Kiviniemi was appointed together with Stefan Kapferer who is the current state secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Kiviniemi and Kapferer will replace Pier Carlo Padoan after he became Italy’s minister of economy in February and Yves Leterme, who in June was appointed the secretary-general of the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Mari Kiviniemi was Finland’s prime minister from 2010 to 2011. She had previously been minister of public administration and local government, minister for trade and development and minister for European affairs. She has been a member of parliament since 1995.