Finland's Marin, once the world's youngest premier, steps down as party
leader
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[September 01, 2023]
By Essi Lehto
HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland's former Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who
narrowly lost an election in April, stepped down on Friday as chair of
the centre-left Social Democrats, hoping to take the focus off her
personal life after an often turbulent four years at the helm.
Marin, who had announced her intention to quit soon after the election
loss, was the world's youngest prime minister when she took the post in
2019 aged 34, attracting attention around the globe and helping lift
Finland's profile.
After leading the country through COVID-19 lockdowns and the ensuing
economic turmoil, Marin became a vocal supporter of Ukraine after
Russia's invasion last year and successfully pushed to end Finland's
military non-alignment in favor of NATO membership.
She chaired her party's conference for the last time on Friday and in a
brief speech, she reiterated her criticism of Finland's eastern
neighbor.
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"Russia and its representatives must be held accountable for the illegal
crime of aggression, war crimes and the consequences of war," Marin
said.
"In addition to Finland's steadfast support for Ukraine and the
Ukrainians, we must also send a strong message of hope for the
reconstruction of the country, for a European future."
Marin, now 37, has appeared on the covers of Vogue and Time Magazine,
has a million followers on Instagram and is considered by fans around
the world as a millennial role model for progressive leaders.
But at home, voters concerned with issues like immigration and a growing
public deficit in April handed Marin a narrow defeat to the right wing
National Coalition and the far-right Finns party, triggering the
government's fall.
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![](../images/090123PIX/news_a36.jpg)
Finland's Social Democrats Party Chair,
former Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin waves from the stage
before her resignation speech at the Party Congress of the
Socialdemocrats of Finland in Jyvaskyla, Finland, September 1, 2023.
Lehtikuva/Markku Ulander via REUTERS
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She weathered several publicity storms while in office, including
over her nightclubbing during the pandemic, hosting private parties
at her official residence and voluntarily taking a drug test after a
party video was leaked to the media.
The drug test was negative, Marin announced, and she apologized to
Finns when a picture from a party at the prime minister's seaside
residence showed two well-known female influencers covering their
bare breasts with a "Finland" sign.
After her election loss, Marin said she looked forward to a quieter
life and later also announced a divorce from her husband.
Entering the stage on Friday to the beat of Aretha Franklin's
"Respect", Marin thanked her party for its support.
She was due to formally hand over the reins later on Friday after
the Social Democrats elect a new leader.
Marin remains a member of parliament and has also enlisted as a
public speaker with a U.S. agency and founded a consultancy with her
former assistant.
(Reporting by Essi Lehto; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Frances
Kerry)
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