Henna Virkkunen

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Henna Virkkunen

| honorific-suffix = Executive Vice-President of the European Commission

| image = 1718869849735 20240619 VIRKKUNEN Henna FI 008.jpg

| office = Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy

| term_start = 1 December 2024

| term_end =

| president = Ursula von der Leyen

| predecessor = Margrethe Vestager

| successor =

| office1 = Member of the European Parliament
for Finland

| term_start1 = 1 July 2014

| term_end1 = 30 November 2024

| constituency1 =

| office2 = Minister of Transport

| primeminister2 = Jyrki Katainen

| term_start2 = 4 April 2014

| term_end2 = 24 June 2014

| predecessor2 = Merja Kyllönen

| successor2 = Paula Risikko {{small|(Transport and Local Government)}}

| office3 = Minister of Public Administration and Local Government

| primeminister3 = Jyrki Katainen

| term_start3 = 22 June 2011

| term_end3 = 24 June 2014

| predecessor3 = Tapani Tölli

| successor3 = Paula Risikko {{small|(Transport and Local Government)}}

| office4 = Minister of Education

| primeminister4 = Matti Vanhanen
Mari Kiviniemi

| term_start4 = 19 December 2008

| term_end4 = 22 June 2011

| predecessor4 = Sari Sarkomaa

| successor4 = Jukka Gustafsson

| office5 = Member of the Finnish Parliament

| term_start5 = 21 March 2007

| term_end5 = 1 July 2014

| constituency5 = Helsinki

| office6 = Member of the Jyväskylä City Council

| term_start6 = 20 October 1996

| term_end6 = 9 April 2016

| birth_name = Henna Maria Virkkunen

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|6|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Joutsa, Finland

| party = National Coalition

| spouse = Matti Mäkinen

| children = 1

| alma_mater = University of Jyväskylä

| website = {{URL|https://www.hennavirkkunen.fi}}

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| successor1 = Sirpa Pietikäinen

}}

Henna Maria Virkkunen ({{IPA|fi|ˈhenːɑ ˈmɑriɑ ˈʋirkːunen}}; born 4 June 1972) is a Finnish politician who serves as Executive Vice-president of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy since 1 December 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-11 |title=Henna Virkkunen - European Commission |url=https://commission.europa.eu/about/organisation/college-commissioners/henna-virkkunen_en |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=commission.europa.eu |language=en}}

She has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2014 to 2024. She is a member of the center-right National Coalition Party, part of the European People's Party.{{Cite web |date=1972-06-04 |title=10th parliamentary term {{!}} Henna VIRKKUNEN {{!}} MEPs {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124726/HENNA_VIRKKUNEN/history/10#detailedcardmep |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}

As a Member of the Parliament of Finland from 2007 to 2014, Virkkunen held multiple ministerial portfolios across three cabinets, serving as Minister of Education, Minister of Public Administration and Local Government, and later as Minister of Transport and Local Government in an expanded portfolio.{{Cite web |title=Ministeri Henna Virkkunen |url=https://valtioneuvosto.fi/hallitukset-ja-ministerit/ministerit/-/min/henna-virkkunen |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Valtioneuvosto |language=fi-FI}}

Political career

= Parliament of Finland =

Virkkunen was first elected to the Parliament of Finland in the 2007 parliamentary elections from the Central Finland electoral district. She secured the fourth-highest number of votes in her district, surpassing an incumbent from her party.

During her first term in Parliament, Virkkunen was appointed Minister of Education, serving from 19 December 2008 to 22 June 2011 in Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's II cabinet. She continued in the role in Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi's cabinet. On 22 June 2011, she transitioned to the Minister of Public Administration and Local Government in Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen's cabinet.{{Cite web |title=Minister of Public Administration and Local Government |url=http://valtioneuvosto.fi/hallitus/jasenet/halllinto-ja-kuntaministeri/en.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830165803/http://valtioneuvosto.fi/hallitus/jasenet/halllinto-ja-kuntaministeri/en.jsp |archive-date=2012-08-30 |access-date=2012-07-14}} Her portfolio later expanded to include transport, making her the Minister of Transport and Local Government until 24 June 2014, when she was elected to the European Parliament.

Before her ministerial appointments, Virkkunen served as a member of the Education and Culture Committee and the Environment Committee in the Parliament.{{Cite web |title=Henna Virkkunen |url=https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/kansanedustajat/Sivut/957.aspx |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=www.eduskunta.fi |language=fi}}

=European Parliament=

In parliament, Virkkunen has been serving on the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (since 2014) and the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism (since 2021).Mia Bartoloni (March 26, 2021), [https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/movers-and-shakers-26-march-2021 Movers & Shakers] The Parliament Magazine. In 2022, she joined the European Parliament Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware.[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sedcms/documents/PRIORITY_INFO/558/Composition%20nominative%20des%20commissions%20PEGA%20COVI%20ING2_24.03.2022_EN.pdf Members of the Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware] European Parliament.[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220321IPR25923/parliament-names-meps-to-sit-on-three-new-committees Parliament names MEPs to sit on three new committees] European Parliament, press release of 24 March 2022.

Virkkunen was the rapporteur on the non-binding opinion on integrated digital platformsJoanna Plucinska (January 31, 2017), [http://www.politico.eu/pro/platforms-rapporteur-facebook-falters-in-fake-news-fight/ Platforms rapporteur: Facebook falters in fake news fight] Politico Europe.{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2017-0204_EN.html|title=on online platforms and the digital single market (2016/2276(INI))|date=2017-05-31}} and on driving and rest times.Hanne Cokelaere and Joshua Posaner (October 8, 2019), [https://www.politico.eu/article/5-people-wholl-decide-the-fate-of-the-mobility-package/ 5 people who’ll decide the fate of the Mobility Package] Politico Europe.

In addition to her committee assignments, Virkkunen has been a member of the parliament's delegation for relations with South Africa (2014–2019) and with the Arabian Peninsula (since 2019). She is also a member of the European Internet Forum;[https://www.internetforum.eu/members.html Members] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107073031/https://www.internetforum.eu/members.html |date=2019-11-07 }} European Internet Forum. the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights;[https://lgbti-ep.eu/who-we-are/members/ Members] European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights the European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals;[http://www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/about-us/members/ Members] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831215301/http://www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/about-us/members/ |date=2019-08-31 }} European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals. and the European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas.[http://www.searica.eu/intergroup/members-2019-2024 Members 2019-2024] European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas.

=European Commission=

Following the 2024 European elections, the Finnish government nominated Virkkunen as the country’s European Commissioner serving under President Ursula von der Leyen.Barbara Moens (24 July 2024), [https://www.politico.eu/article/european-commissioners-ursula-von-der-leyen-eu-nationals-kaja-kallas-estonia-teresa-ribera/ Who will be the next European commissioners?] Politico Europe. On 17 September 2024, President Ursula von der Leyen presented the list of Commissioners-designate and their portfolios, according to which Virkkunen will be the Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy for the European Commission from 2024 to 2029.[https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/president-elect-ursula-von-der-leyen/commissioners-designate-2024-2029_en Commissioners-designate (2024-2029)] European Commission.

Recognition

In December 2020, Virkkunen received the Energy Award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards.{{cite news|url=https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/mep-awards-2020-reaction-and-comment-from-our-winners|title=MEP Awards 2020: Reaction and comment from our winners|last=Johnson|first=Brian|date=2 December 2020|work=The Parliament Magazine|access-date=8 January 2021}}