919	20 May 1922	3 years, 22 days	National Progressive	K. Castrén Vennola I Erich Vennola II
(2)		Carl Enckell (1876–1959)	2 June 1922	14 November 1922	165 days	Independent	Cajander I
4		Juho Vennola (1872–1938)	14 November 1922	18 January 1924	1 year, 65 days	National Progressive	Kallio I
(2)		Carl Enckell (1876–1959)	18 January 1924	31 May 1924	134 days	Independent	Cajander II
5		Hjalmar Procopé (1889–1954)	31 May 1924	31 March 1925	304 days	Swedish People's	Ingman II
6		Gustaf Idman (1885–1961)	31 March 1925	31 December 1925	275 days	Independent	Tulenheimo
7		Emil Nestor Setälä (1864–1935)	31 December 1925	13 December 1926	347 days	National Coalition	Kallio II
8		Väinö Voionmaa (1869–1947)	13 December 1926	17 December 1927	1 year, 4 days	Social Democratic	Tanner
(5)		Hjalmar Procopé (1889–1954)	17 December 1927	21 March 1931	3 years, 94 days	Independent	Sunila I Mantere Kallio III Svinhufvud II
9		Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen (1885–1951)	21 March 1931	14 December 1932	1 year, 268 days	National Coalition	Sunila II
10		Antti Hackzell (1881–1946)	14 December 1932	7 October 1936	3 years, 298 days	Independent	Kivimäki
(3)		Rudolf Holsti (1881–1945)	7 October 1936	16 November 1938	2 years, 40 days	National Progressive	Kallio IV Cajander III
(8)		Väinö Voionmaa (1869–1947)	16 November 1938	1 December 1938	15 days	Social Democratic	Cajander III
11		Eljas Erkko (1895–1965)	12 December 1938	1 December 1939	354 days	National Progressive	Cajander III
12		Väinö Tanner (1881–1966)	1 December 1939	27 March 1940	117 days	Social Democratic	Ryti I
13		Rolf Witting (1879–1944)	27 March 1940	5 March 1943	2 years, 343 days	Swedish People's	Ryti II Rangell
14		Carl Henrik Ramsay (1886–1951)	5 March 1943	8 August 1944	1 year, 156 days	Swedish People's	Linkomies
(2)		Carl Enckell (1876–1959)	8 August 1944	17 March 1950	5 years, 221 days	Independent	Hackzell U. Castrén Paasikivi II-III Pekkala Fagerholm I
15		Åke Gartz (1888–1974)	17 March 1950	20 September 1951	1 year, 187 days	Independent	Kekkonen I-II
16		Sakari Tuomioja (1911–1964)	20 September 1951	26 November 1952	1 year, 67 days	Independent	Kekkonen III
17		Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986)	26 November 1952	9 July 1953	225 days	Centre	Kekkonen III
18		Ralf Törngren (1899–1961)	9 July 1953	5 May 1954	300 days	Swedish People's	Kekkonen IV Tuomioja
(17)		Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986)	5 May 1954	20 October 1954	168 days	Centre	Törngren
19		Johannes Virolainen (1914–2000)	20 October 1954	3 March 1956	1 year, 135 days	Centre	Kekkonen V
(18)		Ralf Törngren (1899–1961)	3 March 1956	27 May 1957	1 year, 85 days	Swedish People's	Fagerholm II
(19)		Johannes Virolainen (1914–2000)	27 May 1957	29 November 1957	186 days	Centre	Sukselainen I
20		Paavo Hynninen (1883–1960)	29 November 1957	29 August 1958	273 days	Independent	Fieandt Kuuskoski
(19)		Johannes Virolainen (1914–2000)	29 August 1958	4 December 1958	97 days	Centre	Fagerholm III
21		Karl-August Fagerholm (1901–1984)	4 December 1958	13 January 1959	40 days	Social Democratic	Fagerholm III
(18)		Ralf Törngren (1899–1961)	13 January 1959	16 May 1961	2 years, 123 days	Swedish People's	Sukselainen II
22		V. J. Sukselainen (1906–1995) Acting	16 May 1961	19 June 1961	34 days	Centre	Sukselainen II
23		Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990)	19 June 1961	13 April 1962	298 days	Centre	Sukselainen II Miettunen I
24		Veli Merikoski (1905–1982)	13 April 1962	18 December 1963	1 year, 249 days	Liberals	Karjalainen I
25		Jaakko Hallama (1917–1996)	18 December 1963	12 September 1964	269 days	Independent	Lehto
(23)		Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990)	12 September 1964	14 May 1970	5 years, 244 days	Centre	Virolainen Paasio I Koivisto I
26		Väinö Leskinen (1917–1972)	14 May 1970	29 October 1971	1 year, 168 days	Independent	Aura I Karjalainen II
27		Olavi J. Mattila (1918–2013)	29 October 1971	23 February 1972	117 days	Independent	Aura II
28		Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004)	23 February 1972	4 September 1972	194 days	Social Democratic	Paasio II
(23)		Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990)	4 September 1972	13 June 1975	2 years, 282 days	Centre	Sorsa I
(27)		Olavi J. Mattila (1918–2013)	13 June 1975	30 November 1975	170 days	Independent	Liinamaa
(28)		Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004)	30 November 1975	29 September 1976	304 days	Social Democratic	Miettunen II
29		Keijo Korhonen (1934–2022)	29 September 1976	15 May 1977	228 days	Centre	Miettunen III
30		Paavo Väyrynen (born 1946)	15 May 1977	19 February 1982	4 years, 280 days	Centre	Sorsa II Koivisto II
31		Pär Stenbäck (born 1941)	19 February 1982	6 May 1983	1 year, 76 days	Swedish People's	Sorsa III
(30)		Paavo Väyrynen (born 1946)	6 May 1983	30 April 1987	3 years, 359 days	Centre	Sorsa IV
(28)		Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004)	30 April 1987	31 January 1989	1 year, 276 days	Social Democratic	Holkeri
32		Pertti Paasio (1939–2020)	31 January 1989	26 April 1991	2 years, 85 days	Social Democratic	Holkeri
(30)		Paavo Väyrynen (born 1946)	26 April 1991	5 May 1993	2 years, 9 days	Centre	Aho
33		Heikki Haavisto (1935–2022)	5 May 1993	3 February 1995	1 year, 274 days	Centre	Aho
34		Paavo Rantanen (born 1934)	3 February 1995	13 April 1995	69 days	Independent	Aho
35		Tarja Halonen (born 1943)	13 April 1995	25 February 2000	4 years, 318 days	Social Democratic	Lipponen I-II
36		Erkki Tuomioja (born 1946)	25 February 2000	19 April 2007	7 years, 53 days	Social Democratic	Lipponen II Jäätteenmakki Vanhanen I
37		Ilkka Kanerva (1948–2022)	19 April 2007	4 April 2008	351 days	National Coalition	Vanhanen II
38		Alexander Stubb (born 1968)	4 April 2008	22 June 2011	3 years, 79 days	National Coalition	Vanhanen II Kiviniemi
(36)		Erkki Tuomioja (born 1946)	22 June 2011	29 May 2015	3 years, 341 days	Social Democratic	Katainen Stubb
39		Timo Soini (born 1962)	29 May 2015	6 June 2019	4 years, 8 days	Finns	Sipilä
40		Pekka Haavisto (born 1958)	6 June 2019	20 June 2023	4 years, 14 days	Green League	Rinne Marin
41		Elina Valtonen (born 1981)	20 June 2023	Incumbent	2 years, 5 days	National Coalition	Orpo

Related Cabinets

• Stubb cabinet
• Sipilä cabinet
• Rinne cabinet
• Marin cabinet
• Orpo cabinet