The Sunday Review
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As Finland Prepare to Go to the polls on Sunday, the country’s left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin is fighting to her Politics.
Marin The mold was broken to become the world’s youngest sitting prime minister in 2019 at The average age is 34.
She leads the country’s Social Democrats party, heading Finland’s governing coalition of five parties.
Marin Following graduation from high school, worked as a clerk and then became the first employee of her Family to go to university. Elle entered politics at 20. He quickly rose up in the Social Democratic Party’s ranks at the center-left.
Since her rise to She has been seen as a leader on the global stage and set an example for other progressive leaders around the world.
She is a young woman and her gender are defining characteristics. her Standing out her Predecestors were mostly middle-aged men.
Marin And her Jacinda Ardern, a New Zealand counterpart was quick to Talk to a reporter about why the journalist asked. to New Zealand was visited by the Finnish Prime Minister in late 2013
“A lot of people will be wondering are you two meeting just because you’re similar in age and, you know, got a lot of common stuff there,” A journalist stated this during an Auckland joint news conference. “We are meeting because we are prime ministers,” Marin Responded.
Now, Marin And her Threatens the Social Democrats Party to This weekend’s occupants include the final poll Starting at Finland’s public broadcaster Yle showing that the country faces Shifting to The right
Petteri Orpo’s right-wing National Coalition Party is the frontrunner by a slim margin, followed by Riika Purra’s nationalist Finns Party and then by Marin’s SDP party.
“All three parties are so close that any one of them could be the leader on Sunday,” Tuomo Turja of the Taloustutkimus surveying firm, who conducted the poll, spoke to the outlet.
However Marin It was internationally praised her She was criticized for her progressive policies on trans rights and other issues. at home Please see the following: her coalition’s hefty public spending.
Marin’s government has placed importance on funding public services such as health and education to Secure economic growth However, her Rivals accuse her Failure to rein in the country’s finances.
It is here at A time when Finland Is expected to The recession will be here this year. According to The Bank of Finland Bulletin, Finland faces the kind of problems seen across the world: an energy crisis exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and a rise in the cost of living.
Orpo as well as Purra both have pledged to Orpo said that his first concern was to improve government finances. to tackle the country’s debt, even if it meant cutting back on welfare spending such as unemployment benefits, according to Reuters.
Teivo Teivainen is a Professor of World Politics at Helsinki University explained that although Marin’s generous public spending was arguably necessary during the pandemic, her Promisions to This policy continues to cause concern.
“For her opponents, mostly opponents of her party in general, the main problem is increased public spending,” Teivainen spoke to The Sunday Review.
“While this can be countered by the claim that in exceptional times of Covid and war, spending was in many ways necessary, her Now, the electoral program will continue to promise relatively high public expenditures in education and health care for elderly people.
“So her right-wing opponents say this is irresponsible to counter the indebtedness of the state.”
Marin When footage was released of the incident, there was a backlash from domestic citizens her Enjoy dancing with friends
Elle admitted to having been out partying “in a boisterous way” after the release of the private videos which went viral online – but said she was angry that the footage, which prompted criticism from political opponents, was leaked to The media
“These videos are private and filmed in a private space. I resent that these became known to the public,” Marin Kuopio reporters: Finland.
“I spent a night with my friends. We just partied, also in a boisterous way. I danced and sang,” She said.
This footage inspired some Marin’s opponents to criticize her Behavior unbecoming of the prime minister Mikko Karna (an opposition MP) tweeted that Marin should undergo a drug test – which later came back negative.
Others came out in support of the prime minister, with women across the world posting videos on social media of themselves dancing, using the hashtag #solidaritywithsanna. Some of her supporters argued that she was an innocent young woman who had the right to Enjoy normal activities like going out with your friends.
It wasn’t the first time that Marin’s private life has become politicized in Finland. She has previously apologized to The public in 2021 following the publication of a photo her in a nightclub, following the Finnish foreign minister’s positive test for Covid-19.
This election winner will receive to Form a coalition with several parties to Gain a majority in parliament Negotiations could be difficult, however.
Marin has previously rejected forming a government with Purra’s Finns Party, slamming it as “openly racist” during a debate in January – an accusation Purra has vehemently denied.
Teivainen is convinced that the Finns Party, along with the National Coalition Party, will form a right-wing coalition government.
“The more radically anti-migrant views of the Finns Party would be somewhat moderated by the National Coalition that recognized the need to More migrant workers are attracted to Finland Economic reasons.
“It would in any case be a clearly more fiscally and socially conservative government compared to Although the present one is different from its predecessor, it’s not that much more.
“It could also mean that Finland’s current pledge to be carbon neutral by 2035 could be made more flexible,” He spoke to The Sunday Review.
Purra had previously made promises her It would be a delay by the other. Finland’s carbon neutrality target, which Marin’s ruling coalition set for 2035.
According to Teivainen is the alternative outcome to a coalition of the National Coalition Party with Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats, which he believes would “mean some, though more moderate, turn toward right-wing policies, especially in terms of fiscal discipline.”
Anyone Finland’s new leader is, they will be tasked with leading the country into NATO after Turkey last week finally approved Helsinki’s application to You can join the military alliance and put an end to it. to There have been months of delays.
Yle interviewed 1,830 Finnish residents who meet the eligibility criteria to vote. Survey was conducted between March 1-28th, 2023. There is a margin for error of +/- 2 points in the survey results.
