Finland’s Marin primed to become world’s youngest PM
TALLINN, Estonia – A 34-year-old transport minister and lawmaker was tapped to become Finland’s youngest prime minister and its third female government leader.
Finland’s ruling Social Democratic Party council voted 32-29 late Sunday to name Sanna Marin over rival Antti Lindtman to take over the government’s top post from incumbent Antti Rinne.
Having emerged as Finland’s largest party in an election in April, the Social Democrats can appoint one of their own to the post of prime minister in the Nordic nation of 5.5 million.
Marin has been the party’s vice chairwoman and a lawmaker since 2015. She served until this week as the minister for transport and communication. According to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and the Ilta-Sanomat tabloid, Marin will become the world’s youngest sitting prime minister.
Finland holds the European Union’s rotating presidency until the end of the year. Lawmakers are likely to approve the appointment of Marin and her new government quickly, so she can represent Finland at the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Dec. 12-13.
Rinne stepped down Tuesday after a coalition partner, the Center Party, withdrew its support, citing lack of trust. The Center Party criticized Rinne’s leadership skills before a twoweek strike by the country’s stateowned postal service, Posti, in November that spread to other industries.
Rinne’s resignation prompted the formal resignation of a coalition of the Social Democrats and the Center Party and three junior partners: the Greens, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland.
Sunday, Social Democrats and the four other coalition parties said they are committed to the government program agreed upon after the election in April and will continue in Marin’s new government. The new government will have a majority of 117 seats at the 200seat Eduskunta, or parliament.
Social Democrats said Sunday they want Rinne, a former trade union leader, to become the parliament’s vice speaker. He plans to stay on as the Social Democrats’ chairman until a party congress next summer.