May 11: Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her husband, Markus Räikkönen, are to divorce after 19 years together.
According to her announcement on Instagram, they have filed for divorce together. She added that they are still best friends; cool to each other and loving parents to their daughter. Räikkönen is a businessman and former professional footballer.
The announcement came after Marin lost Finland’s parliamentary election in April, with the opposition right-wing National Coalition Party (NCP) claiming victory in a tightly fought contest. She is currently serving as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition government can be formed.
Though considered a role model for progressive new leaders by fans around the globe, she has faced criticism for her government’s high public expenditure. While she remains very popular among many Finns, particularly young people, she annoyed some conservatives with high levels of spending on pensions and education.
She entered politics at 20 and quickly moved up the ranks of the centre-left Social Democratic Party. She then became the world’s youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019 at the age of 34.
