Petteri Orpo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Petteri Orpo
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Orpo in 2023
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| 47th Prime Minister of Finland | |
| Assumed office 20 June 2023 |
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| President | Sauli Niinistö Alexander Stubb |
| Deputy | Riikka Purra |
| Preceded by | Sanna Marin |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Finland | |
| In office 12 April 2023 – 20 June 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Matti Vanhanen |
| Succeeded by | Jussi Halla-aho |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 28 June 2017 – 6 June 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Juha Sipilä |
| Preceded by | Timo Soini |
| Succeeded by | Mika Lintilä |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 22 June 2016 – 6 June 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Juha Sipilä |
| Preceded by | Alexander Stubb |
| Succeeded by | Mika Lintilä |
| Leader of the National Coalition Party | |
| Assumed office 11 June 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Stubb |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 29 May 2015 – 22 June 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | Juha Sipilä |
| Preceded by | Päivi Räsänen |
| Succeeded by | Paula Risikko |
| Minister of Agriculture and Forestry | |
| In office 24 June 2014 – 29 May 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Alexander Stubb |
| Preceded by | Jari Koskinen |
| Succeeded by | Kimmo Tiilikainen |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament for Finland Proper | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2007 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Antti Petteri Orpo
3 November 1969 Köyliö, Satakunta, Finland |
| Political party | National Coalition Party |
| Spouse | Niina Kanniainen-Orpo |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Turku (MA) |
Antti Petteri Orpo, born on November 3, 1969, is a Finnish politician. He is currently the prime minister of Finland, a role he has held since 2023. He is also the leader of the National Coalition Party, a position he has had since 2016. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was briefly the speaker of the Parliament of Finland after the 2023 election.
Orpo has held several important government jobs. He was the Deputy Prime Minister of Finland from 2017 to 2019. He also served as Minister of Finance from 2016 to 2019, Minister of the Interior from 2015 to 2016, and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry from 2014 to 2015. In the 2023 parliamentary election, Orpo's National Coalition Party won the most votes, getting 20.8% and 48 seats.
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Early Life and Education
Petteri Orpo was born in Köyliö, Finland, on November 3, 1969. His father, Hannu Orpo, was also a politician and part of the National Coalition Party. Petteri Orpo finished high school at Köyliön lukio. He then went on to earn a master's degree in political science from the University of Turku. Orpo also completed Finland's required national armed service and became a reserve officer. He holds the rank of captain in the reserves.
Political Career Highlights
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Minister of the Interior Role
As Minister of the Interior, Orpo was in charge of internal security and immigration. He received support for how he managed the 2015 migration situation in Finland. This support came from both his government partners and other lawmakers.
Minister of Finance Role
In May 2016, Orpo decided to run for the leader position of the National Coalition Party. He challenged the current leader, Alexander Stubb, who was also the Minister of Finance. Orpo was seen as someone who liked to find common ground. He won the election and became the new party leader. On June 22, 2016, Orpo officially took over as the Minister of Finance.
In June 2017, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Orpo announced that they could no longer work with one of their government partners, the Finns Party. They had different ideas on important topics like immigration. For Orpo and Sipilä, it was important to make big changes to healthcare and local government. These changes were key to their plan to improve Finland's finances.
Orpo also helped lead meetings for finance ministers from center-right parties in Europe. These meetings happened before bigger European Union finance meetings.
Time in Opposition
In December 2019, Orpo tried to get a vote of no-confidence against the government at the time. This would have led to new elections, which Orpo hoped his party would win. The government was criticized for how it handled problems in the job market. The Prime Minister at the time, Antti Rinne, later resigned.
Prime Minister of Finland (2023–present)
Winning the 2023 Election
On April 2, 2023, Petteri Orpo's National Coalition Party won the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election. His party had been leading in opinion polls since mid-2021. They finished first with 20.8% of the votes and won 48 seats in the parliament. This was a gain of 10 seats for his party. After the election, Orpo started talks to form a new government. He was chosen as the main negotiator for these talks.
Orpo's election campaign focused on reducing Finland's government debt and the yearly budget deficit. He also wanted to lower income taxes. He describes himself as a "fiscal conservative," meaning he believes in careful spending of government money.
On April 12, Orpo was chosen by parliamentary groups to be the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland temporarily. This was until a new government was officially formed.
On April 27, it was announced that Orpo would begin final talks with the Finns Party, the Swedish People's Party, and the Christian Democrats. These parties would form a new government together. This new government was confirmed on June 15, and the names of the ministers were announced on June 17. Orpo's party received eight government positions. The Finns Party received seven, including the Ministries of Finance, Interior, and Justice. The Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats shared the remaining five positions. This government is considered one of Finland's most right-leaning governments since World War II.
Leading the Country
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Petteri Orpo became Prime Minister of Finland on June 20, 2023. His government's main goal is to cut public spending. Orpo announced plans to cut €6 billion from the state budget. He stated that the biggest danger to Finland was its "debt crisis," which was 74% of the country's total economic output. He also said that some of the planned changes would be difficult.
The government plans to make significant cuts to social benefits. For example, the rules for getting unemployment benefits will be stricter. A one-day waiting period will be added at the start of sick leave. Access to housing benefits will also be limited. Additionally, the right to strike will be restricted, and fines will be introduced for unauthorized work stoppages. The government also plans to make it easier for companies to end employment contracts and use temporary contracts. At the same time, they plan to invest more in job training.
Employers generally welcomed these plans, seeing them as reforms they had wanted for a long time. However, labor unions criticized them, calling them "an attack on employees." Other political parties also expressed concerns.
Regarding immigration, the conditions for receiving people will be stricter. Asylum will no longer be given on a temporary basis. People will need to live in Finland for six full years to apply for a permanent residence permit. Rules for family reunification and becoming a citizen will also be stricter. Finland will only accept 500 refugees per year under a special relocation program, which is fewer than before. Immigrant workers will also have different rules than permanent residents. They will have to leave the country within three months if they lose their job.
During his first month as Prime Minister, there were some discussions about past writings by ministers from the Finns Party. One minister resigned due to these discussions. Orpo's leadership during these events was questioned by some. In March 2024, Orpo stated that he believes the Finns Party is no longer a far-right party. In August 2024, after Orpo started an anti-racism campaign for his government, Deputy Prime Minister Riikka Purra said her party might not participate as a party. She mentioned "better immigration policy" as an example of her anti-racist actions.
Orpo has spoken out against the actions of Hamas during the Gaza war. He has also expressed his support for Israel and its right to defend itself.
In 2019, Orpo helped create the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. However, in January 2024, his Finance Minister, Riikka Purra, stated that climate matters are not the responsibility of the Finance Minister.
In 2024, Orpo condemned racist attacks against Daniela Owusu. She is a Finnish-Ghanian woman chosen to represent Saint Lucy for national celebrations. Orpo issued a formal apology to her.
After the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, Orpo said it is important for Finland that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. He also stated that no new country should become a nuclear-weapon state.
Personal Life
Petteri Orpo is known for having limited ability to speak English and Swedish.
Other Activities
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European Union Organizations
- European Investment Bank (EIB), Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2019)
- European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2019)
International Organizations
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2019)
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2019)
- Joint World Bank-IMF Development Committee, Member (2018–2019)
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group, Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2019)
- Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2019)
- World Bank, Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2019)
Honors and Awards
Order of the White Rose of Finland (Finland, 2016)
Military merit medal (Finland)
Grand Cross of Merit for Finnish Sports Culture and Sport (Finland, 2022)
Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Poland, 2015)
See also
In Spanish: Petteri Orpo para niños
