Editing Nils Torvalds (section)

== Political career ==
=== Career in national politics ===
In 2006, Torvalds joined the [[Swedish People's Party of Finland|Swedish People's Party]],<ref name="yle2018" /> and the following year he was elected to the post of the third vice chairperson.<ref>[http://www.sfp.fi/start/nyhetsarkiv/artikel-31-397.html Sfp valde orförande och viceordförande, energipolitiska ställningstagandet remitterades] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613101555/http://www.sfp.fi/start/nyhetsarkiv/artikel-31-397.html |date=2007-06-13 }} (SFP 10.06.2007)</ref> This upset some party voters due to Torvalds' past.<ref name="yle2018" /> In 2008, he was elected to [[Helsinki City Council#City Council|Helsinki City Council]] for term 2009–2012.<ref name="hel">{{cite web|url=http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/Helsinki/Artikkeli?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/helsinki/fi/P__t_ksenteko+ja+hallinto/P__t_ksenteko/Kaupunginvaltuusto/Valtuuston+j_senet|website=hel.fi|title=Kaupunginvaltuuston puoluejakauma kaudella 2009–2012|access-date=2017-09-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916010220/http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/Helsinki/Artikkeli?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fhelsinki%2Ffi%2FP__t_ksenteko+ja+hallinto%2FP__t_ksenteko%2FKaupunginvaltuusto%2FValtuuston+j_senet|archive-date=2009-09-16}}</ref>

On 11 June 2017 the Swedish People's Party chose Torvalds as the party candidate for the 2018 [[2018 Finnish presidential election|presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9662767|title=RKP:n presidenttiehdokkaaksi valittiin europarlamentaarikko Nils Torvalds|date=13 June 2017|publisher=Yle|language=fi|access-date=2017-06-17}}</ref> Some of his campaign themes were education, technology and the environment. Torvalds was the only candidate who openly supported Finland's [[NATO]] membership during his campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9984818 |title=Nils Torvalds liputtaa Natoa – "Siinä vaiheessa kun se kriisi iskee, on liian myöhäistä" |last=Jäntti |first=Mari |date=December 19, 2017 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi |access-date=2018-02-22}}</ref> In the election, Torvalds placed last with 1.5 percent of the votes, while the incumbent president [[Sauli Niinistö]] went on to secure his second term.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tulospalvelu.vaalit.fi/TPV-2018_1/fi/ehdtulos_kokomaa.html |title=Presidentinvaali 2018, 1. vaali: Ehdokkaiden äänet|publisher=Ministry of Justice|date=28 January 2018 |access-date=29 January 2018 |language=fi}}</ref>

=== Member of the European Parliament ===
Torvalds was a candidate for [[2009 European Parliament election in Finland|European Parliament election in 2009]] on the Swedish People's Party list. He received 14,044 votes which was insufficient for a seat.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://192.49.229.35/EP2009/s/tulos/ehdtulos_kokomaa.html |title=EUROPARLAMENTTIVAALIT 7.6.2009 - Tulos - Koko maa |publisher=vaalit.fi (the Official Results by the Ministry of Justice) |access-date=2009-06-13 |language=fi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612060746/http://192.49.229.35/EP2009/s/tulos/ehdtulos_kokomaa.html |archive-date=2009-06-12 }}</ref> However, on 5 July 2012, he was installed in the European Parliament, when [[Carl Haglund]] left his seat to join the [[Katainen Cabinet]] as [[Minister of Defence (Finland)|Minister of Defence]]. In the [[2014 European Parliament election]] Torvalds received about 29,000 votes and was elected.<ref name="kauppalehti" />

As a MEP<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/114268/NILS_TORVALDS_home.html|title=Nils Torvalds|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=2015-11-08}}</ref> his positions have included vice-chair of the [[European Parliament Committee on Fisheries|Fisheries committee]] (PECH) and member of the [[European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs|committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs]] (LIBE). Since 2021, he has been part of the Parliament's delegation to the [[Conference on the Future of Europe]].<ref>[https://conference-delegation.europarl.europa.eu/en/members.html Members of the delegation to the Conference on the Future of Europe] [[European Parliament]].</ref> 

Torvalds has served as [[rapporteur|shadow rapporteur]] on the [[circular economy]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/nils_torvalds_a_pro-nato_liberal_swimming_against_the_tide/9975034 |title=Nils Torvalds: A pro-NATO liberal swimming against the tide |date=December 14, 2017 |website=Yle Uutiset |access-date=2018-02-22}}</ref> and on the [[biofuel]]s directive<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2015-0025_EN.html|title=Recommendation for second reading on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources}}</ref> (which became directive 2015/1513<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2015/1513/oj|title=Directive (EU) 2015/1513 amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources|date=2015-09-09}}</ref>) and as rapporteur of the annual report 2018 on the European [[banking union]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2018-0419_EN.html|title=Report on Banking Union – annual report 2018 (2018/2100(INI))|date=2018-12-03}}</ref>

Torvalds opposed the [[Copyright Directive (2019)]] since it was first proposed, considering it unbalanced especially because of its article 13 (i.e. 17).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nilstorvalds.fi/pressmeddelanden/torvalds-rostade-nej-till-upphovsdirektivet-forslaget-ar-daligt-och-obalanserat/|title=Torvalds röstade nej till upphovsdirektivet: förslaget är dåligt och obalanserat!|language=sv|date=2019-03-26}}</ref>

In addition to his committee assignments, Torvalds is part of the [[MEPs Against Cancer]] group<ref>[https://www.europeancancerleagues.org/meps-against-cancer-mac-meps/ MAC MEPs in the 2019-24 legislature] [[MEPs Against Cancer]].</ref> and the European Parliament Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages.<ref>[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/files/organisation-and-rules/organisation/intergroups/list-of-members-traditional-minorities-national-communities-and-languages.pdf Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages] [[European Parliament]].</ref>

Following the [[2019 European Parliament election|2019 elections]], Torvalds was part of a cross-party working group in charge of drafting the European Parliament's five-year work program on economic and fiscal policies as well as trade.<ref>Florian Eder (June 13, 2019), [https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/politico-brussels-playbook-presented-by-google-madrids-moment-parliament-working-groups-sneak-peak-happy-birthday-gdpr/ POLITICO Brussels Playbook, presented by Google: Madrid’s moment — Parliament working groups sneak peak[sic] — Happy birthday, GDPR] ''[[Politico Europe]]''.</ref>

In June 2023, Torvalds was the recipient of the Environment and Climate Action Award at ''[[The Parliament Magazine]]'''s annual [[The_Parliament_Magazine#The_MEP_Awards|MEP Awards]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mepawards.eu/winners-2023/|title=MEP Awards: Winners 2022|date=27 June 2023|work=[[The Parliament Magazine]]|accessdate=24 August 2023}}</ref>