Former Green Party leader Ville Niinistö announces candidacy for next parliamentary election

Ville Niinistö, the Green Party’s former chairman and current member of the European Parliament, announced his bid for a seat in the forthcoming spring parliamentary election during a news conference at Vantaa City Hall. He framed the election as crucial for Finland’s direction and outlined three core themes for his campaign: advancing education and technology, tackling climate change, and building an egalitarian welfare state.

Sofia Virta, the party’s current chair, warned that the upcoming parliamentary term will be demanding and urged the inclusion of courageous new politicians. Niinistö, who led the Greens from 2011 to 2017, previously served as an MP for the Varsinais-Suomi district from 2007 to 2019 and held the environment minister portfolio in coalition governments. He was elected to the European Parliament in the 2019 elections and has also served on Turku’s city council.