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Minister for Foreign Affairs (Finland) facts for kids

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The minister for foreign affairs (Finnish: ulkoministeri, Swedish: utrikesminister) handles the Finnish Government's foreign policy and relations, and is in charge of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The minister for foreign trade and development is also associated with this ministry. The current minister for foreign affairs is Elina Valtonen of National Coalition Party.

Constitutional mandate

Section 93 (Competence in the area of foreign policy issues) of the Constitution of Finland says the following:

The foreign policy of Finland is directed by the President of the Republic in co-operation with the Government.

However, the Parliament accepts Finland’s international obligations and their denouncement and decides on the bringing into force of Finland’s international obligations in so far as provided in this Constitution. The President decides on matters of war and peace, with the consent of the Parliament.

The Government is responsible for the national preparation of the decisions to be made in the European Union, and decides on the concomitant Finnish measures, unless the decision requires the approval of the Parliament.

The Parliament participates in the national preparation of decisions to be made in the European Union, as provided in this Constitution.

The communication of important foreign policy positions to foreign States and international organisations is the responsibility of the Minister with competence in foreign affairs.

This last paragraph specifies the constitutional responsibility of the minister for foreign affairs.

List of ministers for foreign affairs

No. Portrait Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Cabinet
1
Otto Stenroth
Otto Stenroth
(1861–1939)
27 May 1918 27 November 1918 184 days Young Finnish Paasikivi I
2
Carl Enckell
Carl Enckell
(1876–1959)
27 November 1918 28 April 1919 152 days Independent Ingman I
K. Castrén
3
Rudolf Holsti
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
Carl Enckell
(1876–1959)
2 June 1922 14 November 1922 165 days Independent Cajander I
4
Juho Vennola
Juho Vennola
(1872–1938)
14 November 1922 18 January 1924 1 year, 65 days National Progressive Kallio I
(2)
Carl Enckell
Carl Enckell
(1876–1959)
18 January 1924 31 May 1924 134 days Independent Cajander II
5
Hjalmar Procopé
Hjalmar Procopé
(1889–1954)
31 May 1924 31 March 1925 304 days Swedish People's Ingman II
6
Gustaf Idman
Gustaf Idman
(1885–1961)
31 March 1925 31 December 1925 275 days Independent Tulenheimo
7
Emil Nestor Setälä
Emil Nestor Setälä
(1864–1935)
31 December 1925 13 December 1926 347 days National Coalition Kallio II
8
Väinö Voionmaa
Väinö Voionmaa
(1869–1947)
13 December 1926 17 December 1927 1 year, 4 days Social Democratic Tanner
(5)
Hjalmar Procopé
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
Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen
(1885–1951)
21 March 1931 14 December 1932 1 year, 268 days National Coalition Sunila II
10
Antti Hackzell
Antti Hackzell
(1881–1946)
14 December 1932 7 October 1936 3 years, 298 days Independent Kivimäki
(3)
Rudolf Holsti
Rudolf Holsti
(1881–1945)
7 October 1936 16 November 1938 2 years, 40 days National Progressive Kallio IV
Cajander III
(8)
Väinö Voionmaa
Väinö Voionmaa
(1869–1947)
16 November 1938 1 December 1938 15 days Social Democratic Cajander III
11
Eljas Erkko
Eljas Erkko
(1895–1965)
12 December 1938 1 December 1939 354 days National Progressive Cajander III
12
Väinö Tanner
Väinö Tanner
(1881–1966)
1 December 1939 27 March 1940 117 days Social Democratic Ryti I
13
Rolf Witting
Rolf Witting
(1879–1944)
27 March 1940 5 March 1943 2 years, 343 days Swedish People's Ryti II
Rangell
14
Carl Henrik Ramsay
Carl Henrik Ramsay
(1886–1951)
5 March 1943 8 August 1944 1 year, 156 days Swedish People's Linkomies
(2)
Carl Enckell
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
Åke Gartz
(1888–1974)
17 March 1950 20 September 1951 1 year, 187 days Independent Kekkonen I-II
16
Sakari Tuomioja
Sakari Tuomioja
(1911–1964)
20 September 1951 26 November 1952 1 year, 67 days Independent Kekkonen III
17
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
(1900–1986)
26 November 1952 9 July 1953 225 days Centre Kekkonen III
18
Ralf Törngren
Ralf Törngren
(1899–1961)
9 July 1953 5 May 1954 300 days Swedish People's Kekkonen IV
Tuomioja
(17)
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
(1900–1986)
5 May 1954 20 October 1954 168 days Centre Törngren
19
Johannes Virolainen
Johannes Virolainen
(1914–2000)
20 October 1954 3 March 1956 1 year, 135 days Centre Kekkonen V
(18)
Ralf Törngren
Ralf Törngren
(1899–1961)
3 March 1956 27 May 1957 1 year, 85 days Swedish People's Fagerholm II
(19)
Johannes Virolainen
Johannes Virolainen
(1914–2000)
27 May 1957 29 November 1957 186 days Centre Sukselainen I
20
Paavo Hynninen
Paavo Hynninen
(1883–1960)
29 November 1957 29 August 1958 273 days Independent Fieandt
Kuuskoski
(19)
Johannes Virolainen
Johannes Virolainen
(1914–2000)
29 August 1958 4 December 1958 97 days Centre Fagerholm III
21
Karl-August Fagerholm
Karl-August Fagerholm
(1901–1984)
4 December 1958 13 January 1959 40 days Social Democratic Fagerholm III
(18)
Ralf Törngren
Ralf Törngren
(1899–1961)
13 January 1959 16 May 1961 2 years, 123 days Swedish People's Sukselainen II
22
V. J. Sukselainen
V. J. Sukselainen
(1906–1995)
Acting
16 May 1961 19 June 1961 34 days Centre Sukselainen II
23
Ahti Karjalainen
Ahti Karjalainen
(1923–1990)
19 June 1961 13 April 1962 298 days Centre Sukselainen II
Miettunen I
24
Veli Merikoski
Veli Merikoski
(1905–1982)
13 April 1962 18 December 1963 1 year, 249 days Liberals Karjalainen I
25
Jaakko Hallama
Jaakko Hallama
(1917–1996)
18 December 1963 12 September 1964 269 days Independent Lehto
(23)
Ahti Karjalainen
Ahti Karjalainen
(1923–1990)
12 September 1964 14 May 1970 5 years, 244 days Centre Virolainen
Paasio I
Koivisto I
26
Väinö Leskinen
Väinö Leskinen
(1917–1972)
14 May 1970 29 October 1971 1 year, 168 days Independent Aura I
Karjalainen II
27
Olavi J. Mattila
Olavi J. Mattila
(1918–2013)
29 October 1971 23 February 1972 117 days Independent Aura II
28
Kalevi Sorsa
Kalevi Sorsa
(1930–2004)
23 February 1972 4 September 1972 194 days Social Democratic Paasio II
(23)
Ahti Karjalainen
Ahti Karjalainen
(1923–1990)
4 September 1972 13 June 1975 2 years, 282 days Centre Sorsa I
(27)
Olavi J. Mattila
Olavi J. Mattila
(1918–2013)
13 June 1975 30 November 1975 170 days Independent Liinamaa
(28)
Kalevi Sorsa
Kalevi Sorsa
(1930–2004)
30 November 1975 29 September 1976 304 days Social Democratic Miettunen II
29
Keijo Korhonen
Keijo Korhonen
(1934–2022)
29 September 1976 15 May 1977 228 days Centre Miettunen III
30
Paavo Väyrynen
Paavo Väyrynen
(born 1946)
15 May 1977 19 February 1982 4 years, 280 days Centre Sorsa II
Koivisto II
31
Pär Stenbäck
Pär Stenbäck
(born 1941)
19 February 1982 6 May 1983 1 year, 76 days Swedish People's Sorsa III
(30)
Paavo Väyrynen
Paavo Väyrynen
(born 1946)
6 May 1983 30 April 1987 3 years, 359 days Centre Sorsa IV
(28)
Kalevi Sorsa
Kalevi Sorsa
(1930–2004)
30 April 1987 31 January 1989 1 year, 276 days Social Democratic Holkeri
32
Pertti Paasio
Pertti Paasio
(1939–2020)
31 January 1989 26 April 1991 2 years, 85 days Social Democratic Holkeri
(30)
Paavo Väyrynen
Paavo Väyrynen
(born 1946)
26 April 1991 5 May 1993 2 years, 9 days Centre Aho
33
Heikki Haavisto
Heikki Haavisto
(1935–2022)
5 May 1993 3 February 1995 1 year, 274 days Centre Aho
34
Paavo Rantanen
Paavo Rantanen
(born 1934)
3 February 1995 13 April 1995 69 days Independent Aho
35
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Halonen
(born 1943)
13 April 1995 25 February 2000 4 years, 318 days Social Democratic Lipponen I-II
36
Erkki Tuomioja
Erkki Tuomioja
(born 1946)
25 February 2000 19 April 2007 7 years, 53 days Social Democratic Lipponen II
Jäätteenmakki
Vanhanen I
37
Ilkka Kanerva
Ilkka Kanerva
(1948–2022)
19 April 2007 4 April 2008 351 days National Coalition Vanhanen II
38
Alexander Stubb
Alexander Stubb
(born 1968)
4 April 2008 22 June 2011 3 years, 79 days National Coalition Vanhanen II
Kiviniemi
(36)
Erkki Tuomioja
Erkki Tuomioja
(born 1946)
22 June 2011 29 May 2015 3 years, 341 days Social Democratic Katainen
Stubb
39
Timo Soini
Timo Soini
(born 1962)
29 May 2015 6 June 2019 4 years, 8 days Finns Sipilä
40
Pekka Haavisto
Pekka Haavisto
(born 1958)
6 June 2019 20 June 2023 4 years, 14 days Green League Rinne
Marin
41
Elina Valtonen
Elina Valtonen
(born 1981)
20 June 2023 Incumbent 1 year, 154 days National Coalition Orpo

See also

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