Finnish EU commissioner Henna Virkkunen named to Time’s 100 most influential list

Finnish politician Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice president and commissioner for digital policy, has been included in Time magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people, Finnish broadcaster Yle reports.

Virkkunen appears in the leaders category of the Time 100 list, which also includes figures such as Pope Leo, US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, New York’s first Muslim mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Margrethe Vestager, Virkkunen’s predecessor as digital commissioner, described her as bringing “the same disciplined endurance to her work at the European Commission that she applies to running marathons.” Vestager added that the digital portfolio may be the most significant of all, stating: “In turbulent times, Europe needs someone with staying power—and it found one.”

Finnish leaders rarely appear on the Time 100 list. Former Prime Minister Sanna Marin was previously included in 2021 as one of the rising leaders shaping the future.