Kai Aslak Mykkänen (born 31 July 1979) is a Finnish politician who currently serves as Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. He is a former Minister of the Interior and represents the National Coalition Party in the Uusimaa electoral district.
Kai Mykkänen | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mykkänen in 2023 | |
| Minister of the Environment and Climate Change | |
| Assumed office 20 June 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Petteri Orpo |
| Preceded by | Maria Ohisalo |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 12 February 2018 – 6 June 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Juha Sipilä |
| Preceded by | Paula Risikko |
| Succeeded by | Maria Ohisalo |
| Minister for Foreign Trade and Development | |
| In office 22 June 2016 – 12 February 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Juha Sipilä |
| Preceded by | Lenita Toivakka |
| Succeeded by | Anne-Mari Virolainen |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament for Uusimaa | |
| Assumed office 22 April 2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 July 1979 Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland |
| Political party | National Coalition Party |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
Early life
editMykkänen was born in Espoo to the journalist and politician Jouni Mykkänen and Maria Mykkänen (née Sokolow). He is of Russian descent through his mother, who is a daughter of Russian emigrants.[1] His home language was mainly Finnish, but he also speaks fluent Russian. He has worked three years in Russia.[2]
Political career
editMykkänen was the chairman of the Coalition Party Youth League 2000–2001.[3] He was a member of the City Council of Espoo 2001–2008.[4]
Mykkänen was elected to the Parliament of Finland in the 2015 election with 5,260 votes.[5] He was a member of the Environment Committee and Grand Committee from 2015 until 2016.[3]
On 22 June 2016, Mykkänen was appointed as the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä after Lenita Toivakka's resignation.[6] On 6 February 2018, Mykkänen shifted his portfolio in order to replace Paula Risikko as the Minister of the Interior.[7] In this capacity, he also co-chaired the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers Meeting of the European People's Party (EPP), alongside Esteban González Pons.[8]
In June 2023, he was appointed Minister of the Environment and Climate Change in the Orpo Cabinet.[9]
Other activities
edit- World Bank, Ex-Officio Alternate Member of the Board of Governors (2016-2018)[10]
Political positions
editAs Minister of the Interior, Mykkänen proposed in 2018 to increase Europe's quota refugee system ten-fold, for the EU to receive 250,000 new asylum seekers per year instead of the current 25,000.[11] When the Oulu child sexual exploitation scandal broke out, Mykkänen said these things shouldn't be occurring in Finland and called for immigrants residing at reception centres to be educated.[12]
Personal life
editMykkänen has two children with his wife Anna.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Janhonen, Ulla (28 December 2016). "Ministeri Kai Mykkänen: Suomen riippuvuutta Venäjän energiasta liioitellaan – "Emme kaadu, vaikka putki tukkeutuisi välittömästi"". Seura (in Finnish). Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- ^ "Ministeri Kai Mykkänen: Suomen energiariippuvuutta Venäjästä liioitellaan". Seura.fi (in Finnish). 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ a b "MPs: Kai Mykkänen". Eduskunta. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ "Kielitaitoinen Venäjä-ekonomisti - tällainen on ministeriksi kirinyt Kai Mykkänen". Iltalehti. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ "Candidates elected: Electoral district of Uusimaa". Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ "Kokoomuksen ministerivaihdoksille sinetti – presidentti vahvisti nimitykset". Yle. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ "Virolaisesta uusi kokoomusministeri – kokoomus kierrätti myös ministerisalkkujaan". Ilta-Sanomat. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ Council of the EU and Ministerial meetings European People’s Party (EPP).
- ^ "Prime Minister Orpo's Government appointed". Valtioneuvosto. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
- ^ Board of Governors World Bank.
- ^ "Finnish Interior Minister proposes ten-fold increase in quota refugees across the EU". Yle. 23 June 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
Mykkänen is advocating a ten-fold increase in the EU quota refugee system that would mean receiving a quarter of a million asylum seekers annually instead of the current 25,000.
- ^ ""These kind of things shouldn't be happening in Finland," says Mykkänen". 5 December 2018.
External links
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