Finland's outgoing PM Sanna Marin steps down as party leader

Sanna Marin, the outgoing prime minister of Finland, said on Wednesday that she would step down as the head of the Social Democratic Party at the upcoming party congress in the fall.She expressed the hope that doing so would allow her “to open a new page in my own life.”

“Now is the time to get in line again and leave the chairman's place,” Marin, said during a news conference in Helsinki. She said she would continue working as a lawmaker in Parliament.

Marin's hopesof continuing as prime minister were dashed when the Social Democratic Party finished third in the election on Sunday, as reported by the Associated Press.

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In an extraordinarily close three-way fight, Finland's biggest conservative party emerged victorious, with right-wing populists coming in second.

Marin, who has been in the position of prime minister since 2019, enjoys hugepopularity both at home and abroad, but she recognised that it had been difficult for her personally.

“My endurance has been put to the test,”Marin admitted.

She claimed that her Cabinet hashad some testingtimes in recent years and that the centre-left government had been forced to make difficult choices.

Marin has received praisefor guiding Finland through the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the nation's NATO bid alongside President Sauli Niinistö, and being a steadfast backer of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, among other things.

“These have been exceptionally difficult years and difficult times,” Marin said, “Now that the election result is like this, I consider that I have the opportunity to open a new page in my own life.”

Thursday will mark the formal resignation of Marin's cabinet. Next week, Petteri Orpo, the leader of the National Coalition Party, will lead negotiations to create a new government.

(With inputs from agencies)

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