Will a Furman alum be the next prime minister of Finland?

Alexander Stubb

According to news reports over the last few days, 1993 Furman graduate Alexander Stubb could become Finland’s next prime minister.

Stubb, who currently serves as Finland’s Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, announced Tuesday that he would seek to succeed Jyrki Katainen as head of the National Coalition party, a centre-right grouping that is Finland’s largest.

The Financial Times reported that Stubb is “seen as the favourite to become head of the National Coalition party, and therefore prime minister until planned elections next year.”

Stubb has held his present position in the Finnish government since June 2011, and has been a member of the Finnish Parliament since March 2011.  He was Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland from 2008 to 2011, and Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2008.

Prior to his political career, Stubb has been Adviser to the President of the European Commission, Visiting Professor of the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, and Counsellor and Researcher at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union.

Stubb graduated from Furman in 1993 with a degree in political science, and was awarded the Bradshaw-Feaster Medal for General Excellence as the top male graduate in the class.  In addition to earning a Ph.D. in international politics from the London School of Economics, he has a M.A in political science from the College of Europe, Bruges, and a diploma on French language and society from the Sorbonne University in Paris.