# Sakari Puisto # Sakari Puisto Sakari Puisto (born 19 December 1976 in Tampere) is a Finnish politician and physicist serving as **Minister of Economic Affairs** in the Orpo Cabinet since June 2023, representing the **[Finns Party](/organizations/finnish-party)**. By education, he holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge (2004) and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Pirkanmaa constituency in both 2019 and 2023, currently serving his second term. In his ministerial role, Puisto oversees matters related to the Innovations and Enterprise Financing Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Prior to his parliamentary career, he worked as a senior adviser on economic and employment policies. ## Early life and education ### Early life Sakari Puisto was born in 1976 in Tampere, Finland. He grew up in the city, which served as the foundation for his longstanding connection to the Pirkanmaa region. ### Education Puisto earned a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge in 2004. ## Professional career ### Academic background Puisto earned a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge in 2004. His doctoral research focused on surface crystallography of complex structures, employing low-energy electron diffraction techniques to analyze material surfaces. This work established his expertise in physical sciences, contributing to international academic discourse on advanced diffraction methods and their applications in nanotechnology and materials science. Following completion of his Ph.D., Puisto relocated to China. ### Advisory and private sector roles Following his PhD, Puisto worked for local companies in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. From 2015 to 2017, he served as a senior adviser to Minister of Employment and Justice Jari Lindström at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, where his responsibilities included advising on the asylum seeker crisis, education and innovation policy, economic affairs, and employment policy. After the government's term ended in 2017, Puisto took on the role of political planner for the [Finns Party](/organizations/finns-party) leadership until 2019. ## Political career ### Initial involvement Puisto entered politics as a candidate for the Finns Party in the [2014 European Parliament elections](/facts/2014-european-parliament-election). He continued his early political engagement by running as a candidate in the [2015 parliamentary elections](/facts/2015-finnish-parliamentary-election) from the Pirkanmaa constituency. In spring 2015, Puisto participated in government formation negotiations on behalf of the Finns Party, leveraging his background as a senior adviser on economic and employment policies. Puisto sought greater prominence within the party by announcing his candidacy for Finns Party leadership in July 2021, positioning himself as a continuation of [Jussi Halla-aho](/people/jussi-halla-aho)'s line, but he was defeated by [Riikka Purra](/people/riikka-purra) in the election held that August. ### Parliamentary tenure Sakari Puisto was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Pirkanmaa constituency on [17 April 2019](/facts/2019-finnish-parliamentary-election), representing the Finns Party. He was re-elected in the [2023 parliamentary elections](/facts/2023-finnish-parliamentary-election), securing 6,592 personal votes. From 19 April 2023 until his appointment to the cabinet in June 2023, Puisto chaired the Commerce Committee. During his parliamentary service, he also acted as a deputy member of the Foreign Affairs Committee from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, Puisto joined the Speaker's Council and the Forum for International Affairs as a member; he further served on the Parliamentary Supervisory Council of the [Bank of Finland](/organizations/bank-of-finland), which oversees its operations alongside the Financial Supervisory Authority. ### Ministerial role Sakari Puisto was appointed Minister of Economic Affairs on 13 June 2025 by the President of the Republic, as part of the Orpo Cabinet formation. He represents the Finns Party in this executive role, succeeding prior ministers in overseeing key aspects of Finland's economic policy. In this position, Puisto holds responsibility for the Innovations and Enterprise Financing Department within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, focusing on fostering business growth, financing expansion, and supportive conditions for innovation-driven economic development. His oversight contributes to the government's broader agenda on economic affairs amid Finland's current administration. ## Other positions and affiliations ### Committee memberships Puisto serves as Chair of the Finnish Parliamentary Friendship Group with Lithuania, a role he has held since 2019 to foster inter-parliamentary relations and cooperation. He was a member of the Parliamentary Supervisory Council from June 2023 to June 2025, which oversees the operations of the Bank of Finland and the Financial Supervisory Authority, emphasizing his involvement in financial stability and regulatory supervision. During his parliamentary tenure, Puisto has held memberships in key committees, including the Constitutional Law Committee from June 2019 to April 2023, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Speaker's Council since April 2023, focusing on legislative review, international policy, and parliamentary oversight. ### Additional roles Puisto serves as a City Councillor in Tampere, where he was first elected in 2017 and re-elected for multiple terms, including his third in 2025. From 2019 to 2023, he sat on the supervisory board of Finnfund, the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation. He held board positions with the Finnish National Gallery from 2020 to 2024 and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs from 2022 to 2024. In 2020, Puisto completed the National Civil Defence Course. ## Electoral history ### Parliamentary elections Puisto ran as a candidate for the Finns Party in the Pirkanmaa constituency during the 2015 Finnish parliamentary elections but was not elected. He secured a seat in the Parliament of Finland from the Pirkanmaa constituency in the 2019 elections, marking his entry into national politics. In the 2023 parliamentary elections, Puisto was re-elected from the same constituency, garnering 6,592 personal votes. ### Other elections Puisto stood as a candidate for the Finns Party in the 2014 [European Parliament](/organizations/european-parliament) elections. He has served as a city councillor in Tampere, representing the Finns Party, and was re-elected to a third term in the 2025 municipal elections. ## Dated facts _No published facts on this page yet._ ## Methodology https://factrail.ai/methodology Canonical: https://factrail.ai/people/sakari-puisto