Finland's Sanna Marin Loses Bid Reelection
TimeAPR 2023
Sanna Marin's defeat is the latest setback for the left amid a larger shift to conservative and nationalist parties across Europe. It also signals a power shift in Finland's political scene, as the nation is likely to get a new center-right government with an anti-immigration, anti-EU, and anti-climate action coalition partner. Europe must keep a close eye on Finland's far-right and try to understand why populists and the far-right are sweeping the elections.
Though she was applauded for her response to Russia's war against Ukraine and Finland's bid to join NATO, Marin was primarily responsible for eroding the country's economic resilience. The global progressive icon's attempt to keep her coalition together at the cost of economic growth led to a sharp rise in the country's public debt. Meanwhile, her determination to exercise her right to party with Finnish celebrities at the peak of the energy crisis eventually dashed her hopes of a second term as prime minister.