Outgoing Mayor of Espoo Jukka Mäkelä and Chairman of the Espoo City Council Markku Sistonen congratulate Minister of the Environment and Climate, Kai Mykkänen of the National Coalition Party, at the Espoo City Council meeting on October 21, 2024. Mykkänen was elected as Espoo’s new mayor during the meeting. LEHTIKUVA
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Kai Mykkänen has been elected as the new mayor of Espoo, set to take office on February 1, 2025, following the retirement of long-serving mayor Jukka Mäkelä. Mykkänen, currently Finland’s Minister of Climate and the Environment, won the election held by the Espoo City Council on October 21, 2024, securing 44 votes in the second round of voting, with his opponent Tuula Antola receiving 31 votes.
Mykkänen, born in 1979, holds a Master of Social Sciences degree and has extensive experience in public administration. He has served as a Member of Parliament and held various leadership roles in government, making him a strong contender for the role of mayor. His selection followed a thorough recruitment process that involved interviews, assessments, and a comparison of the candidates’ qualifications.
The position of mayor in Espoo is a fixed-term role lasting seven years, with the possibility of additional terms of up to four years. Mykkänen was selected based on a range of qualifications, including management experience, familiarity with public administration, and fluency in both Finnish and Swedish. Out of 46 applicants, 12 candidates met the qualifications for the role, with six advancing to the final interview stage.
As Mykkänen takes the reins from Mäkelä, who has led Espoo since 2011, he will be tasked with continuing to shape the city’s future, particularly in areas like climate policy and sustainable urban development.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
