DFinnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin wants to give up the party leadership of the Social Democrats (SDP). She does not want to run again for the SDP chairmanship at the party congress in September, Marin said at a press conference in Helsinki on Wednesday. In the parliamentary elections on Sunday, the SDP was able to improve its result slightly compared to 2019, but was only the third strongest force behind the conservative National Coalition Party and the right-wing populist grassroots Finns.
In all likelihood, Marin will now be succeeded as prime minister by the leader of the Coalition Party, Petteri Orpo. He wants to start exploratory talks after Easter. He wanted to hold talks with “all parties,” he said on Tuesday. On the basis of these discussions, the group of parties with which there will be talks about a future government will then be selected.
Marin: It’s unlikely that I’ll become a minister
The formation of a right-wing “blue-black” coalition with the grassroots Finns and at least one other party is expected. A “blue-red” grand coalition of the party with the Social Democrats and other parties is also possible. Marin said on Wednesday that the SDP is ready to participate in the government and is acting cooperatively, but that a future government must not cut education, social services and social security.
Marin described it as “unlikely” that she would become a minister herself. She was satisfied with the election result, the SDP had increased the number of seats in parliament. However, the coalition had lost seats overall, as the smaller coalition partners such as the Greens suffered heavy losses.
Marin became Finland’s youngest prime minister in 2019, aged just 34. She had governed the country with a red-green five-party coalition. During her reign, Finland had made a foreign policy turnaround as a result of the Ukraine war and had given up its military neutrality; Finland has been a NATO member since Tuesday.
Marin had repeatedly campaigned in Kiev, among other places, for further arms deliveries to Ukraine and had received a lot of international attention. In the country, however, it remained controversial. Opponents accused her of polarizing. In addition, Finland’s debt increased significantly during her reign. A party video of her that had become public and as a result of which she had undergone a drug test that was negative was also controversial.
The past few years have been tough and have tested their stamina, Marin said on Wednesday. What she will do after her tenure as head of government is unclear. There is speculation in Helsinki that she could take on a new role in Brussels.
Marin announced her intention to remain MP and said she had not been offered an international assignment. The newspaper “Helsingin Sanomat” quoted Marin as saying that sometimes it is necessary to close some doors so that new ones open.