Sanna Marin

Sanna Marin served as the Prime Minister of Finland in 2019–2023. Appointed at the age of 34, Marin served as the youngest Prime Minister of the world when taking office in 2019. Having led her country through the global pandemic and a historically swift accession process to NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she now specializes especially on topics of geopolitics, strategic autonomy and female leadership. Ms. Marin holds a Master’s degree in Administration Sciences at the University of Tampere.

In 2015, Sanna Marin was elected to Parliament for her first run. There she has been a member of the Grand Committee, Legal Affairs Committee and Environment Committee. She is a member of Tampere city council, which she chaired in 2013–2017. 

During the government formation talks in spring 2019, Sanna Marin chaired the negotiating table that addressed the theme ‘Carbon neutral Finland that protects biodiversity’. She served as Minister of Transport and Communications in the Rinne Government.

Marin’s government has been considered one of the most successful in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of lost lives and economical damage caused by the pandemic. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marin led her country through the most swift NATO accession process in the whole history of the alliance. 

In addition to the two historical challenges, Marin’s government passed many progressive reforms in Finland, including world's most ambitious climate laws aiming for carbon neutrality by 2035, family leave reform sharing paid leave with both parents equally as well as major reforms improving healthcare, education and human rights.

Sanna Marin is a vocal advocate of human rights, civil rights and democracy. «Being involved and making a difference represents civil rights for me. Changing things takes commitment. The welfare state or the ground rules for working life should not be taken for granted; they are the result of hard work and determined efforts», says Sanna Marin.