Paavo Arhinmäki

Paavo Erkki Arhinmäki (born 13 December 1976, in Helsinki) is a Finnish politician and Helsinki Deputy Mayor for Culture and Leisure since 2021. He was a member of the Finnish Parliament from 2007 til 2021 representing the Left Alliance, a party whose leader he was from 2009 til 2016. He was first elected to the Finnish Parliament in the 2007 election and re-elected in 2011. Arhinmäki has been a member of the City Council of Helsinki since 2001. He led the Left Youth in 2001–2005. He proposed a halt to nuclear power projects in Finland in the wake of the Great Hanshin earthquake.

Paavo Arhinmäki
Minister of Culture and Sport
In office 22 June 2011 (2011-06-22) – 4 April 2014 (2014-04-04)
Prime Minister	Jyrki Katainen
Preceded by	Stefan Wallin
Succeeded by	Pia Viitanen
Member of the Finnish Parliament
In office 21 March 2007 – 2021
Constituency	Helsinki
Personal details
Born	(1976-12-13) 13 December 1976 Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Political party	Left Alliance

After the 2011 election, the Left Alliance became a partner in the six-party grand coalition cabinet led by Jyrki Katainen. Being a football enthusiast, Arhinmäki became Minister for Culture and Sport and the party gained another ministerial portfolio as well. The decision to join the government created a split in the party, leading to the expulsion of two MPs from the parliamentary group. Later Arhinmäki became the subject of media criticism after a drinking binge at the Sochi Winter Olympics in February 2014.[1] In 2014 Left Alliance left the cabinet over a dispute on a package of spending cuts and tax rises.[2]

In 2012 Arhinmäki was a Left Alliance candidate in the Finnish Presidential Elections, finishing 6th with 5.5% of the total votes in the first round of voting.

In April 2016, Arhinmäki announced that he wouldn't seek another term as the party leader.[3] On 11 June 2016, he was followed by Li Andersson.[4]

Early life: he grew up in Pasila, Helsinki.[5]