man in government. In 2003 Karpela and Niinistö announced their engagement, which they ended in 2004. In 2005, Niinistö met Jenni Haukio, who at the time worked for the National Coalition Party and interviewed Niinistö for the Nykypäivä magazine. They later became romantically involved but kept the relationship secret from the public until the wedding on 3 January 2009. In October 2017, the couple announced that they were expecting a child, and they subsequently had a son, who was born in February 2018. In 2017 Niinistö and Haukio's dog Lennu went viral across the world. Niinistö is the uncle of Ville Niinistö, a Green League MP from Turku, former leader of the Green League and former Minister of the Environment. Whereas, ex-Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö is not related, and their family names have different origins. Niinistö is a survivor of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. He escaped the ensuing tsunami by climbing a utility pole with his son in Khao Lak, Thailand. Niinistö is a devout Christian and member of the Lutheran Church. Niinistö enjoys roller skating in his spare time, and in the winter he often plays ice hockey. Beside his native language, Niinistö also speaks English and Swedish. Opinions Niinistö opposes the president's right to pardon prisoners and only pardoned one prisoner during his first year as president. He opposes same-sex marriage but thinks that same-sex couples should have the right to adoption and a common surname. He supports euthanasia under certain circumstances. In December 2017, Niinistö stated that Finland should not apply for NATO membership in the current circumstances. According to Niinistö, as a member of NATO, Finland would lose the opportunity to stay out of the crisis. However, Niinistö wondered that in the event of a crisis between Russia and the EU, Finland should consider membership very seriously. Popular culture Niinistö appears as an animated character in the political satire TV series The Autocrats. Niinistö also appears in an episode of Hyvät herrat, a popular Finnish political satire show, as a guest star. Honours Coat of Arms National Orders : Grand Master and Commander Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland : Grand Master and Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland : Grand Master and Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty Foreign Orders : Grand Star of the Decoration