About me
About me
By protecting people, the environment and nature, we build a society that can withstand even the greatest challenges. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their everyday life.
- Expert in preparedness and emergency planning
- Master of Arts
- Father of an adult child
- 54 years old
- Home municipality: Espoo
By protecting every person and nature, we also prepare for major crises
During the next parliamentary term, 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product will be allocated to security, as we have promised NATO. Our understanding of security needs updating. Military force is important, but it cannot rescue people from the rubble or ensure that help arrives in time. I want to ensure that rescue workers, healthcare and social services professionals, emergency and crisis response staff, and experts in civil society organisations can continue to do their work effectively. The funds allocated to security must be used to safeguard everyone’s security, regardless of their background, without forgetting nature.
We must safeguard the security of us Finns in normal times as well. During this government term, much has been done to strengthen military capabilities, but at the same time, security has also faced severe cuts. The experience of Ukraine shows that we must be prepared to protect civilians in the event of large-scale crises as well.
When nature thrives, Finland thrives
Nature and the environment have intrinsic value for me and must not be subordinated to economic gain.
In the long term, environmentally sustainable solutions are also economically and socially wise.
I believe in the power of markets. With the right regulation, they can guide us to live within planetary boundaries. Emissions trading is a good example of this.
We need investment, but not at any cost. We can open the door to data centres, too, but not before our legislation is ready for them.
Mines do not belong in nature reserves.
We must phase out fossil fuels as soon as possible.
An active lifestyle in harmony with nature
Walking, cycling and using public transport should be easy and accessible to as many people as possible. This requires good urban planning and reliable public transport connections throughout Uusimaa.
Everyone should also have equal opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and take part in physical activities, regardless of where they live or their background.
I am the chair of ViLU, the Green Sports and Physical Activity Association. Our sports club promotes an environmentally sustainable and inclusive active lifestyle, as well as public health.
Working towards a well-prepared and safe Uusimaa
For most people, being from Uusimaa is probably not a conscious part of their identity. For me, it is.
I spent my childhood surrounded by my entrepreneurial family in Pornainen, where my grandfather A. E. Koskinen’s buses kept people moving and helped everyday life across the region run smoothly. My bilingual family background, close ties to Sipoo, my years at upper secondary school and later working in Porvoo, the years I spent in Helsinki and Vantaa, and my current home and work in Espoo have all rooted me deeply in the forests, shores, villages and cities of Uusimaa.
These roots have given me a strong foundation for the work I do to promote the wellbeing of people and nature across the region. I have worked in preparedness and emergency planning within Finland’s National Emergency Supply Organisation, at a rescue department and across different wellbeing services counties in Uusimaa. Through hands-on experience, I have learned how rescue services, health care and social services protect ordinary people’s lives in very tangible ways.
Alongside preparedness work in the public sector and civil society, I have also wanted to help businesses prepare for crises. A thriving business community and a resilient economy help carry us through even major disruptions. For me, caring for nature is an inseparable part of comprehensive security. As our environment changes, so do the challenges to our safety and the risks we face in everyday life.
I hold a Master’s degree and a degree in media, and I am currently preparing a doctoral dissertation on preparedness and emergency planning. Before moving into my current field, I spent many years working as an investigative journalist for the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle, including its A-studio current affairs programme, MOT investigative journalism programme and news department. I also worked as a producer for MTV’s 45 Minutes investigative journalism programme. Curiosity, a commitment to facts and a desire to understand the people behind the issues continue to guide me today.
My outlook combines social liberalism, market liberalism and liberal values. These values shape not only my views but also what I do and how I meet people. I am active in Finland’s Green movement, where the communities closest to my heart include Viite, the Greens for Science and Technology, and the Green Economists, as well as the Market Greens network. I believe that wellbeing should be within everyone’s reach, which is why I founded and chair ViLU, the Green Sports and Physical Activity Association. I am also a member of the Finnish Association of Fire Officers.
When I am not working on public affairs or preparedness, you will find me doing the things that recharge my own batteries: picking berries in the forest, tending my crops at our summer cottage, or taking part in running events along the wonderful trails of Uusimaa.