Alexander Stubb
Encyclopedia
Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb (born 1 April 1968 in Helsinki
) is a Finnish
politician
and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 4 April 2008 to 22 June 2011. From 2004 to 2008 he was a Member of the European Parliament
with the European People's Party
(EPP) and a professor at the College of Europe
.
and graduated two years later from the Gymnasiet Lärkan in Helsinki
. After completing his military service, he won a golf
scholarship to Furman University
in South Carolina
, where he intended to study for a business degree. He later switched to political science
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1993. The following year he gained a Diploma in French Language and Civilisation from the Sorbonne
in Paris
. In addition to his native languages Swedish
and Finnish
(as a Swedish-speaking Finn), Stubb speaks English
, French
and German
.
In 1995 he gained a Master of Arts
in European Affairs from the College of Europe
, Belgium
.He went on to pursue a PhD in international politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Between 1995 and 1997 he was a researcher at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and then at the Finnish Academy from 1997 to 1999. In 1997 he also started his work as a columnist, which he continues today. Stubb gained a PhD
from the London School of Economics
in 1999.
Between 1999 and 2001 he was a special researcher at Finland's representation to the European Union
in Brussels
, as well as a member of the Finnish government's delegation to the intergovernmental negotiations
for the Treaty of Nice
. In 2000, he became a professor at the College of Europe. Following the IGC's conclusion in 2001 he became an adviser to the President of the European Commission
(then Romano Prodi
) and a member of the Commission Task Force on the European Convention
. In 2003 he returned to Finland's representation to the EU as a special expert and to the intergovernmental negotiations
, this time for the European Constitution. When that ended in 2004, he stood for the National Coalition Party
in the elections to the European Parliament
.
Stubb lived in Genval, Belgium
, with his wife, Suzanne Innes-Stubb who is a British
-born lawyer
, until they moved to Tapiola
, Espoo
. She works for the law firm White & Case
in Brussels. They have two children, a daughter named Emilie and a son called Oliver Johan. A "confessed sports nut", Stubb regularly competes in marathon
s, triathlon
s and has finished an Ironman Triathlon
.
from 2004 to 2008. He was elected in 2004
with 115,225 votes (the second highest number of votes in Finland for that election
) as a member of the National Coalition Party
. As that party was a member of the EPP, he sat in the European People's Party-European Democrats group. During this time he became one of the most well-known members of the Parliament.
Stubb was a member of the Committee on Budgetary Control
and a vice-president of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection
. He was a substitute member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs
and the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (as of August 2007).
In 2006 he wrote a report for the Parliament on the EU's interpretation costs, which was adopted by the Parliament. He called for greater awareness of the costs of translation, which he calculated as 511 million euros
in 2005 for the Parliament, Commission
and Council
together. Despite the costs and the need for some changes, he underlined that multilingualism is one of the EU's main assets.
announced that Stubb would be appointed as its new Minister for Foreign Affairs following a scandal surrounding his predecessor, Ilkka Kanerva
. Stubb was sworn in on 4 April. The decision to appoint him was unanimous and his seat in the European Parliament was taken up by Sirpa Pietikäinen
, a former environment minister.
Stubb is seen as a competent politician and has been a supporter of Finland's accession to NATO, stating he does not understand Finland's non-alignment
policy. He also does not believe the President of Finland
needs to attend meetings of the European Council
in addition to the Prime Minister
. Jyrki Katainen
, the Finnish Finance Minister
and chairman of National Coalition Party
, supported Stubb stating he was surprising, courageous and that he "puts a smile on one's face".
As the Foreign Minister of Finland, Stubb was the Chairman-in-Office
of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
from 5 April 2008 to 31 December 2008. The Russian-Georgian war
occurred during this period, and OSCE brokered an agreement to send military observers to the area.
, Blue Wings, various papers in Suomen Lehtiyhtymä group, Nykypäivä and Hufvudstadsbladet
. He has also authored a number of academic articles and nine books about the European Union. Stubb has a podcast
and a blog
, which he maintained post-election despite some other Finnish political figures largely abandoning theirs.
His book Alaston totuus ja muita kirjoituksia suomalaisista ja eurooppalaisista – The Naked Truth and other stories about Finns and Europeans (ISBN 9789510351758), a collection of his columns for the Finnair
in-flight magazine Blue Wings, was published in a bilingual Finnish–English edition by WSOY in 2009.
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
) is a Finnish
Politics of Finland
Politics of Finland takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. The President of Finland is the head of state, leads the foreign policy, and is the Commander-in-chief of the Defense Forces. The Prime Minister of Finland is the head...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 4 April 2008 to 22 June 2011. From 2004 to 2008 he was a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
with the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
(EPP) and a professor at the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
.
Background
In 1986, Stubb graduated from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and graduated two years later from the Gymnasiet Lärkan in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. After completing his military service, he won a golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
scholarship to Furman University
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, where he intended to study for a business degree. He later switched to political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1993. The following year he gained a Diploma in French Language and Civilisation from the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In addition to his native languages Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
and Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
(as a Swedish-speaking Finn), Stubb speaks English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
In 1995 he gained a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in European Affairs from the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.He went on to pursue a PhD in international politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Between 1995 and 1997 he was a researcher at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is a ministry in the Finnish Government and is responsible for preparing and implementing the government's foreign policy.-Organisation:...
and then at the Finnish Academy from 1997 to 1999. In 1997 he also started his work as a columnist, which he continues today. Stubb gained a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 1999.
Between 1999 and 2001 he was a special researcher at Finland's representation to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, as well as a member of the Finnish government's delegation to the intergovernmental negotiations
Intergovernmental Conference
An Intergovernmental Conference is the formal procedure for negotiating amendments to the founding treaties of the European Union. Under the treaties, an IGC is called into being by the European Council, and is composed of representatives of the member states, with the Commission, and to a lesser...
for the Treaty of Nice
Treaty of Nice
The Treaty of Nice was signed by European leaders on 26 February 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. It amended the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome...
. In 2000, he became a professor at the College of Europe. Following the IGC's conclusion in 2001 he became an adviser to the President of the European Commission
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
(then Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
) and a member of the Commission Task Force on the European Convention
European Convention
The Convention on the Future of Europe , was a body established by the European Council in December 2001 as a result of the Laeken Declaration...
. In 2003 he returned to Finland's representation to the EU as a special expert and to the intergovernmental negotiations
Intergovernmental Conference
An Intergovernmental Conference is the formal procedure for negotiating amendments to the founding treaties of the European Union. Under the treaties, an IGC is called into being by the European Council, and is composed of representatives of the member states, with the Commission, and to a lesser...
, this time for the European Constitution. When that ended in 2004, he stood for the National Coalition Party
National Coalition Party (Finland)
The National Coalition Party is a liberal conservative political party in Finland founded in 1918.The National Coalition Party is one of the four largest parties in Finland, along with the Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the True Finns...
in the elections to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
Stubb lived in Genval, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, with his wife, Suzanne Innes-Stubb who is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, until they moved to Tapiola
Tapiola
Tapiola or Hagalund is a district of Espoo on the south coast of Finland, and is one of the major urban centres of Espoo...
, Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
. She works for the law firm White & Case
White & Case
White & Case was founded in New York in 1901 and has grown into one of the world's leading global law firms. The firm has since expanded, and has practice groups in emerging markets including Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as well as in Europe...
in Brussels. They have two children, a daughter named Emilie and a son called Oliver Johan. A "confessed sports nut", Stubb regularly competes in marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s, triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
s and has finished an Ironman Triathlon
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
.
European Parliament
Stubb served as an MEP for FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
from 2004 to 2008. He was elected in 2004
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
with 115,225 votes (the second highest number of votes in Finland for that election
European Parliament election, 2004 (Finland)
The European Parliament election of 2004 in Finland was the election of MEP representing Finland constituency for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. The vote took place on June 13...
) as a member of the National Coalition Party
National Coalition Party (Finland)
The National Coalition Party is a liberal conservative political party in Finland founded in 1918.The National Coalition Party is one of the four largest parties in Finland, along with the Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the True Finns...
. As that party was a member of the EPP, he sat in the European People's Party-European Democrats group. During this time he became one of the most well-known members of the Parliament.
Stubb was a member of the Committee on Budgetary Control
Committee on Budgetary Control
-Responsibilities of the committee:As the name suggests, the CONT is the European Parliament committee charged with producing reports relating to the European Union's Budget.-Membership: Members of the Committee -External links:*...
and a vice-president of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection
The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection is a committee of the European Parliament.- Work of the committee :The committee is responsible for:...
. He was a substitute member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs
Committee on Constitutional Affairs
The Committee on Constitutional Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament dealing with institutional matters such as the treaties and the Parliament's rules of procedure. As of 2008, it is chaired by Jo Leinen MEP .-External links:*...
and the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (as of August 2007).
In 2006 he wrote a report for the Parliament on the EU's interpretation costs, which was adopted by the Parliament. He called for greater awareness of the costs of translation, which he calculated as 511 million euros
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
in 2005 for the Parliament, Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
and Council
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
together. Despite the costs and the need for some changes, he underlined that multilingualism is one of the EU's main assets.
Finnish government
On 1 April 2008, Stubb's 40th birthday, the Finnish governmentGovernment of Finland
Finland is a republic with a representative democracy governed accordingly to the principles of parliamentarism. Legislative power is vested in the Parliament of Finland . Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet, officially termed Council of State , which is led by the Prime Minister, the Head...
announced that Stubb would be appointed as its new Minister for Foreign Affairs following a scandal surrounding his predecessor, Ilkka Kanerva
Ilkka Kanerva
Ilkka Armas Mikael Kanerva is a member of the Finnish Parliament. He was born in Lokalahti, now a part of Uusikaupunki in Finland Proper. He was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2008. He was forced to resign from the position due to a scandal involving hundreds of text messages he...
. Stubb was sworn in on 4 April. The decision to appoint him was unanimous and his seat in the European Parliament was taken up by Sirpa Pietikäinen
Sirpa Pietikäinen
Sirpa Pietikäinen is a Finnish politician from the National Coalition Party. She is a former Member of Finnish Parliament, former Minister for the Environment , and Member of the European Parliament since 2008...
, a former environment minister.
Stubb is seen as a competent politician and has been a supporter of Finland's accession to NATO, stating he does not understand Finland's non-alignment
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
policy. He also does not believe the President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
needs to attend meetings of the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
in addition to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Finland
The Prime Minister is the Head of Government of Finland. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is the Head of State. The current Prime Minister is Jyrki Katainen of the National Coalition Party.-Overview:...
. Jyrki Katainen
Jyrki Katainen
Jyrki Tapani Katainen is the Prime Minister of Finland and chairman of the country's largest party, the National Coalition Party.-Career:...
, the Finnish Finance Minister
Minister of Finance (Finland)
The Minister of Finance of Finland handles the Finance of Finland and all other matters covered by the Ministry of Finance...
and chairman of National Coalition Party
National Coalition Party (Finland)
The National Coalition Party is a liberal conservative political party in Finland founded in 1918.The National Coalition Party is one of the four largest parties in Finland, along with the Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the True Finns...
, supported Stubb stating he was surprising, courageous and that he "puts a smile on one's face".
As the Foreign Minister of Finland, Stubb was the Chairman-in-Office
Chairman-in-Office
A Chairman-in-Office or President-in-Office is the ambassador, foreign minister, or other official of the member state holding the presidency of an international organization, who is the individual actually chairing the meeting of the representatives from member states.The head of government of...
of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
from 5 April 2008 to 31 December 2008. The Russian-Georgian war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
occurred during this period, and OSCE brokered an agreement to send military observers to the area.
Other work
Stubb has stated that he has "always been of the opinion that matters must be discussed openly and honestly", hence he is a columnist for various newspapers; APU, Ilta-SanomatIlta-Sanomat
Ilta-Sanomat is one of Finland's two prominent tabloid size evening dailys and the second largest newspaper in the country...
, Blue Wings, various papers in Suomen Lehtiyhtymä group, Nykypäivä and Hufvudstadsbladet
Hufvudstadsbladet
Hufvudstadsbladet is the highest-circulation Swedish-language newspaper in Finland. Its headquarters are located in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The name of the newspaper translates approximately into "The Capital City Newspaper", hufvudstad being 19th century Swedish for capital...
. He has also authored a number of academic articles and nine books about the European Union. Stubb has a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
and a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, which he maintained post-election despite some other Finnish political figures largely abandoning theirs.
His book Alaston totuus ja muita kirjoituksia suomalaisista ja eurooppalaisista – The Naked Truth and other stories about Finns and Europeans (ISBN 9789510351758), a collection of his columns for the Finnair
Finnair
Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...
in-flight magazine Blue Wings, was published in a bilingual Finnish–English edition by WSOY in 2009.