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Man in the News: Jyrki Katainen

published 2011-06-21 09:04 PM, updated 2011-06-24 08:20 AM

Katainen spoke at the new government's swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.

Image: Kari Kuukka

Jyrki Katainen, who is poised to become Finland’s fifth prime minister of the 21st century, seems to have had politics in his blood from the start.

His mother was a secretary for the Municipal Council in his hometown of Siilinjärvi, central Finland, 400 km north of Helsinki. His father was an aviation mechanic at nearby Kuopio airport.

After completing high school and military service, Katainen was elected to the local Municipal Council on the National Coalition Party (NCP) ticket at the age of 22.

Within four years, Katainen had become a deputy chair of the council and joined the Northern Savo regional government. The following year, he earned a master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Tampere. Alongside his studies, he worked as a substitute teacher and did an internship at the Finnish Embassy in London, where he honed his English skills.

By 1999, Katainen was leader of the local NCP organisation, vice president of the European People’s Party youth organisation — and a newly-elected Member of Parliament at 27.

Katainen (YLE24) Boyish-looking with a surprisingly deep, resonant voice, he was selected as a deputy chair of the NCP two years after his arrival in Helsinki. Yet he took five years to earn a spot as a deputy member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Challenge and triumph

In 2003, he married Mervi Kuittinen, formerly chair of the Union of Youth Councils in Finland and a nationally-ranked football player. With two daughters, Saara and Veera, born in 2005 and 2008, they live in Espoo, a bedroom community just west of Helsinki. In his free time, Katainen says, he enjoys hiking with his Finnish Spitz dogs, hunting and cooking — and especially combining the latter by preparing game dishes.

Niinistö At the turn of the millennium, the reticent Ville Itälä became leader of the NCP, but failed to convince the public — or even the party faithful — that he was a worthy successor to the charismatic Sauli Niinistö. Support for the party sagged.

In 2004, the dapper, much-younger Katainen successfully challenged him as party chair, taking the helm at the age of 32. The following year, he was elected vice president of the European People’s Party, an umbrella organisation for EU conservative parties.

Kiviniemi (Valda Kalnina / EPA) In the spring of 2007, Katainen led the NCP to a smashing electoral success, bringing it within one seat of being the largest party in Parliament. He became Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in Centre Party PM Matti Vanhanen’s first full term, posts which he maintained when the Centre’s Mari Kiviniemi took over last summer after Vanhanen resigned amid allegations of murky finances.

Europe’s best?

In 2008, Katainen’s international standing was raised when the Financial Times rated him as Europe’s best finance minister for steering Finland clear of most of the rocks during the financial crisis. He has since slipped to fourth on the FT list.

At home, Kiviniemi’s lack of experience and a series of scandals linked to the Centre immediately made it clear to most political analysts that she would not retain the premiership past this spring’s election. However few foresaw the turbo-charged rise of the nationalist True Finns — who nearly managed to derail Katainen’s plans to take over the prime minister’s office.

Urpilainen (YLE / Kalle Niskala ) Still, Katainen retained his characteristic cool through a nerve-wracking two months of government talks. He finally managed to strike a vaguely-worded compromise agenda with former opposition leader Jutta Urpilainen of the SDP, along with a motley crew of four small parties. Now his real challenge begins: maintaining the ranks of an unwieldy six-way right-left coalition in economically shaky times.