Ex-PM Marin decides to quit as MP, joins TBI

Former Prime Minister Sanna Marin, also former Chairperson of the main opposition party in the parliament, Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP) on Thursday announced to resign from her duty as a lawmaker.

Marin made the announcement from a press conference as she has been appointed as a Strategic Counsellor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

The former Premier, a lawmaker from Tampere, who bagged second highest votes in the country in the last parliamentary elections held on April 2, expressed her gratitude to the people who cast votes in favour of her.

Marin said that she had to take the decision as it was impossible for her to continue as a lawmaker together with her new position.

She, however, did not rule out the possibility of returning to the country politics.

Earlier on April 5, Marin announced that she would not continue as the Chairperson of the SDP after the next party council scheduled for September.

Marin made the announcement from a press conference in the parliament just after three days of the parliamentary polls took place on April 2 where her party secured third place in the close race election with 43 seats.

The SDP elected Antti Lindtman as its Chairperson on September 1.

Meanwhile, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) in a press release on Thursday said that Marin is joining as a Strategic Counsellor and will be working with colleagues and teams across TBI’s portfolio of countries, advising political leaders on their reform programmes.

“Our mission is to help political leaders worldwide deliver change for their people – and Sanna Marin knows exactly how to do that. Ms Marin is bold and practical, understands the role that technology can play as the enabler of a more efficient and citizen-centred state, and will lend her experience to our mission in more countries throughout the world,” Tony Blair said in the press release.