Finnish Premier Sanna Marin Fights For Survival As 2nd Term In Doubt

Sumaira FH Published April 01, 2023 | 06:00 PM

LONDON , April 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Apr, 2023 ) -:Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin's hope of securing a second term is in doubt amid a rise in support for far-right parties and the opposition conservative National Coalition Party that holds a narrow lead ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to the latest opinion polls.

Marin came to power in December 2019 with her left-wing Social Democratic Party (SDP), however polls suggest that she is in a second place with just below 19% in a final pre-election poll.

Her rival center-right National Coalition Party is currently leading at over 20%, while Riikka Purra's far-right Finns Party is running neck and neck with Marin's center-left.

The opinion poll results, however, are still too close to call.

The 37-year-old has led her nation through the COVID-19 pandemic earning praise at home and internationally.

But she will also go down in history as the prime minister who launched NATO membership application in spring 2022 when Finnish public opinion changed in favor of joining the military alliance after the Russia-Ukraine war started in February last year.

- Still popular, but trust in Marin 'going down' Marin, who became the world's youngest prime minister at just 34, is still a popular leader as in this year's elections she continues to perform better than her own party in the opinion polls, but also when measured against other individual party leaders.

Internationally, Marin has become Finland's best-known figure as a modern feminist leader of a coalition government that is made up of five parties, each led by a woman.