Marriage After Becoming Prime Minister... Breakup After About 3 Years
Youngest Prime Minister Sparks Major Change in Finnish Politics
Multiple Crises After 'Party Scandal'... Also Defeated in General Election
Sanna Marin (37), the Finnish Prime Minister once noted as the world's youngest prime minister, has faced defeat in the general election following a political scandal and is now going through a divorce from her husband.
On the 10th (local time), according to local media such as the UK's 'The Guardian,' Prime Minister Marin posted on her official Instagram account that she and her husband have agreed to divorce.
Marin stated, "We have jointly filed for divorce," and added, "I am grateful for the 19 years we spent together and for having our beloved daughter."
She also said, "We are still closest friends and will be wonderful, loving parents to each other," and added, "We will spend time together as a family and also just the two of us." Markus Laikone, Marin's husband, is also reported to have announced the breakup on Instagram. This marks the end of their marriage after about three years.
Marin became Finland's prime minister in 2019 at the age of 33, earning the title of 'world's youngest prime minister.' The following August, she married her longtime partner of 16 years, attracting public attention.
The marriage, which began with her inauguration as prime minister, coincidentally ended with her stepping down. Marin met her ex-husband when she was 18 and succeeded in marriage after a long-term relationship. The couple has a 2-year-old daughter.
Marin is regarded as a 'role model' for young politicians. She entered politics at the age of 20 and made waves in Finnish politics by serving as city council chair, member of parliament, and Minister of Transport.
Since becoming the youngest prime minister, she has led various reforms in Finland. She took a strong stance against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and realized Finland's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she faced a political crisis after allegations surfaced that she held a 'party' with friends in a private setting. Since a video was released in August last year, she has been continuously embroiled in controversy.
In particular, suspicions arose that slang for drugs was heard in the video, and Marin voluntarily underwent a drug test, submitting a negative result.
The controversy did not end there. In a second leaked video shortly after, a male singer appeared to kiss Marin's neck, sparking rumors of an affair. Both the prime minister's side and the singer denied this, stating they were "just friends."
Meanwhile, in last month's Finnish general election, the center-left Social Democratic Party led by Marin suffered a crushing defeat to the center-right National Coalition Party. The Social Democrats even fell to third place, narrowly behind the far-right Finns Party.
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