Biography
Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb is the 13th President of the Republic of Finland. His inauguration took place on 1 March 2024.
Alexander Stubb was born on 1 April 1968 in Helsinki, where he grew up in a bilingual family in the neighbourhood of Lehtisaari. He spoke Finnish with his late mother, Christel Stubb (née Setälä), and still speaks Finnish with his brother Nicolas. With his father, Göran Stubb, he always speaks Swedish. Stubb started his education in a Finnish-speaking primary school, but changed to a Swedish-speaking school in grade 4.
After general upper secondary school and military service, Stubb studied at Furman University in the United States, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993. In 1994, he continued his studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris, where he obtained a diploma in French language and culture. He went on to complete a Master of Arts degree at the College of Europe in Bruges in 1995. In 1999, Stubb defended his doctoral thesis in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. His thesis dealt with the flexible integration of the European Union.
Alexander Stubb has worked as a researcher at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU, and as a PhD researcher at the Academy of Finland. He has also worked as a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges, as an advisor to the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi, and as a counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU in Brussels.
In 2004, Stubb represented the National Coalition Party in the European elections. He entered the European Parliament with the second highest number of votes in Finland. Jyrki Katainen, Chairman of the National Coalition Party, invited Stubb to become Minister for Foreign Affairs in April 2008, a position he held until the end of the government term in June 2011.
In April 2011, Stubb was elected to Finnish Parliament as a representative of the National Coalition Party. He was appointed Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade in June 2011 and held the post until June 2014.
In 2014, Stubb stood as a candidate for the European Parliament and was elected with the highest number of votes in Finland. However, he did not take up his seat, however, as he was elected Chairman of the National Coalition Party in June 2014. Stubb then took on the role of Prime Minister, which he held until the end of the parliamentary term.
In Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s government, Alexander Stubb served as Minister of Finance until May 2016, when Petteri Orpo became Chairman of the National Coalition Party. In August 2017, Stubb took up the position of Vice-President of the European Investment Bank.
In May 2020, Stubb took up the position of Professor and Director of the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. He took a leave of absence in October 2023 to run for President of Finland.
In 2017, former President Martti Ahtisaari asked Alexander Stubb to chair the Board of the Crisis Management Initiative, a conflict mediation organisation founded by President Ahtisaari. Stubb served in this capacity until February 2024.
Alexander Stubb is the author of some twenty works on international politics, the European Union, observations on Finland and the Finnish identity, and physical activity. Alexander Stubb co-authored his biography with Karo Hämäläinen in 2017. Over the years, he has also written numerous column series for Finland’s largest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Finnair’s in-flight magazine Blue Wings, the Finnish weekly magazine Apu, the Swedish business newspaper Dagens Industri and the Financial Times.
Stubb has been married to Attorney Suzanne Innes-Stubb, who is a British and Finnish citizen, since 1998. The couple has two adult children, Emilie and Oliver. The family also includes two cats, Milo and Nala.
Stubb participates in and follows a wide variety of sports. He has played ice hockey, football and handball as well as golf, in which he made it to the national team. Currently, Stubb’s hobbies include cycling, swimming, running and skiing as well as triathlon, in which he has competed regularly.
Stubb is additionally an enthusiastic friend of literature who reads versatile works ranging from political philosophy to biographies.
Curriculum vitae
Alexander Stubb
President of the Republic of Finland 1.3.2024–
Born on 1 April 1968 in Helsinki, Finland
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), London School of Economics and Political Science 1999
Married to Suzanne Innes-Stubb 1998–
Daughter Emilie, b. 2001 and son Oliver, b. 2004
Career
Director & Professor, School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute 5/2020–02/2024
Vice-President, European Investment Bank 2017–2020
Finance Minister of Finland 05/2015–06/2016
Prime Minister of Finland 06/2014–05/2015
Chairman of the National Coalition Party 06/2014–06/2016
Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland 06/2011–06/2014
Member of Parliament of Finland 04/2011–07/2017
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland 04/2008–06/2011
Member of the European Parliament 07/2004–04/2008
Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU 2003–2004
Adviser to the President of the European Commission, European Commission 2001–2003
Visiting Professor, College of Europe 2000–2007
Researcher, Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU 1999–2001
PhD Researcher, Academy of Finland 1997–1999
Researcher, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1995–1997
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science 1999
Master of Arts (MA) in Political Science, College of Europe 1995
Diplôme de Langue et Civilisation Française, Université Paris-Sorbonne 1994
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science, Furman University 1993
Language skills
Finnish (native/bilingual) and Swedish (native/bilingual)
English (fluent), French (fluent) and German (fluent)
Confidential posts and memberships
Member of the Governing Board, European Policy Center 2021–Present
Member of the Governing Board of Director, ONE 2021–Present
Full Member of the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, Club de Madrid 2020–Present
Member of the International Advisory Board, STOA (European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology) 2020–Present
Member and Governor, Ditchley Foundation 2020–Present
Chairman of the Board, Crisis Management Initiative, an independent peace mediation organisation founded by President Martti Ahtisaari 2017–2024
Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for European Reform 2016–2017
Member of the European Council for Foreign Relations 2008–2017
Chairman of the OSCE, peace mediator in war in Georgia 2008
Honours and awards
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy, Furman University, United States 2017
Honorary Doctorate of Economics, Lappeenranta Technical University, Finland 2012
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland 2024
Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty, Finland 2024
Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland 2024
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class, Estonia 2014
Officier dans l’ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, France 2018
Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Italy 2008
Grand Cross of Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Norway 2012
Summa Cum Laude and Bradshaw Feaster Medal of General Excellence, Furman University, United States 1993
Member of the Global Future Council on Europe, World Economic Forum, Switzerland 2018
The most positive person of Finland 2009
Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum, Switzerland 2009
Publications
- “Alex”. Stubb, Alexander & Hämäläinen, Karo (an autobiography). Helsinki: Otava, 2017.
- “The European Union: Readings on the theory and practice of European integration”. Brent Nelsen and Alexander Stubb (eds. 4th). Boulder: Lynne Rienner London: Palgrave, 2014.
- “The power of Sisu: Stories about Finland”. Helsinki: WSOY, 2013.
- “The naked truth and other stories about Finns and Europeans”. Helsinki: WSOY, 2009.
- ”Ei, herra ministeri: Ulkoministerin ensimmäinen vuosi” (toim. Anu-Elina Lehti). Helsinki: WSOY, 2009.
- ”Miehen treenikirja”. Stubb, Alexander & Järvimäki, Ilkka. Helsinki: Otava, 2009.
- “The European Union. How does it work?”. Bomberg, Elizabeth, Peterson, John & Stubb, Alexander (eds. 2nd). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
- ”Marginaalista ytimeen: Suomi Euroopan Unionissa 1989–2003” (Toim.). Helsinki: WSOY, 2006.
- ”EU 2005: Hikinen vuosi”. Helsinki: WSOY, 2006.
- ”Hymyile, olet EU:ssa! Europarlamentaarikon päiväkirja”. Helsinki: WSOY, 2005.
- “The European Union: Readings on the theory and practice of European integration”. Brent Nelsen & Alexander Stubb (eds. 3rd). Boulder: Lynne Rienner. London: Palgrave, 2003.
- “The European Union. How does it work?”. Bomberg, Elizabeth & Stubb, Alexander (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
- ”Minne menet EU?”. Helsinki: Tammi, 2003.
- ”Minun Eurooppani: Neljä visiota Euroopan unionin tulevaisuudesta”. Hautala, Heidi & Rehn, Olli & Rosas, Allan & Stubb, Alexander. Helsinki: Tammi, 2003.
- “Negotiating flexibility in the European Union. Amsterdam, Nice and Beyond”. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002.
- “Rethinking the European Union: IGC 2000 and Beyond”. Edward Best, Mark Gray and Alexander Stubb (eds.). Maastricht: EIPA, 2000.
- “Flexible integration and the Amsterdam Treaty: Negotiating differentiation in the 1996-97 IGC”. PhD Thesis, LSE, Michaelmas Term, 1998.
- “The European Union: Readings on the theory and practice of European integration”. Brent Nelsen and Alexander Stubb (eds. 2nd). Boulder: Lynne Rienner. London: Palgrave, 1998.
- “The European Union: Readings on the theory and practice of European integration”. Brent Nelsen and Alexander Stubb (eds. 1st). Boulder: Lynne Rienner. London: Macmillan, 1994.
Over the years Alexander Stubb has written numerous column series for example in Finland’s largest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Finnair’s in-flight magazine Blue Wings, the Finnish weekly magazine Apu, the Swedish business and industry newspaper Dagens Industri and Financial Times.