Jenni Haukio


Jenni Elina Haukio is a Finnish poet, political scientist and the spouse of the president of Finland from 2012 to 2024. She is the second wife of the former president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö.

Career

Haukio graduated from the University of Turku with a master of political sciences degree in 2001. She completed her political science doctoral thesis on the digitisation of party campaigns at the University of Helsinki in 2022.
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.
Haukio has published three poetry collections. The first one won a national debut poet contest, Runo-Kaarina, in 1999.

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. They later became a couple, but they kept their relationship a secret from the public until their marriage on 3 January 2009. Their first child, a son named Aaro Veli Väinämö Niinistö, was born on 2 February 2018.

Honours

Finnish decorations

Foreign decorations