Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin resigns as party leader of the Finnish Social Democrats, reports Howl.
– The Marin government will resign tomorrow Thursday, she says during a press conference.
The party leader has been silent since election night last Sunday, when the Finnish Social Democrats (SDP) lost the election to the Coalition Party.
Now Sanna Marin announces that she is stepping down as party leader for SDP, which became the third largest party in the parliamentary election.
– It has been a difficult year and I feel that I now have the opportunity to step aside, she says.
Already decided before the election
Sanna Marin says that the decision is not based on Petteri Orpo now taking over as Finland’s Prime Minister, but that she decided to resign even before the election, writes EPN.
She will continue to work as a member of the Riksdag and lead the government negotiations.
During the press conference, Marin is also asked if she is interested in taking over the post of President of Finland.
– I am not available, she answers briefly.
The leaked party footage
In August last year, footage leaked from a private party where Sanna Marin was seen dancing with her friends.
The gang of friends called themselves “the flour gang”, which was immediately picked up on social media and assumed to imply that drugs were involved, something that Sanna Marin firmly denied.
– I have danced, sung and partied and done completely legal things, said Sanna Marin at the time.
The leaked videos became a big talking point, which ultimately led to the Prime Minister taking a drug test which showed negative.