Kyösti Virrankoski, former Finnish MP and MEP, dies at 82

Kyösti Virrankoski, a former Finnish member of parliament and European parliamentarian, died on Thursday at the age of 82 in Kauhava, his son Reino Virrankoski confirmed to Yle.

Virrankoski died of rapidly progressing cancer, according to the report.

A member of the Centre Party, Virrankoski served as a national MP from 1991 to 1995 and as a member of the European Parliament from 1996 to 2009. He was also active in local politics, holding seats in both the regional council and the municipal council.

Centre Party secretary Antti Siika-aho offered condolences on behalf of the party, describing Virrankoski’s political career as exceptionally broad, spanning from local to European levels. “Above all, he was a voice from Ostrobothnia with a European heart,” Siika-aho said.

Virrankoski was among the first Finns elected to the European Parliament in 1996. Siika-aho noted that he “created a horizon of hope also for those who were uncertain about joining the EU.”

He held a master’s degree in philosophy and was awarded the honorary title of valtiopäiväneuvos, or councilor of parliament, in 2024.