Sanna Marin

Marin and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson during talks about potential NATO memberships for Finland and Sweden in the spring of 2022

In March 2021, Marin condemned the persecution of ethnic Uyghurs in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.[39] She emphasised that "trade or the economy is not a reason to ignore these atrocities".[40]

Sanna Marin's attitude, as the vice chairman of SDP, was negative towards Finland joining NATO and pro-NATO statement by Finnish Defence Minister Carl Haglund after Russia conquered Crimea in 2014.[41] That time the attitude for Finland to join NATO was negative, both among the government and majority of the citizens.[42] Marin's attitude changed along with foreign political trends.[43][44] During her year address at the beginning of 2022, in response to Russian aggression at the Russo-Ukrainian border, Marin stated that Finland had the right to join NATO if it wanted to, and should consider this option. This statement was responded to by some Russian media outlets with the phrase: "Moscow was stabbed in the back".[45][46]

On 24 February 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. On 25 February, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson threatened Finland and Sweden with "military and political consequences" if they attempted to join NATO, which neither were then actively seeking. Both countries had attended an emergency NATO summit as members of NATO's Partnership for Peace and both had condemned the invasion and had provided assistance to Ukraine.[47]

In February, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marin commented on Finland's potential membership, observing: "It is also now clear that the debate on NATO membership in Finland will change", while noting that a Finnish application to NATO would require widespread political and public support.[48]

In March 2022, she said the EU needed to end its dependency on Russian oil, adding that "we have these very tough economic sanctions on the one hand, and on the other hand we are financing the Russian war by buying oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels from Russia."[49]

On 4 March 2022, President of Finland Sauli Niinistö visited Washington, D.C. to meet with President Joe Biden and a number of other U.S. politicians and security personnel. In a press conference with Finnish media, Niinistö said that in the meeting the presidents discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its impact on European and Finnish security. Furthermore they agreed on deepening Finnish-US security co-operation and bilateral relations.[50] On 12 May 2022, ten weeks after the beginning of the invasion, President Niinistö and Prime Minister Marin in a joint statement said that "Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay" as such membership "would strengthen Finland's security".[51]

Marin and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on 4 October 2021

Marin and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on 3 February 2022

Marin and President Sauli Niinistö at the press conference announcing Finland's intent to apply to NATO on 15 May 2022

Marin and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on 2 February 2023

On 15 May 2022, Niinistö and Marin announced that Finland would apply for NATO membership, and on 17 May the Finnish parliament approved the proposal in a vote of 188–8.[52] Marin and Niinistö said she was surprised by Turkey's opposition to Finland's NATO membership.[53] She said her country did not want permanent NATO bases or nuclear weapons on its territory.[54] On 26 May 2022, Marin went to Kyiv at the invitation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal,[55] where she met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and visited the war-torn cities of Irpin and Bucha. On 26 May 2022, Marin also signed a bilateral framework agreement on the rebuilding of Ukraine's education with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.[56] On 31 May, she welcomed a deal agreed by all EU leaders to ban more than 90% of Russian oil imports by the end of the year, voting for it in the European Council.[57]

In late November and early December 2022, Marin visited New Zealand and Australia, becoming the first Finnish prime minister to visit the two countries. She met with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and covered several issues including bilateral trade relations, the global economic situation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and climate change mitigation.[58][59]

On 10 March 2022, Marin said Finland could discuss transferring F/A-18 Hornets to Ukraine, subject to international cooperation, training requirements and Finland's own security situation.[60][61] Finnish President Sauli Niinistö denied any discussions over the issue. The Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen said that the Hornets would be required for the foreseeable future.[62] Marin re-iterated her call for a fighter aircraft discussion as "the next big question" after main battle tanks, stating that Ukraine's defense against Russia requires heavier weaponry.[63] She emphasized that Finland has no position on the issue yet.[63]

In October 2020, an interview of Marin in the Finnish lifestyle magazine Trendi about her job and its expectations was illustrated by a photograph in which she wore a low-cut trouser suit with no shirt underneath. It generated much public debate when others accused her of demeaning her office, while others admired and defended her by accusing critics of sexism.[64]

On 25 May 2021, Finnish media reported that Marin and her family were spending about €300 per month on groceries with public funds as a part of the Prime Minister's tax-free housing benefits in the official residence, Kesäranta. The legality of the customary arrangement that had been in place for decades was questioned since the rules on the residential benefits did not explicitly mention food provisions.[65][66] However, previous prime ministers have not necessarily used residential benefits at all, and to this extent only one other social democratic prime minister.[67] Later, the amount spent was found to be €850 per month, not the €300 first thought.[68] Marin and her family had used around €14,363.20 on catering services in the form of breakfast provisions and cold evening meals in the Prime Minister's official residence between January 2020 and May 2021, equivalent to €845 per month.[69] She stated that she did not know the limit, and she also did not know that residential benefits must be declared in taxes, which is routine in Finland for ordinary taxpayers.[70] It turned out that civil servants in the Prime Minister's Office (VNK) handled the payments and Marin was not informed of the running costs of the residential perk. Marin's family have resided in the Kesäranta residence unusually much for a Prime Minister due to the restrictions and practicalities during the pandemic.[71] Marin has since then repaid her family's meal expenses to the Finnish state.[72] With the controversy over spending on groceries, Marin had to dispel speculation that public money had also been spent on her wedding, saying that she and her husband "paid for all our wedding expenses ourselves".[69] The Office of the Chancellor of Justice cleared Marin of illegalities in its legal opinion in December 2022, and stated that she had the right to trust the civil servants whom the Office rebuked for unlawful actions.[73]

In early December 2021, Marin visited a night club in Helsinki with some friends; earlier that day she had been in contact with Finland's foreign minister, who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, thus exposing the Prime Minister to the infection. Marin was informed of this and advised by an Undersecretary of State that she did not need to self-isolate, as she was fully vaccinated. Later that night two text messages were sent to Marin's governmental work phone alerting her that she should self-isolate after all. However, Marin didn't receive the messages because she was only carrying her parliamentary work phone, even though according to the instructions of the Government, reachability is precisely the duty of the minister;[74] the governmental work phone has different security restrictions for its usage. Apparently there was a failure to check whether she had received the update, and therefore no messages to her parliamentary phone. The phone camera video of Marin in the night club published by the magazine that broke the story, 7 Päivää, shows Marin on the dance floor checking her smartwatch for messages.[75][76]

According to Marin, she had been told that going out in public was permitted due to her having been fully vaccinated. The next day she received information that this was not the case, so she explained missing the updated advice and apologised for her poor judgement on Facebook.[77] Two complaints about Marin's behaviour were filed to the Chancellor of Justice, who subsequently exonerated her.[78] Prominent members of the Centre Party, a partner in Marin's five-party coalition government, alleged that Marin had lied to them by altering her explanations of the events; however, they did not provide evidence of where this occurred.[79]

In August 2022, leaked videos of Marin partying and dancing in an apartment in Helsinki became public,[80] and went viral.[81] In response to what Marin called "serious allegations in the public domain" regarding drug use,[82] she voluntarily took a drug test on 19 August "for [her] own legal protection [and] to clear up any doubts"[83] and tested negative.[84] There was further controversy after an image of Marin's friends from a party in the prime minister's official residence were leaked depicting two topless women kissing with a "Finland" sign covering their breasts.[85] Marin apologised for the image and called it "not appropriate".[86]

In October 2022, Marin apologised to the indigenous Sámi people for the delays in the reform of the Sámi human rights legislation.[87] The legislation has been in the making for three parliamentary terms without success.[88] In Marin's cabinet, the law has been repeatedly blocked by the Centre Party.[87][88] Marin stated that she would bring the legislation for a parliamentary vote even without Centre Party support.[88] In November, ministers voted 11–3 to send the legislation to the Finnish Parliament.[89] On 24 February 2023, the constitutional law committee voted 9–7 to suspend work on the bill, preventing the legislation from being passed before the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election.[90] In the committee vote, the Centre Party voted with the conservative opposition to block the Sámi Parliament Act. In an interview on Ykkösaamu, Marin expressed her disappointment in the bill's failure.[91]

On 2 April 2023, Marin conceded defeat to her center-right rivals, the National Coalition, led by Petteri Orpo, as her party came in third in the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election, behind Orpo's NCP and the nationalists Finns, led by Riikka Purra.[92][36][93][94][95] Despite her party falling to third place, the SDP still managed to pick up three seats in the election and increased its overall vote share.[96] Marin was re-elected with a Pirkanmaa district record of 35,623 votes.[97]

On 5 April, Marin announced that she will resign as the leader of the Social Democratic Party at the next party congress in the autumn.[37] She was succeeded by Antti Lindtman on 1 September 2023.[98]

On 7 September 2023, Marin announced her intention to resign as an MP and take up a position as a strategic advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. On 12 September 2023 she formally resigned from the Finnish Parliament. [99][100] On 28 September 2023, it was reported that she had signed with talent agency Range Media Partners.[101]