Former Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin quits politics, to join Tony Blair Institute

Sanna Marin was, until recently, the prime minister of Finland. When she took office, Marin was among the youngest world leaders in modern history. Something that quickly caught the attention of outlets around the world.

This has been a rough year for Marin, both professionally and personally. She was experiencing electoral disappointment and personal tumult at the same time.

But now she has opted to take a new path that she seems optimistic about.

Leaving Parliament for the Tony Blair Institute

Politico and NBC reported that Sanna Marin is resigning as a member of the Parliament of Finland. She has chosen to take on a position as an advisor with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, the head of the institute, issued a statement welcoming Marin and saying that she knows how to "deliver change" for people.

For her part, Marin said that it was time for her to move on from her most recent role. She called her new job "a great honor" and expressed her excitement at the opportunity.

Marin also indicated that she believed she could continue to help Finland with it. But she also didn't rule out an eventual return to elected politics. Marin was recently speculated as a possible Presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party of Finland in 2024. But she turned down the possibility, instead offering the nomination to former Deputy Prime Minister Jutta Urpilainen.

After an unsuccessful try in 2008, Marin was elected to the Tampere City Council in 2012. She quickly became the council chairwoman. In 2014, she was selected for a leadership role with the Social Democratic Party. Marin was elected to Parliament from the Pirkanmaa Electoral District the following year.

After briefly serving as transport and communications minister, she became prime minister in 2019.

A few months later, she was also named the leader of the SDP.

In 2023, the SDP fell to third in seat total after a close Parliamentary election. Marin stepped down as both prime minister and party leader. She was succeeded as prime minister by the National Coalition Party's Petteri Orpo. Antti Lindtman followed her as leader of the SDP.

Became politically active at a young age

Sanna Marin is a native of Helsinki. She later resided in Espoo and in Pirkkala before settling in Tampere. Marin would receive a pair of degrees from the University of Tampere. Along the way, she worked as a cashier and in a bakery.

Not long after graduating high school, Marin joined Finland's Social Democratic Youth organization. She later went on to become the organization's director. Marin is a Grand Cross-level member of the Order of the White Rose of Finland.