Erkki Antero Liikanen (born 19 September 1950) is a Finnish social democratic politician and a former Governor of the Bank of Finland.^[1][2]

Erkki Antero Liikanen obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Economics) from the University of Helsinki in 1975.^[3]

Liikanen was elected to the Finnish Parliament in 1972 when he was only 21 years old. Liikanen was appointed as the Minister of Finance in the Holkeri Cabinet in 1987.^[4] He left Parliament in 1990 to become the first Finnish Ambassador to the European Union.^[5]

In 1994 he became the first Finnish Member of the European Commission. He was Commissioner for Budget, Personnel and administration, which included responsibilities for translation and information technology.^[6]

Liikanen served as Governor of the Bank of Finland from 12 July 2004. As such he also became a Member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (2004–2018) and Governor of the International Monetary Fund for Finland (2004–2018).^[7]

In February 2012, EU Commissioner Michel Barnier asked Liikanen to chair a group of experts to assess the need for structural reforms to the EU banking sector. Their works is known as the Liikanen report was published on 2 October 2012.

Liikanen was also the chairman of Finnish Red Cross between June 2008 and June 2014.

In early 2019, a Reuters poll of economists found that while Benoît Cœuré was considered best-suited for the role as President of the European Central Bank, the most likely compromise candidate was Liikanen.^[8]

• Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Finland, 12 July 2004– (Present position)
• 1995–2004 Member of the European Commission, Brussels
• 1990–1994 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of Finnish Mission to the European Union, Brussels
• 1987–1990 Minister of Finance
• 1983–1987 Parliamentary Trustee to the Bank of Finland (Vice-Chairman), Speaker's Council
• 1981–1987 Secretary-General of the Social Democratic Party
• 1980–1989 Member and subsequently Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Outokumpu (steel)
• 1978, 1982, 1988 Elected as Member of the Electoral College to select the Finnish President
• 1972–1990 Member of Parliament; member of Cultural Affairs Committee (1972–1975), Agriculture and Forestry Committee (Vice-Chairman) (1977–1979), Foreign Affairs Committee (member 1975–1982; Chairman 1983–1987)

Liikanen is married to Hanna-Liisa Liikanen and they have two daughters.^[15][16]

• Brysselin päiväkirjat 1990–1994 (edited by Eila Nevalainen) ISBN 951-1-13832-4^[17]