Finnish PM Sanna Marin to divorce as she prepares to leave office

Finland’s outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her husband Markus Raikkonen have announced their divorce after 19 years together, and three years officially married. Ms Marin, who became the world’s youngest prime minister in 2019, expressed gratitude for their time together and their shared daughter. The couple married in 2020 during Ms Marin’s leadership in the country’s pandemic response. Despite the divorce, they stated that they will remain best friends and continue to spend time together as a family.

Ms Marin’s centre-left party suffered a defeat in the general election last month, leading to her departure from office. While she gained praise for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to steer Finland into NATO, she faced criticism and polarising media attention regarding her personal life, including allegations of partying and a widely circulated video of her singing and dancing at a private event. Despite these challenges, many women in Finland showed support for her during that time by posting solidarity videos of themselves dancing on social media.