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Meet Sanna Marin – Finland’s female millennial prime minister, from an LGBT family, leading the war on coronavirus

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin is an icon of hope and a reason to be cheerful in an increasingly divide, biased world. Photo: Reuters

Germany, Taiwan, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Finland. These countries are among those with the lowest numbers of cases, deaths and, so far, the best responses to the coronavirus crisis. They also share a striking similarity: they are run and governed by strong, decisive and empowered female leaders.

Among them is Sanna Marin, Finland’s youngest-ever prime minister, who has demonstrated exemplary leadership by implementing measures to curb rising infections. After the resignation of the country’s previous leader, the Social Democratic Party voted her in last December 8 to succeed Antti Rinne. She was sworn in two days later, shortly after her 34rd birthday, to become the youngest prime minister and world leader (a title she lost in January with the second election of Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz).

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Marin may be young, but that youth hasn’t inspired widespread scepticism – she currently enjoys an 85 per cent approval rating among Finns for her preparedness. How did she get this support and become an effective crisis leader? We take a closer look at this decidedly millennial politician, and examine why she seems to be on the right track.

She’s taking a practical and an innovative approach to fighting coronavirus

For the first time in history, Finland has invoked its emergency powers, unveiling €15 billion (US$16.9 billion) to help its economy. She also ordered the closure of schools, museums and public gathering establishments, as well as Finland’s borders.

Perhaps inspired by millennial outlook, she has employed influencers to disseminate pertinent information on social media. According to Politico, Finland is the only country in the world that has defined social media as “a critical operator”.

She leads a coalition government and cabinet dominated by women

 

The future is female – and it has arrived in Finland. The coalition government’s five party leaders are all women, and the cabinet Marin leads has 12 out of 19 female members. Feminists around the world have congratulated her vision, and Marin has been hailed as an icon of progressive ideas, inclusivity and feminism.

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Despite her age, she has solid credentials

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin may be young but she enjoys a high approval rating. Photo: DPA

Marin’s credentials prove that she’s cut out to be prime minister. At 15, she worked as a baker and after graduating high school, she got a job as a cashier.

She was the first one in her family to attend university, obtaining a degree in administrative science at the University of Tampere. She entered politics at 20 and swiftly rose through the ranks as a member of the Social Democratic Party. At 27, she was elected as Tampere City Council leader. Three years later, she was appointed as minister for transport and communication.

She’s an environmentalist

Sanna Marin has green credentials. Photo: Xinhua

Finding a solution to climate change is one of Marin’s priorities as prime minister. In the prime minister’s traditional New Year message, she said she wanted Finland to be a “financially responsible, socially equitable and environmental sustainable society”. Her goal is to make the country carbon-neutral by 2035.

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She was raised by same-sex parents

 

Marin’s parents split up due to her father’s battle with alcoholism and financial problems. She was then brought up by her mother and her female partner. She describes herself coming from a “rainbow family”, and she told Finnish magazine Menaiset she felt “invisible” and couldn’t talk freely about her parents. Her upbringing has influenced her leadership and politics.

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She’s from an LGBT family, she’s an environmentalist, she’s a millennial, she’s a politician who actually understands the power of social media and she’s hugely popular – a leader for the new normal?