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