Henna Maria Virkkunen (born 4 June 1972) is a Finnish politician who has been serving as a

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

(MEP) since 2014. She is a member of the

National Coalition Party sv, Samlingspartiet , leader1_title = Chairman , leader1_name = Petteri Orpo , leader2_title = Deputy chairs , leader2_name = Antti HäkkänenElina ValtonenAnna-Kaisa Ikonen , merger = Finnish Party, Young Finn ...

, part of the European People's Party. She was Minister of Public Administration and Local Government in the government of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Jyrki Katainen Jyrki Tapani Katainen (born 14 October 1971) is a Finnish politician who served as the European Commission's Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness from 2014 until 2019. Katainen was previously Prime Minister of Finland fr ...

from 22 June 2011 to 24 June 2014.

Political career

In parliament, Virkkunen has been serving on the

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is a committee of the European Parliament. Its areas of responsibility relate to industry, especially technology-intensive manufacturing, information technology, and telecommunications. It also ...

(since 2014) and the

Committee on Transport and Tourism The Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) is a committee of the European Parliament. Its current chair is the French MEP Karima Delli of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance. Research service The Committee is directly supported by ...

(since 2021). In 2022, she joined the Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance

spyware Spyware (a portmanteau for spying software) is software with malicious behaviour that aims to gather information about a person or organization and send it to another entity in a way that harms the user—for example, by violating their priva ...

. Virkkunen was the rapporteur on the non-binding opinion on Integrated digital platform, digital platforms and on Drivers' working hours, driving and rest times. In addition to her committee assignments, Virkkunen has been a member of the parliament's delegation for relations with South Africa (2014-2019) and with the Arab Peninsula (since 2019). She is also a member of the European Internet Forum; the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights; the European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals; and the European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas. In December 2020, Virkkunen received the Energy award at ''The Parliament Magazines annual The_Parliament_Magazine#The_MEP_Awards, MEP Awards.

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* , - , - 1972 births Living people People from Joutsa National Coalition Party politicians Ministers of Education of Finland Ministers of Transport and Public Works of Finland Members of the Parliament of Finland (2007–11) Members of the Parliament of Finland (2011–15) MEPs for Finland 2014–2019 MEPs for Finland 2019–2024 21st-century women MEPs for Finland Women government ministers of Finland Women members of the Parliament of Finland {{Finland-MEP-stub