Radio | News week in plain Finnish | Saturday 3 February 2024

Presidential candidates, part 1/2

Alexander Stubb

Image: Image: Silja Viitala, image editing: Asmo Raimoaho / Yle

The topic of the news week is the Finnish presidential election. Alexander Stubb and Pekka Haavisto made it to the second round of the presidential election.

In this broadcast, we talk about Alexander Stubb. He received the most votes in the first round of the election, about 27 percent.

Tomorrow we will talk about Pekka Haavisto. He got the second most votes, almost 26 percent.

So now more about Alexander Stubb.

Family and studies

Suzanne Innes-Stubb and Alexander Stubb. Photo: Timo Leponiemi / Yle

Alexander Stubb is the coalition’s presidential candidate. He is 55 years old and lives in Espoo.

He has two grown children. Stubb’s spouse Suzanne Innes-Stubb is from England.

Alexander Stubb has studied, for example, political science, international politics and economics. He has a doctorate in philosophy.

Career in politics

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009 in Washington. Photo: Mika Mäkeläinen / YLE

Alexander Stubb got involved in politics in the early 2000s. For example, he has been Finland’s prime minister, foreign minister and finance minister. He has also been Finland’s representative in the European Union Parliament.

Stubb has been the chairman of the association.

In recent years, Stubb has been a director and professor at the European University Institute in Italy.

On the campaign pages, Stubb says that he is running for president because he wants Finland to be an open, safe and international country.

Stubb tells Yle that his role model in foreign policy is the former president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari. Stubb says that Ahtisaari was an important peace broker.

Hobbies

Alexander Stubb ran his own record in the marathon in Helsinki in August 2008. Photo: Tea Karvinen / Lehtikuva

Alexander Stubb’s hobbies are reading and triathlon, a sport that combines swimming, cycling and running.

Stubb’s favorite city in the world is Florence in Italy and his favorite food is sushi.

The topic of the news week today was presidential candidate Alexander Stubb.

The coalition’s candidate Alexander Stubb and the candidate of the voters’ association Pekka Haavisto made it to the second round of the presidential election. We will tell you more about Haavisto on the broadcast tomorrow.

Voting day for the presidential election is Sunday, February 11. Then it will be clear who will be the new president of Finland.

Here was Uutisviikko in clear Finnish, see you again tomorrow. Goodbye!