Finland’s party-loving PM Sanna Marin quits as an MP to join Tony Blair’s Institute for Global Change

Finland’s former Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who narrowly lost the election in April, resigned as chair of the centre-left Social Democrats on Friday and plans to step down from parliament.

Marin, who had announced her intention to resign shortly after the election defeat, was the world’s youngest prime minister when she took up the post in 2019 at age 34. In doing so, she attracted worldwide attention and helped raise Finland’s fame.

Leaving her political career behind, she joins former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair’s Institute for Global Change, a London-based policy think tank, as a ‘Strategic Adviser’.

Marin, now 37, is likely hoping to take the focus off her personal life with her resignation as an MP after an often turbulent four years at the helm.

She has appeared on the covers of Vogue and Time Magazine, has a million followers on Instagram and is regarded by fans around the world as a millennial role model for progressive leaders.

But at home, voters worried about issues such as immigration and a growing government deficit in April gave Marin a narrow defeat by the right-wing National Coalition and the far-right Finns Party, leading to the fall of the government.

During her tenure, she endured several publicity storms, including her nightclubbing during the pandemic, hosting private parties at her official residence, and voluntarily taking a drug test — which came back negative — after a party video was leaked to the media.

Marin, now 37, is likely hoping to take the focus off her personal life with her resignation as an MP after an often turbulent four years at the helm

Sir Tony Blair speaks at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change’s Future of Britain Conference in central London. Photo date: Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Tony Blair said of Marin’s announcement: “Our mission is to help political leaders around the world bring about change for their people – and Sanna Marin knows exactly how to do that. Bold and practical, Ms. Marin understands the role technology can play as a catalyst for a more efficient and citizen-centered state, and will bring her experience to our mission in more countries around the world.”

A statement from the Institute on Marin’s new position read: ‘The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is very pleased to announce that Sanna Marin, former Finnish Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party, is joining as Strategic Advisor.

‘She will work with colleagues and teams from TBI’s country portfolio and will advise political leaders on their reform programmes. Ms Marin has a track record, from setting one of the most ambitious climate targets in the world – enabled by a full program of digitization and technology deployment – ​​to guiding her country’s entry into NATO in the wake of Russian aggression in Ukraine.’

The think tank was founded in 2017 by the former British prime minister, who said at the time that he founded the organization to “refill the wide open space in the middle of politics” and tackle the “frightening authoritarian populism” that he believes is undermining Western democracy. undermines.

The Institute’s funding is not publicly disclosed, but it receives money from a variety of sources, including private donations, philanthropic foundations, and government contracts.

It conducts research, publishes reports and collaborates with policy makers and leaders from various sectors to advise on policy decisions.

Finnish Social Democrats Party Chairman, former Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin waves from the stage for her resignation speech at the Party Congress of the Social Democrats of Finland in Jyvaskyla, central Finland, Friday, September 1, 2023

After her election loss, Marin said she was looking forward to a quieter life and later also announced a divorce from her husband

After guiding her country through the COVID-19 lockdowns and resulting economic turmoil, Marin became an outspoken supporter of Ukraine following last year’s Russian invasion and successfully pushed for an end to Finland’s non-federal military relationship in favor of NATO membership.

On Friday, she chaired her party’s conference for the last time and repeated her criticism of Finland’s eastern neighbor in a short speech.

“Russia and its representatives must be held accountable for the illegal crime of aggression, war crimes and the consequences of war,” Marin said.

“In addition to Finland’s steadfast support for Ukraine and the Ukrainians, we must also send a strong message of hope for the reconstruction of the country, for a European future.”

Marin took the stage on Friday to the beat of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and thanked her party for the support.

She was due to formally hand over the reins later on Friday, after the Social Democrats elected a new leader.

After her election loss, Marin said she was looking forward to a quieter life and later also announced a divorce from her husband.