Sauli Niinistö facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sauli Niinistö
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Official portrait, c. 2018
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| 12th President of Finland | |
| In office 1 March 2012 – 1 March 2024 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Tarja Halonen |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Stubb |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Finland | |
| In office 24 April 2007 – 27 April 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Timo Kalli |
| Succeeded by | Ben Zyskowicz |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 2 February 1996 – 17 April 2003 |
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| Prime Minister | Paavo Lipponen |
| Preceded by | Iiro Viinanen |
| Succeeded by | Antti Kalliomäki |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 13 April 1995 – 30 August 2001 |
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| Prime Minister | Paavo Lipponen |
| Preceded by | Pertti Salolainen |
| Succeeded by | Ville Itälä |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 13 April 1995 – 2 February 1996 |
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| Prime Minister | Paavo Lipponen |
| Preceded by | Anneli Jäätteenmäki |
| Succeeded by | Kari Häkämies |
| Leader of the National Coalition Party | |
| In office 1994–2001 |
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| Preceded by | Pertti Salolainen |
| Succeeded by | Ville Itälä |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament | |
| In office 21 March 2007 – 19 April 2011 |
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| Constituency | Uusimaa |
| In office 21 March 1987 – 18 March 2003 |
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| Constituency | Helsinki (1999–2003) Southwest Finland (1987–1999) |
| President of the Football Association of Finland | |
| In office 2009–2012 |
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| Preceded by | Pekka Hämäläinen |
| Succeeded by | Markku Lehtola (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sauli Väinämö Niinistö
24 August 1948 Salo, Finland |
| Political party |
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| Spouses |
Marja-Leena Alanko
(m. 1974; died 1995)Jenni Haukio
(m. 2009) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Ville Niinistö (nephew) |
| Alma mater | University of Turku |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Finland |
| Branch/service |  Finnish Army |
| Rank |  Captain |
Sauli Väinämö Niinistö (born 24 August 1948) is a Finnish politician. He served as the 12th President of Finland from 2012 to 2024.
Niinistö is a lawyer by training. He led the National Coalition Party (NCP) from 1994 to 2001. He also held important government jobs. These included Minister of Justice (1995–1996) and Minister of Finance (1996–2003). He was also Deputy Prime Minister from 1995 to 2001. From 2007 to 2011, he was the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland.
Niinistö ran for president in 2006 and again in 2012. In 2012, he won the election, beating Pekka Haavisto. He became president on March 1, 2012. He was the first NCP president since 1956. In 2017, he announced he would seek re-election as an independent candidate. He won again in the first round in January 2018. His second term started on February 1, 2018.
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Early Life and Education
Niinistö was born in Salo, Finland, in 1948. His father was Väinö Niinistö, and his mother was Hilkka Niinistö.
He finished high school in 1967. Then, he studied at the University of Turku. He earned a Master of Laws degree in 1974. He completed his court training in 1977.
Political Career
Before entering national politics, Niinistö ran his own law firm in Salo. He worked there from 1978 to 1988.
He served on the local council in Salo from 1977 to 1992. In 1987, he was elected to the Parliament of Finland. In 1994, he became the leader of the NCP. He then became Justice Minister in 1995.
In 1996, Niinistö became Minister of Finance. He continued in this role until 2003. During this time, he was also Deputy Prime Minister. As Finance Minister, he was known for being careful with government spending. He was the first person in Finland to buy something with euros on January 1, 2002. He stepped back from politics in 2001. After 2003, he worked at the European Investment Bank.
In 2005, Niinistö decided to run for president in the 2006 Finnish presidential election. He represented the NCP. He made it to the second round of voting but lost to the sitting President, Tarja Halonen.
In 2006, Niinistö ran for parliament again. He received a record number of votes in the 2007 elections. After this, he became the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland. He also became the honorary president of the European People's Party (EPP) in 2002.
Niinistö was also elected as the president of the Football Association of Finland in 2009. He held this position until he became president of the country.
Presidency (2012–2024)
Niinistö ran for president again in the 2012 Finnish presidential election. He won the first round with 37% of the votes. In the second round, he won against Pekka Haavisto with about 62.6% of the votes. His victory margin was larger than any previous directly elected president.
After becoming President, Niinistö promised to help young people. He also cared about problems in rural areas. He emphasized working well with the government and Parliament. He thanked everyone who supported him and those who had different views.
In May 2017, Niinistö announced he would seek re-election. He ran as an independent candidate. Both the National Coalition Party and Christian Democrats supported him. He won the election in the first round with 62.7% of the votes. This made him the first Finnish president to win in the first round by popular vote.
By 2022, Niinistö was very popular, with a 92% approval rating. However, he did not seek a third term, as the Finnish constitution limits presidents to two terms.
Foreign Policy Decisions
As President, Niinistö traveled to many countries. He met with leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin. He aimed to improve relations and understanding between Europe and Russia.
When sanctions were placed on Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, Niinistö said that easing tensions was important. He believed Finland could help bridge the gap between Europe and Russia. He also made it clear that Finland understood Russia's actions in Ukraine. He stated that Finland's position on NATO membership was important in this discussion.
In his 2015 New Year's Speech, Niinistö strongly condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine. He said that illegal occupations and use of force only lead to danger and tension.
Niinistö also met with Iranian leaders in 2016. They discussed working together more closely. He supported the One-China policy in 2017. In 2018, he said he would block arms sales to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. This was because of their involvement in the conflict in Yemen.
On July 16, 2018, Niinistö hosted U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Putin in Helsinki. This was for the US-Russia Summit.
Niinistö visited China in January 2019. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They discussed friendship and partnership between Finland and China. They also launched the 2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports.
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In October 2019, Niinistö spoke out against Turkey's military actions in northern Syria.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine and NATO Accession
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In January 2022, Niinistö spoke about dealing with Russia. He said Finland had learned to be very clear about its boundaries. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Niinistö said, "The masks have now been taken off, showing only the face of war."
On March 4, 2022, Niinistö visited Washington, D.C. He met with President Joe Biden and other US officials. They discussed the invasion of Ukraine and its impact on European and Finnish security. They also agreed to strengthen security cooperation between Finland and the US.
On May 12, 2022, Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced that Finland intended to apply for NATO membership. Niinistö had his last call with Putin that month. He told Putin that Finland's decision to join NATO was a direct result of Russia's actions.
Finland became a member of NATO on April 4, 2023, during Niinistö's presidency. This was a major change for Finland's security policy.
Presidential Pardons
As President, Niinistö had the power to pardon people from criminal sentences. He used this power very rarely. He pardoned only about three people per year on average. He believed that the presidential pardon was an old tradition and supported getting rid of it.
After Presidency (2024–present)
In March 2024, after his presidency ended, Niinistö was asked to prepare a report for the EU. This report was about how to make European societies stronger against crises. It covered defense, cybersecurity, and how people's attitudes affect crisis resilience.
In 2025, Niinistö criticized European countries. He felt they were not doing enough to help end the war in Ukraine.
Personal Life
Niinistö married Marja-Leena Alanko in 1974. They had two sons. Sadly, Marja-Leena died in a car crash in 1995. Niinistö wrote a book about his life after her death.
Later, he was engaged to MP Tanja Karpela, but they ended their engagement in 2004.
In 2005, Niinistö met Jenni Haukio. She worked for his political party. They kept their relationship private until they married on January 3, 2009. In October 2017, they announced they were expecting a child. Their son was born in February 2018. Their dog, Lennu, became famous online in 2017.
Sauli Niinistö is the uncle of Ville Niinistö, who is also a politician.
Niinistö survived the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. He climbed a utility pole with his son to escape the waves in Thailand.
He is a Christian and a member of the Lutheran Church. In his free time, he enjoys roller skating and playing ice hockey in winter. He speaks Finnish, English, and Swedish.
Images for kids
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Sauli Niinistö's signature
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Coat of arms of Sauli Niinistö
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Another version of Sauli Niinistö's coat of arms
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Coat of arms of Sauli Niinistö as Knight of the Royal Order of the Elephant
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Coat of arms of Sauli Niinistö as Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
See also
In Spanish: Sauli Niinistö para niños
