Ilkka Kantola


Ilkka Tapani Kantola is a Finnish politician and Lutheran minister. He has been a Social Democratic member of the Parliament of Finland since 2007. Previously he served as Bishop of Turku.

Life

Kantola was born in Rymättylä, Finland. He graduated as Doctor of Theology from the University of Helsinki in 1994. He served as General Secretary of the Archdiocese of Turku from 1994 to 1998 and then as Bishop of the Archdiocese. In 2005 Kantola resigned after it was revealed that he had an extramarital affair with a married female minister. This was the first time when a Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Finland resigned prematurely.
In 2007, Kantola was elected to the Parliament of Finland from the electoral district of Finland Proper. Next year he was elected to the City Council of Turku. He has been twice re-elected to both the Parliament and the City Council. From 2011 to 2015, he chaired the Administrative Council of the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Kantola is currently member of the Constitutional Law Committee and Education and Culture Committee of the Parliament.

Electoral history

Parliamentary elections

YearElectoral districtVotesResult
2007Finland Proper5,091Elected
2011Finland Proper6,339Elected
2015Finland Proper5,908Elected

Municipal elections

YearMunicipalityVotesResult
2008Turku1,680Elected
2012Turku675Elected
2017Turku621Elected