Pekka Toveri

Pekka Toveri
MEP
Toveri in 2024
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 July 2024
ConstituencyFinland
Member of the Finnish Parliament
In office
5 April 2023 – 16 July 2024
Parliamentary groupNational Coalition Party
ConstituencyUusimaa
Military career
Born (1961-04-06) 6 April 1961 (age 63)
Kankaanpää, Finland
Allegiance Finland
Service / branch Finnish Army
Rank Major General
Commands

Pekka Toveri (born 6 April 1961)[1] is a Finnish politician and retired general.

Toveri served in the Finnish Army for over 35 years,[2] among other posts as the commander of the Armoured Brigade (2011–2013), the Western Finland military district (2014), and the Guard Jaeger Regiment (2015–2016); as military attaché at the Finnish Embassy in Washington, DC (2016–2019); and finally as the director of the Intelligence Division of the Defence Command (2019–2020), from which post he retired from active service at the rank of major general.[1][3]

Toveri was commissioned as sub-lieutenant in 1982. He reached the rank of captain in 1990, major in 1995, colonel in 2007, brigadier general in 2013, and finally major general in 2019.[1]

After leaving the military, he worked as a researcher affiliated to the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.[2][4]

Toveri was elected to the Parliament in the 2023 election, representing the Uusimaa electoral district for the National Coalition Party.[3][5]

In July 2024, Toveri was elected to the 10th European Parliament, representing Finland for the National Coalition Party, as part of the EPP group.[6]

Toveri is married to retired lieutenant colonel Siobhán Toveri of the US Air Force Reserve Command, who is attached to the US Embassy in Helsinki.[1][7]

  1. ^ a b c d "Kenraalimajuri Pekka Toveri". Puolustusvoimat.fi (in Finnish). The Finnish Defence Forces. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Toveri, Pekka". UudenmaanKokoomus.fi (in Finnish).
  3. ^ a b "Pekka Toveri". Eduskunta.fi (in Finnish). Parliament of Finland. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Pekka Toveri Ulkopoliittisen instituutin tutkijaksi". Iltalehti (in Finnish). 1 November 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Electoral district of Uusimaa, elected representatives". Vaalit.fi. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Pekka Toveri". European Parliament. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Kenraali, jolla on karismaa". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 25 June 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.