She has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2008, and was re-elected in 2009, 2014 and 2019. In the 2024 elections, Pietikäinen was not elected and was placed on the reserve list. When Henna Virkkunen stepped down as an MEP to become a European Commissioner on 30 Nov 2024, Pietikäinen became an MEP again.
Political career
Role in national politics
Pietikäinen was in the Hämeenlinna town council (1981-1992). She was then a Member of Finnish Parliament until 2003 and served as Minister for the Environment in the cabinet of Prime MinisterEsko Aho between 1991 and 1995.
Pietikäinen sees the European Union should proceed towards a Europe of people, which guarantees the respect of human rights, equal opportunities for all, social inclusion and the access to high quality services. In her opinion, the Union needs to further involve organisations and citizens in the community decision-making process, from the preparatory phase of the work onwards. Also the Union should be more transparent.[2]
Pietikäinen states that the objectives and strategies, such as the Lisbon Strategy, are not enough. The Union would need an enhanced surveillance of the financial sector, obligations in terms of solvability as well as transparency in Europe and worldwide. She also supports reinforcing cooperation and negotiation procedures between employees and trade unions, in order to contribute to the stabilisation of growth. The future growth, in her opinion, spurs from investments in the education and research sectors, in particular in green business.[2]
When it comes to the environment, Pietikäinen states that political will is at the core of the environmental challenges: Europe should build an ecologically sustainable model in terms of way of life, transport, production and consumption, as well as the economic and legislative tools which will allow the shift towards this model.[2]
During her campaign for the 2014 European elections, Pietikäinen spent a total of €183,700, making her the biggest spender of the country's 13 elected MEPs. According to a Finnish media report, a third of Pietikäinen's budget was a bank loan, she contributed €49,000 from her own pocket and received €10,000 from the Trade Union Pro, Finland's largest private sector union.[3]
Pietikäinen also serves as vice-president of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights;[7] as board member of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals;[8] as member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children's Rights;[9] as member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Youth Issues;[10] as member of the European Parliament Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development;[11] as a vice-chairwoman of the cross-party Working Group on Fair Trade (sponsored by Fair Trade Advocacy);[12] and as member of the MEP Heart Group (sponsored by the European Heart Network (EHN) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)).[13] She is part of the Elie Wiesel Network of Parliamentarians for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities and against Genocide Denial[14] as well as of the MEP Alliance for Mental Health.[15]
In 2003, Pietikäinen was convicted of aggravated drunk driving after moving her car in a parking lot at midnight. She was fined, given a suspended prison sentence and banned from driving for five months.[21]
