After Antti Rinne left his position as prime minister, the Social Democratic Party of Finland selected Marin as its candidate for the new prime minister on 8 December 2019.[4][5] Taking office at age 34, she is the youngest person to hold the office in Finnish history.[6][7]
Sanna Mirella Marin was born on 16 November 1985 in Helsinki.[8][2] Her parents split up when she was very young. The family faced financial problems and Marin's father, Lauri Marin, was an alcoholic.[9] After her biological parents separated, Marin was brought up by her mother and her mother's female partner.[10][11]
Marin graduated from the Pirkkala High School in 2004 at the age of 19.[12] She joined the Social Democratic Youth in 2006 and was its first vice president from 2010 to 2012.[13][8] She worked in a bakery and as a cashier while studying.[14] She graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree in Administrative Science from the University of Tampere.[10][14]
Early political career
Marin's political career began when she was aged 20.[15] She unsuccessfully ran for election to the City Council of Tampere, but was elected in the 2012 elections.[15][8][16] She became chairperson of the City Council within months, from 2013 to 2017.[10] In 2017, she was re-elected to the City Council.[17][14]
When she was confirmed by Parliament at the age of 34, she became Finland's youngest-ever prime minister, and was the youngest state leader until Sebastian Kurz became Chancellor of Austria again in January 2020.[23][30][31]
In October 2020, Marin took part in a photo shoot for the Finnish magazine Trendi in which she wore a blazer with nothing underneath, causing controversy while her supporters called the critics sexist.[35]
In May 2021, Finnish media reported that Marin and her family were paying about €300 per month for groceries with public funds as a part of the Prime Minister's tax-free housing benefits.[36] This was legally questioned if a prime minister was able to do this.[37] Marin had used around 14.000 euro for her own food, which was over the limit of 2500 euro.[38] Marin claimed that she did not know the limit.[38]
In early December 2021, Marin went celebrating in a nightclub in Helsinki hours after being in close contact with Finland's foreign minister who had tested positive for COVID-19, making her exposed to the disease.[39] Two text messages were sent to Marin's government phone saying that she should be quarantined.[39] However, Marin missed the messages because she was not carrying the phone at the time.[39] According to the government instructions, the Prime Minister should always have the governmental phone.[39][40] She apologized on Facebook and said that she had been told that going out in public was allowed because she was vaccinated.[41] Two complaints about Marin's actions were sent to the Chancellor of Justice.[42] Important members of the coalition party Centre Party said that Marin had lied to them by chaning her reasoning of going out.[43]
In early 2022, Marin announced her support of Finland joining NATO, causing a negative reaction from Russia.[44][45] After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marin strongly wanted Finland to join NATO and called on several NATO countries to support their membership.[46] On 25 February, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson threatened Finland and Sweden with "military and political consequences" if they tried to join NATO.[47]
Marin in January 2023
On 12 May 2022, ten weeks after the beginning of the invasion, President Sauli Niinistö and Marin both said that "Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay" and that a NATO membership would be good for the country's security.[48] On 15 May, Niinistö and Marin announced that Finland would apply for NATO membership, and on 17 May the Finnish parliament approved the proposal 188-8.[49] She said her country did not want permanent NATO bases or nuclear weapons on its territory.[50] On 31 May, she supported a deal agreed by all European Union leaders to ban more than 90% of Russian oil by the end of the year.[51]
In August 2022, another video showed Marin dancing at another party, which caused controversy because people thought Marin was on drugs while dancing at the party.[52] Marin took a drug test on her own to prove she was not on drugs and on 22 August, the results of the test came out negative for drugs in her system.[52]
In October 2022, Marin apologised to the indigenous Sámi people for the problems in the reform of the Sámi human rights legislation.[53] The legislation has been proposed for three parliamentary terms without any progress.[54] In November, ministers voted 11–3 to send the legislation to the Finnish Parliament.[55] On 24 February 2023, the constitutional law committee voted 9–7 to suspend work on the bill, preventing the legislation from being passed.[56]
On 7 September 2023, Marin announced her plans to resign as an MP to work as a strategic advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.[58] On 12 September 2023 she formally resigned from the Finnish Parliament.[59]
Post-political activities
On 28 September 2023, it was reported that she had signed with talent agency Range Media Partners.[60]
In January 2024, Marin started working in a new committee called International Task Force on Security and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.[61] According to a statement released by the Ukrainian president's office, the committee's primary role is to create a plan for Ukraine's closer engagement with the Euro-Atlantic security area.[61]
Personal life
Marin with her cabinet members, December 2019
In January 2018, Marin and her fiancé, football player Markus Räikkönen, had a daughter, Emma.[62][63][64] In August 2020, Marin and Räikkönen were married at the prime minister's official residence, Kesäranta.[63][65] The couple divorced in May 2023, after 19 years together.[66][67]
Marin said she came from a "rainbow family",[68] as she was raised by same-sex parents.[20][69][2] She was the first person in her family to go to a university.[70]
↑ 8.08.18.2Marin, Sanna (19 December 2019). "Kuka Sanna? ja Ansioluettelo". SannaMarin.net (self-published autobiography). Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2020. Koulutukseltani olen hallintotieteiden maisteri Tampereen yliopistosta. Ylioppilaaksi kirjoitin Pirkkalan yhteislukiosta vuonna 2004. / Asumme mieheni Markuksen ja kaksivuotiaan tyttäremme Emman kanssa Tampereella Kalevan kaupunginosassa. ... / Juureni löytyvät neljän kunnan alueelta. Olen syntynyt Helsingissä, asunut Espoossa, veittänyt kasvu- ja kouluvuoteni Pirkkalassa ja vihdoin kotiutunut Tampereelle. [I hold a Master of Administrative Sciences from the University of Tampere. I was a student and graduated from Pirkkala High School in 2004. / I live with my husband, Markus, and our two year old daughter, Emma, in the Kaleva district of Tampere. ... / My roots are in four municipalities. I was born in Helsinki, lived in Espoo, spent my years growing up and in school in Pirkkala, and finally settled in Tampere.]
↑Nurmi, Lauri (23 December 2019). "Aatteen nainen" [A woman of ideals]. www.satakunnankansa.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
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