Sanna Marin

Sanna Marin, a Social Democrat, became the youngest female state leader and Finland’s youngest-ever Prime Minister, in late 2019, replacing her predecessor who resigned owing to a postal strike. Just as Marin was easing into the job, she was faced with a deadly pandemic and the difficult decision to declare a state of emergency in her country. Her quick action led to a relatively minimal amount of cases in the country with just about 350 deaths. Marin herself is a well-liked progressive. She comes from a self-described “rainbow family,” meaning she had same-sex parents, and was the first person in her family to attend college. She takes on her role at a time when Finland is in the midst of political extremes with right-wing populists gaining an increasing edge in Parliament.