Harry Juhani "Hjallis" Harkimo is a Finnish businessman, sportsperson, YouTuber and a member of the Finnish Parliament. Previously a National Coalition PartyMP, he now chairs his own political party, Movement Now. First elected to the Parliament in 2015 representing NCP, his tenure in the party was cut short following his complaints about leadership in 2018. He then proceeded to establish and register his new political movement simply as an association due to strong disdain toward traditional party politics. Following his successful re-election campaign in 2019, Harkimo decided to register Movement Now as a party afterall, explaining that "the whole system was built so that thriving in it won't be possible without having a party." In the Parliament, Harkimo sits in opposition, although he voted in favor of swearing in the Rinne Cabinet. He later explained this by saying he wanted to give the government platform a chance, since he considered many of its goals positive. Since then, Harkimo and Movement Now have been more critical of the government, even by joining in on some joint opposition interpellations.
Harkimo was elected to the Eduskunta in 2015 with 11,416 votes in the election. Although he was elected representing the National Coalition Party, in 2018 he left the party and founded a new political movement, Movement Now. In the 2019 parliamentary election, Harkimo was elected to the parliament as the sole representative from Movement Now.
Business
Harkimo is the chairman of the board of the Helsinki-based ice-hockey team Jokerit. He is also the developer of the team's home arena, Hartwall Areena, and an investor in sports. Harkimo hosted the Finnish version of The Apprentice from 2009 until 2013. and made a one-season return in 2018. In October 2017, Harkimo started to publish YouTube videos, discussing politics, business, sports and other subjects. In 2019 Harkimo bought the 49% share of Jokerit from Russians Gennady Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg, the owners of Arena Events Oy. Harkimo then sold 100% of Jokerit to Jari Kurri, a long time manager of the club. Harkimo's intent was to exclude the club from the US sanction list drawn upon the annexation of Crimea.
Harkimo married his first wife, MP Leena Harkimo in 1989. The pair filed for divorce in 2002. He later married MP Merikukka Forsius-Harkimo in 2004, but they divorced after only a year of marriage. Harkimo has two sons from his first marriage and a third from his second marriage. His YouTube channel contains numerous videos with his sons, whom he maintains close relationships with. Harkimo has been a vegetarian since the beginning of 2018.
