Leena Meri

{{Short description|Finnish politician (born 1968)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Leena Meri

|honorific-suffix =

|image = Leena Meri O45A9984 (cropped).jpg

|caption = Meri in 2023

|office = Minister of Justice

|term_start = 20 June 2023

|term_end =

|primeminister = Petteri Orpo

|predecessor = Anna-Maja Henriksson

|successor =

|office1 = Member of the Finnish Parliament

|term_start1 = 22 April 2015

|term_end1 =

|constituency1 = Uusimaa

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|4|12|df=y}}

|birth_place = Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Finns Party

|spouse =

|children =

|alma_mater = University of Helsinki

|website =

}}

Leena Kristiina Meri (born 12 April 1968) is a Finnish politician, representing the Finns Party in the Parliament of Finland. She has served in the Parliament since 2015 and in the City Council of Hyvinkää since 2013.{{Cite news|url=https://www.eduskunta.fi/EN/kansanedustajat/Pages/1349.aspx|title=MPs: Leena Meri|publisher=Parliament of Finland|access-date=22 July 2018|language=en}}

Meri run to the Parliament in the 2015 parliamentary election from the Uusimaa electoral district, but her 2,493 votes were not enough to get elected.{{Cite news|url=https://tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi/E-2015/fi/val02.html|title=Valitut ehdokkaat: Uudenmaan vaalipiiri|publisher=Ministry of Justice|access-date=22 July 2018|language=en}} However, as MP Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner left her seat to work in the European Parliament in May 2015, Meri took the vacated seat in the Finnish Parliament.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/art-2000002821471.html|title=Leena Meri nousee eduskuntaan Ruohonen-Lernerin tilalle|work=Helsingin Sanomat|date=5 May 2015|access-date=22 July 2018|language=en}}

In June 2017, Meri took part in the leadership election of the Finns Party, but finished third behind Jussi Halla-aho and Sampo Terho.{{Cite news|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9662223|title=Jussi Halla-aho valittiin perussuomalaisten puheenjohtajaksi|work=Suomen Uutiset|date=10 June 2017|access-date=22 July 2018|language=en}} The leadership election sparked resistance within the party and soon after the majority of its MPs left to form the Blue Reform. After the split, Meri was chosen as the chair of the party's parliamentary group.{{Cite news|url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a/201706152200211022|title=Leena Meri on uusi perussuomalaisten ryhmäjohtaja: ryhmän koko "voi muuttua toiseen suuntaan"|work=Iltalehti|date=15 June 2017|access-date=22 July 2018|language=en}}

In June 2023, she was appointed Minister of Justice in the Orpo Cabinet.{{Cite web |title=Prime Minister Orpo's Government appointed |url=https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/10616/prime-minister-orpo-s-government-appointed |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=Valtioneuvosto}}