Sanna Marin is Finland's youngest ever leader (AFP Photo/Heikki Saukkomaa) |
Helsinki
(AFP) - Finland's Sanna Marin, 34, was officially appointed as the country's
prime minister on Tuesday, becoming the world's youngest sitting head of
government.
The former
transport minister takes the helm of a coalition of five parties that will all
be led by women, once the prime minister takes over as head of her Social
Democratic party next year. All but one of the female coalition leaders are
aged under 35.
Marin
became Finland's third female prime minister after her nomination was passed in
parliament by 99 votes to 70 Tuesday and President Sauli Niinisto officially
appointed the new centre-left cabinet.
She
succeeds Antti Rinne, who resigned last week after losing the trust of one of
his coalition parties over his handling of a postal strike.
Marin has
made global headlines for becoming not only Finland's youngest ever leader, but
also the world's youngest sitting head of government, ahead of Ukraine's Prime
Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk who is currently 35.
Marin (C)
was sworn in with her centre-left cabinet (AFP Photo/Vesa Moilanen)
|
But on
Tuesday, Marin deflected questions about the international attention she has
received over becoming the world's youngest premier.
"My
own thoughts have been on practical things and this week, I haven't followed
what the press have been writing very much either at home or abroad," she
told reporters outside parliament.
Earlier
this week she said: "I have never thought about my age or gender, I think
of the reasons I got into politics and those things for which we have won the
trust of the electorate."
Marin grew
up looked after by her mother and her mother's girlfriend, and said that her
"rainbow family" showed her the importance of "equality,
fairness and human rights".
In a 2015
interview, Marin said she felt 'invisible' as a child, because she could not
speak openly about her family setup.
The world's
youngest political leaders after Finland's Sanna Marin become the
world's
youngest sitting prime minister on Tuesday. (AFP Photo/Jonathan WALTER)
|
She has
also said that her childhood has strongly influenced her political priorities,
which include protecting Finland's generous welfare system and low levels of
inequality.
"I
come from a poor family and would not have been able to succeed and move
forward were it not for the strong welfare state and the Finnish education
system," she told Helsingin Sanomat.
The Social
Democrats took office in June after defeating the far-right, anti-immigration
Finns Party by the narrowest of margins in April's general election.
The victory
was seen by some commentators as a triumph for Finland's liberal, equal society
over a party that ran on a ticket of cutting asylum levels almost to zero and
halting anti-climate change measures.
Speaking
after Tuesday's parliamentary vote, Marin pledged to rebuild trust in her
party.
"We
have promised the Finnish people change and now we must deliver on that
promise. In June we agreed a government programme together and I believe it is
through actions that we will best restore people's trust," she said.
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