Finnish Premier Marin Chosen as Leader of Social Democrats

(Bloomberg) -- Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin assumed leadership of her own party, more than eight months after taking charge of the government.

The Social Democrats unanimously selected Marin as their leader, replacing former Prime Minister Antti Rinne, at a party meeting in Tampere on Sunday. The meeting had been delayed from June due to the pandemic.

Marin, 34, replaced Rinne as premier of a five-party coalition in December after he stumbled on a number of key issues. In the end, he was toppled in a dispute centering on pay at the state postal company. Even so, Rinne remained formally the head of the party until today.

The Social Democrats have continued to lead in the polls, with their success widely attributed to Marin’s calm handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. A career politician, Marin is still known for rattling the norms. Last year, she pushed for discussion on radically cutting working hours, though admitted her government is not currently furthering that agenda.

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