Jenni Haukio

Jenni Haukio
Jenni Haukio in 2008
Spouse of the President of Finland
Current
Assumed role 1 March 2012
President	Sauli Niinistö
Preceded by	Pentti Arajärvi
Personal details
Born	(1977-04-07) 7 April 1977 (age 44) Pori, Finland
Spouse(s)	Sauli Niinistö ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Turku (2001)
Occupation	Poet

Jenni Elina Haukio (born 7 April 1977 in Pori, Finland) is a Finnish poet and the spouse of the president of Finland^[1] since 1 March 2012. She is the second wife of the current president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö.

Career[]

Haukio graduated from the University of Turku with a master of political sciences degree in 2001.^[2]

She worked at the University of Turku, first as a research assistant and then as a communications officer. From 2003 to 2005 she was a parliamentary assistant, and from 2005 to 2012 she worked for the National Coalition Party. Since February 2012, Haukio has been the programme manager for the Turku Book Fair.^[3]

Haukio has published three poetry collections. The first one won a national debut poet contest, Runo-Kaarina, in 1999.^[3]

Personal life[]

Haukio met Sauli Niinistö, then a widower, in 2005, while she was working for the National Coalition Party. Haukio interviewed Niinistö for the party's Nykypäivä magazine.^[4] They later became a couple, but they kept their relationship a secret from the public until their marriage on 3 January 2009.^[5] Their first child, a son named Aaro Veli Väinämö Niinistö, was born on 2 February 2018.^[1][6]

Jenni Haukio (right) with US-First Lady Melania Trump, US-President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sauli Niinistö in the 2018 Russia–United States summit in Helsinki.

Jenni Haukio (right) with US-First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House, 2016.

Honours[]

Finnish decorations[]

•  Finland : Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland

Foreign decorations[]

•  Norway : Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (October 2012)^{[citation needed]}
•  Sweden : Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (April 2012)^{[citation needed]}
•  Denmark : Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (April 2013)^{[citation needed]}
•  France: Grand Cross of the Order of National Merit (July 2013)^{[citation needed]}
•  Latvia: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars (October 2013)^{[citation needed]}
•  Estonia : First Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (May 2014)^{[citation needed]}
•  Poland : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (March 2015)^[7]
•  Luxembourg : Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau (May 2016)^{[citation needed]}
•  Sweden : Recipient of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (30 April 2016)^{[citation needed]}
•  Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (May 2018)^{[citation needed]}
•  Germany: Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (September 2018)^{[citation needed]}

References[]

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