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Finland’s Sanna Marin Becomes World’s Youngest Prime Minister

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Dec 9, 2019

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Image Credit: FinlandToday

On Sunday, Finland’s Sanna Marin became the world’s youngest sitting primer minister when, at 34 years old, she was selected as leader of the left-of-center governing coalition.

Prime Minister Marin, formerly the country’s transport minister, is an anomaly in politics — a woman head of state, which is rare enough. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is the only other female head of state under 40.

However, Marin reportedly doesn’t see herself as exceptional.

“I have never thought about my age or gender; I think of the reasons I got into politics and those things for which we have won the trust of the electorate,” Marin told reporters after winning the vote, reports The Guardian. Perhaps because Marin is not unique in Finnish politics; the five-party ruling coalition she now leads comprises four other parties led by women under age 40.


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Marin was appointed prime minister after former Prime Minister of Finland Antti Rinne resigned last week amid calls of no confidence over the handling of a postal strike. As the party with the largest portion of seats elected in the country’s April election, Marin’s Social Democrats appointed Marin as the country’s next leader.

The strikes, which are ongoing and have spread to the corporate sector, are estimated to cost the country €500 million (US$550 million) in lost revenue.

“We have a lot of work ahead to rebuild trust,” Marin told reporters.

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Written By Liesl Goecker

Liesl Goecker is The Swaddle’s managing editor.

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