Minister of Defence (Finland)

The Minister of Defence (Finnish: puolustusministeri, Swedish: försvarsminister) is a member of the Finnish Council of State. As the head of the Ministry of Defence, the minister is responsible for the administration of national defence. The ministry is headquartered in Helsinki. The current Minister of Defence is Antti Häkkänen.

Minister of Defence of the Republic of Finland
Puolustusministeri Försvarsminister
Flag of the Minister of Defence
Incumbent Antti Häkkänen since 20 June 2023
Ministry of Defence
Member of	Cabinet
Seat	Helsinki, Finland
Nominator	Prime Minister
Appointer	President
Term length	Four years (de facto)
Formation	1918 (1918)
First holder	Wilhelm Thesleff
Website	www.defmin.fi/english

From June to November 1918 the post was called Chief of the War Department, and from then until 1922 the post was called the Minister of War.

The President of the Republic is the commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defence Forces. The commander of the military forces is the Chief of Defence.

Ministry offices

Finnish Ministry of Defence Offices consists of two wings:

• South Makasiinikatu 8 since - Built by CL Engel as barracks for the Finnish Guard in 1922 and destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt by retaining the original walls from 1954 to 1956 and used as Defense Headquarters since 1956
• Fabiansgatan 2 - newer wing was built in 1961 by Finnish architects Viljo Revell and Heikki Castrén.

Previous ministry offices

• Eteläesplanadi 10 - 1918-1921 it was located here and now home to Ministry of Justice
• Korkeavuorenkatu 21 (Ohrana House) - relocated in 1921 and here until beginning of World War II; now Finnish Border Guard Headquarters
• Snellmaninkatu 4-6 - moved here 1941 to 1956 which now home to Finnish Financial Supervision Authority

List of ministers of defence

Source:

No.	Portrait	Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Vilhelm Thesleff (1880–1941)	27 May 1918	27 November 1918	184 days	Independent	Paasikivi I
2		Rudolf Walden (1878–1946)	27 November 1918	15 August 1919	261 days	Independent	Ingman K. Castrén
3		Karl Emil Berg (1869–1921)	15 August 1919	15 March 1920	213 days	Independent	Vennola I
4		Bruno Jalander (1872–1966)	15 March 1920	9 April 1921	1 year, 25 days	Independent	Erich
5		Onni Hämäläinen (1885–1954)	9 April 1921	3 September 1921	147 days	Independent	Vennola II
(4)		Bruno Jalander (1872–1966)	3 September 1921	22 June 1923	1 year, 292 days	Independent	Vennola II Cajander I Kallio I
6		Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940)	22 June 1923	16 August 1923	55 days	Centre	Kallio I
7		Vilho Nenonen (1883–1960)	16 August 1923	18 January 1924	155 days	Independent	Kallio I
8		Viktor Henrik Schvindt (1866–1928)	18 January 1924	11 March 1924	53 days	Independent	Cajander II
9		Ivar Aminoff (1868–1931)	11 March 1924	31 May 1924	81 days	Independent	Cajander II
10		Lauri Malmberg (1888–1948)	31 May 1924	31 March 1925	304 days	Independent	Ingman II
11		Aleksander Lampén (1879–1935)	31 March 1925	31 December 1925	275 days	National Coalition	Tulenheimo
12		Leonard Hjelmman (1869–1952)	31 December 1925	13 December 1926	347 days	National Coalition	Kallio II
13		Kaarlo Heinonen (1878–1944)	13 December 1926	17 December 1927	1 year, 4 days	SDP	Tanner
14		Jalo Lahdensuo (1882–1973)	17 December 1927	22 December 1928	1 year, 5 days	Centre	Sunila I
15		Aimo Cajander (1879–1943)	22 December 1928	16 August 1929	237 days	National Progressive	Mantere
16		Juho Niukkanen (1888–1954)	16 August 1929	4 July 1930	322 days	Centre	Kallio III
17		Albin Manner (1888–1954)	10 July 1930	21 March 1931	254 days	Centre	Svinhufvud II
(14)		Jalo Lahdensuo (1882–1973)	21 March 1931	14 December 1932	1 year, 268 days	Centre	Sunila II
18		Arvi Oksala (1891–1949)	14 December 1932	12 March 1937	4 years, 88 days	Independent	Kivimäki Kallio IV
(16)		Juho Niukkanen (1888–1954)	12 March 1937	27 March 1940	3 years, 15 days	Centre	Cajander III Ryti I
(2)		Rudolf Walden (1878–1946)	27 March 1940	1 December 1944	4 years, 249 days	Independent	Ryti II Rangell Linkomies Hackzell U. Castrén Paasikivi II
19		Väinö Valve (1895–1995)	1 December 1944	17 April 1945	137 days	Independent	Paasikivi II
20		Mauno Pekkala (1890–1952)	17 April 1945	27 March 1946	344 days	SKDL	Paasikivi III Pekkala
21		Yrjö Kallinen (1886–1976)	27 March 1946	29 July 1948	2 years, 124 days	SDP	Pekkala
22		Emil Skog (1897–1981)	29 July 1948	17 March 1950	1 year, 231 days	SDP	Fagerholm I
23		Kustaa Tiitu (1896–1990)	17 March 1950	17 January 1951	306 days	Centre	Kekkonen I
(22)		Emil Skog (1897–1981)	17 January 1951	9 July 1953	2 years, 173 days	SDP	Kekkonen II-III
24		Kauno Kleemola (1906–1965)	9 July 1953	17 November 1953	131 days	Centre	Kekkonen IV
25		Päiviö Hetemäki (1913–1980)	17 November 1953	5 May 1954	169 days	National Coalition	Tuomioja
(22)		Emil Skog (1897–1981)	5 May 1954	27 May 1957	3 years, 22 days	SDP	Törngren Kekkonen V Fagerholm II
26		Atte Pakkanen (1912–1994)	27 May 1957	2 September 1957	98 days	Centre	Sukselainen I
27		Pekka Malinen (1921–2004)	2 September 1957	29 November 1957	88 days	Liberals	Sukselainen I
28		Kalle Lehmus (1907–1987)	29 November 1957	26 April 1958	148 days	Independent	von Fieandt
29		Edvard Björkenheim (1901–1965)	26 April 1958	29 August 1958	125 days	Independent	Kuuskoski
30		Toivo Wiherheimo (1898–1970)	29 August 1958	13 January 1959	137 days	National Coalition	Fagerholm II
31		Leo Häppölä (1911–1998)	13 January 1959	14 July 1961	2 years, 182 days	Centre	Sukselainen II
(29)		Edvard Björkenheim (1901–1965)	14 July 1961	13 April 1962	273 days	Centre	Miettunen I
32		Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	13 April 1962	18 December 1963	1 year, 249 days	Centre	Karjalainen I
33		Kaarlo Leinonen (1914–1975)	18 December 1963	12 September 1964	269 days	Independent	Lehto
(32)		Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	12 September 1964	27 May 1966	1 year, 257 days	Centre	Virolainen
34		Sulo Suorttanen (1921–2005)	27 May 1966	14 May 1970	3 years, 352 days	Centre	Paasio I Koivisto I
(32)		Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	14 May 1970	15 July 1970	62 days	Independent	Aura I
35		Kristian Gestrin (1929–1990)	15 July 1970	29 October 1971	1 year, 106 days	RKP	Karjalainen II
(32)		Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	29 October 1971	23 February 1972	117 days	Independent	Aura II
36		Sulo Hostila (1920–2002)	23 February 1972	4 September 1972	194 days	SDP	Paasio II
(35)		Kristian Gestrin (1929–1990)	4 September 1972	30 September 1974	2 years, 26 days	RKP	Sorsa I
37		Carl-Olaf Homén (born 1936)	1 October 1974	13 June 1975	255 days	RKP	Sorsa I
38		Erkki Huurtamo (1917–1999)	13 June 1975	30 November 1975	170 days	Independent	Liinamaa
39		Ingvar S. Melin (1932–2011)	30 November 1975	29 September 1976	304 days	RKP	Miettunen II
40		Seppo Westerlund (1930–2014)	29 September 1976	15 May 1977	228 days	Liberals	Miettunen II
41		Taisto Tähkämaa (born 1924)	15 May 1977	26 May 1979	2 years, 11 days	Centre	Sorsa II
42		Lasse Äikäs (1932–1988)	26 May 1979	19 February 1982	2 years, 269 days	Centre	Koivisto II
43		Juhani Saukkonen (born 1937)	19 February 1982	6 May 1983	1 year, 76 days	Centre	Sorsa III
44		Veikko Pihlajamäki (1922–2007)	6 May 1983	30 April 1987	3 years, 359 days	Centre	Sorsa IV
45		Ole Norrback (born 1941)	30 April 1987	13 June 1990	3 years, 44 days	RKP	Holkeri
46		Elisabeth Rehn (born 1935)	13 June 1990	1 January 1995	4 years, 202 days	RKP	Holkeri Aho
47		Jan-Erik Enestam (born 1947)	2 January 1995	13 April 1995	101 days	RKP	Aho
48		Anneli Taina (born 1951)	13 April 1995	15 April 1999	4 years, 2 days	National Coalition	Lipponen I
(47)		Jan-Erik Enestam (born 1947)	15 April 1999	17 April 2003	4 years, 2 days	RKP	Lipponen II
49		Matti Vanhanen (born 1955)	17 April 2003	24 June 2003	68 days	Centre	Jäätteenmäki
50		Seppo Kääriäinen (born 1948)	24 June 2003	19 April 2007	3 years, 299 days	Centre	Vanhanen I
51		Jyri Häkämies (born 1961)	19 April 2007	22 June 2011	4 years, 64 days	National Coalition	Vanhanen II Kiviniemi
52		Stefan Wallin (born 1967)	22 June 2011	5 July 2012	1 year, 13 days	RKP	Katainen
53		Carl Haglund (born 1979)	5 July 2012	29 May 2015	2 years, 328 days	RKP	Katainen Stubb
54		Jussi Niinistö (born 1970)	29 May 2015	6 June 2019	4 years, 8 days	Finns	Sipilä
55		Antti Kaikkonen (born 1974)	6 June 2019	5 January 2023	3 years, 213 days	Centre	Rinne Marin
56		Mikko Savola (born 1981)	5 January 2023	28 February 2023	54 days	Centre	Marin
(55)		Antti Kaikkonen (born 1974)	28 February 2023	20 June 2023	112 days	Centre	Marin
57		Antti Häkkänen (born 1985)	20 June 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 132 days	National Coalition	Orpo

See also

• Minister of Defence

External links

• The Ministry of Defence of Finland