Vilhelm Junnila

Vilhelm Junnila
Junnila in 2023
Minister of Economic Affairs
In office
20 June 2023 – 6 July 2023
Prime MinisterPetteri Orpo
Preceded byMika Lintilä
Succeeded byWille Rydman
Member of Parliament
for Finland Proper
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 April 2019
Personal details
Born (1982-03-06) 6 March 1982 (age 42)
Naantali, Southwest Finland, Finland
Political partyFinns Party

Lassi Vilhelm Junnila (born 6 March 1982 in Naantali) is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland, representing the constituency of Finland Proper.[1] He is a member of the Finns Party. He is currently a member in three committees: the Constitutional Law Committee (vice chairperson), the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Intelligence Oversight Committee. He is also a member in the Finnish delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Finns Party parliamentary group´s vice chairperson.

He was elected to the parliament in 2019 with 10,788 personal votes.[2] In 2023 elections he was elected again with 8303 votes.[3] Junnila is also a member of the Naantali City Council.[4]

In June 2023, he was appointed Minister of Economic Affairs in the Orpo Cabinet.[5] After appointment, Junnila's past actions and potential connections to neo-Nazi organizations became a subject of heated discussion. On 30 June, Junnila announced that he would resign,[6] making his term as a government minister one of the shortest in the political history of Finland since Lennart Oesch, who served as deputy Minister of Internal Affairs for 12 days in 1932.[7][8] Junnila was succeeded by Wille Rydman as Minister of Economic Affairs on 6 July.[9]

According to an aide, Junnila has previously worked at Fortum Oil and Gas and Neste Oil in IT, at the insulation and scaffolding company Arma Oy, and at smaller companies.[10]

  1. ^ Eduskunta profile
  2. ^ "Koko maa, valitut 2019". tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Koko maa, valitut 2023". tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Kaupunginvaltuusto | Naantali". www.naantali.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Prime Minister Orpo's Government appointed". Valtioneuvosto. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Vilhelm Junnila aikoo erota". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Junnilan ministeripestistä tulee yksi Suomen historian lyhyimmistä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 30 June 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Ministerin tiedot, Oesch, Karl Lennart". Finnish Government (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Wille Rydman nimitettiin elinkeinoministeriksi". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 6 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Katso uusien ministerien päättötodistukset". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 28 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.