Sakari Rainer Puisto (born 19 December 1976 in Tampere)[1] is a Finnish politician. He was a candidate of the Finns Party in European Parliament elections in 2014 and in parliamentary elections in 2015 and 2019. In spring 2015, he participated in the government negotiations. He worked as a Senior Adviser to former Minister of Employment Jari Lindström in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. During this time, he especially focused on the asylum seeker crisis as well as education and innovation policy, in addition to economic affairs and employment policy. In 2019, he was a candidate of the Finns Party in Pirkanmaa constituency and was elected to the Parliament.
In 1995, Puisto graduated from Sampo upper secondary school in Tampere. After his military service, he moved to Britain to study physical sciences in Cambridge University. In 2004, he obtained a Ph.D. degree from Cambridge University. After that, he worked for local companies in South China ‒ in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Puisto has been a visiting scholar in Cambridge University.[2]
In July 2021, Puisto announced he would run for the leader of the Finns Party after Jussi Halla-aho announced he would not seek another term. He eventually lost the election to Riikka Purra.[3]
In addition, he is the Chair of the Finnish Parliamentary Friendship Group of Lithuania and the Friendship Group of Poland since 2019.[5]