Who is Elina Valtonen?
Nice to meet you! I’m Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs and a Member of Parliament in my fourth term and a mother of two. I’m a passionate player of ball and board games such as basketball and chess. I am a Master in Technology and in Economics; with majors in computer science, applied mathematics and financial economics.
Prior to entering politics, I worked for 10 years in the financial sector in London and in different Nordic countries. I started my career as a programmer and have gathered experience as an entrepreneur, a business angel, a tourist guide, a journalist and selling lottery tickets. As a child I lived in Germany with my family for some years.
In 2018, I published my book ”Vapauden Voitto” (Otava), on reforming the Nordic welfare model. I have co-authored several societal reports such as ”The Future of the Euro – The alternatives for Finland” (2014) and ”The Life Account – A Social Security Reform” (2013).
The Land of possibilities!
FINLAND’S post-war economic history has been an unparalleled success. After the second world war, we rose from the ruins to become one of the most sought-after societies in the world, where people regardless of their background have been able to live free, prosper and achieve their personal goals.
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, we have been sliding in the statistics: we have become poorer in relation to our peer countries and in an aging society it has become more difficult to fund the welfare society. Far too many young and old are underemployed or even marginalized in their own lives. War in Europe casts its shadow over the entire continent and threatens our European way of life.
Despite all challenges, there is no reason to feel discouraged, quite the contrary: through firmly sticking to our values, investing in human capital and entrepreneurship, introducing more flexibility into the labour market and eliminating barriers from the way of existing and future Finns of pursuing their goals, we will be writing a success story again.
The security landscape has changed significantly for the worse after Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful invasion of Ukraine. Together with our friends and allies, we will be aiding Ukraine until victory. Democracy will prevail. Freedom will win! And in the long term: Ukraine will flourish in a more united European Union.
Finland and Sweden have now become members of NATO, which marked another historical step in ramping up European defence and a strong West. While we have been dealing with unprecedented crises in the past years, climate change has not come to a halt. Neither will we halt our actions against it! Let’s make Finland (and Europe!) an energy superpower with nuclear power and renewables!
EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE! That’s how my dream society works, and I hope you’ll join in making it a reality for everyone.
We don’t need to ban sausages to make room for falafel, cars to make room for bikes, or traditions to reach for the future. More than any addition to the list of options, what puts me off is the opposite: the lack of choice.
ELINA VALTONEN
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament