Marin, who was 37 years old when she took office in 2019, led a five-party centre-left governing coalition until April of this year.<\/p>\n
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Finland\u2019s former prime minister Sanna Marin.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n She received praise for her Cabinet\u2019s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and her vocal support of Ukraine in the last year had increased her international visibility. She also saw her country become the 31st member of NATO.<\/p>\n \u201cTime to move on,\u201d Finnish public broadcaster YLE quoted her as saying. \u201cI am eager to step into a new role. I also believe that it can benefit the whole of Finland.\u201d<\/p>\n In April, Finland joined the NATO military alliance, dealing a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a historic realignment of Europe\u2019s post-Cold War security landscape triggered by Moscow\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n Finland had adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II, but its leaders signalled they wanted to join NATO after Moscow\u2019s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through its neighbours.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that I can serve those voters (in Finland) well and maybe even better in the new assignment,\u201d Marin told a press conference as she announced her departure from the 200-seat Finnish parliament Eduskunta. Earlier this month, she stepped down as head of the Social Democratic Party.<\/p>\n Marin will join the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and earlier this month, the non-profit organisation said she would become \u201cstrategic counsellor\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe task will be to be an advisor to different countries, governments and leaders on policy issues that are familiar to me, such as good governance, technology, climate, gender equality and other issues that I have had to work with,\u201d she said according to the Huvudstadsbladet<\/em> newspaper, one of Finland\u2019s largest.<\/p>\n In the April parliamentary elections, she lost to Finland\u2019s main conservative party in a tight three-way race that saw right-wing populists take second place. Marin\u2019s Social Democrats ended in third, dashing her hopes for re-election.<\/p>\n As prime minister she headed a coalition government, including her own Social Democrats, the centrist Centre Party, the Green League, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People\u2019s Party in Finland.<\/p>\n Her private life and active social media use received a lot of international coverage during her premiership. In August 2022, she apologised after the publication of a photo that showed two women kissing and posing topless at the official summer residence of the country\u2019s leader.<\/p>\n The photo came out after a video that showed Marin dancing and singing with friends prompted a debate about whether a prime minister in office is entitled to party heartily.<\/p>\n