Antti Kaikkonen | |
|---|---|
 Kaikkonen in 2019. | |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 28 February – 20 June 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Sanna Marin |
| Preceded by | Mikko Savola |
| Succeeded by | Antti Häkkänen |
| In office 6 June 2019 – 5 January 2023 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Jussi Niinistö |
| Succeeded by | Mikko Savola |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament for Uusimaa | |
| Assumed office 19 March 2003 | |
| Leader of the Centre Party | |
| Assumed office 15 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Annika Saarikko |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Antti Samuli Kaikkonen 14 February 1974 Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland |
| Political party | Centre |
| Occupation | Politician |
Antti Samuli Kaikkonen (born 14 February 1974 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish politician who has served as chair of the Centre Party since June 2024.[1] He has been a member of the Finnish Parliament from Uusimaa since 2003. He served as Minister of Defence from 2019 to 2023. Kaikkonen was the president of Finnish Centre Youth from 1997 to 2001. He has also been a member of Finnish Delegation to the Council of Europe since 2004.[2]
In 2013, Kaikkonen was convicted of corruption charges stemming from a campaign financing scandal.[3]
On 21 June 2016, Kaikkonen was chosen as the chairman of the Centre Party's parliamentary group.[4]
By 2019, Kaikkonen was parliamentary head of the coalition-leading Centre Party. Amidst the Oulu child sexual exploitation scandal, he called for all party heads in Parliament to meet, and declared "everyone who comes to Finland has to follow the local laws".[5]
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- ^ "Centre Party picks Kaikkonen as new leader, NCP re-elects Orpo". yle. yle.fi. 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Antti Kaikkonen". Parliament of Finland. 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
- ^ "Suspended prison sentences in campaign financing scandal". YLE. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ "Antti Kaikkonen valittiin keskustan eduskuntaryhmän johtoon". Helsingin Sanomat. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ^ Tarmo Virki (13 January 2019). "Sex abuse cases color immigration debate before Finnish election". Reuters. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
Antti Kaikkonen, parliamentary head of the coalition-leading Centre Party, called for a meeting of all the parliamentary party heads, tweeting: "Everyone who comes to Finland has to follow the local laws."