Running again in the European elections in June 2024

Europe’s future direction is important also for Finland’s future direction.

During my four years in the European Parliament, I have seen the importance of European cooperation at a time when the world has shifted towards growing uncertainty. Climate and biodiversity crises are getting worse, global economic competition is intensifying and at the same time countries like Russia have become a threat to the future of democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the world.

I feel that right now it is important to build stronger cooperation through the European Union for Finland’s security, to strengthen our economy and to solve environmental crises. With that cooperation, we defend our values for democracy and human rights in a tougher world. That is why I am running again in the European elections in June 2024.

Both within the group of the Greens/EFA and in the parliament on Green Deal, I have worked in the key positions. As coordinator in the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, we have promoted investments in research and know-how and accelerating the energy revolution with clean investments. I was, for example, a negotiator for the Greens, i.e. a shadow rapporteur in deciding on the Horizon Europe research program and in the Renewable Energy Directive. I have done a lot of work with Finnish universities and companies to ensure that Finns succeed in the European research funding competition.

In addition to the industry committee, I have been a member in the Environment committee as a full member and in the Economic affairs committee as a substitute member. In the Environmental committee I was the European parliament’s rapporteur on Land use regulation LULUCF. Great progress has been made in climate policy, while investments have been made to ensure that actions increase jobs in European industry and economy in green skills. Finland is one of the significant beneficiaries here, as many of our industrial companies are at the top of the world in environmental technology. In the Economic affairs Committee, I have negotiated several legislative files that have improved the sustainability reporting of the finance sector and its transparency, so that more investments are transferred to environmentally friendly projects.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has brought security issues to the surface more than before. I was among the first to warn about the threat of Russian attack at the turn of 2021-22, when I also started speaking in favor of promoting Finland’s NATO membership. As a politician, I have been warning for a decade about Russia’s geopolitical threat and its way of using energy policy as an instrument of its foreign policy, e.g. in connection with the Fennovoima-Rosatom nuclear power project, Fortum’s Uniper deals and the Nord Stream gas pipeline project.

All this work is still in progress. That’s why I want to continue my work in the European Parliament. Solving environmental crises cannot take a break, and the Green transition must continue. At the same time, it must serve our economy, our jobs and our security. I can combine defending humane values with understanding the world situation and geopolitics.

That’s the kind of thinking Finland and Europe need now, so that our values and our ability to promote them remain strong. Our goal is to defend the Finnish welfare state, people’s equality and democracy by working together on behalf of the developing European Union, which maintains security and solves the environmental crises of our time.