Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said there are not enough women running the show in European politics.
“I think we have had more women leadership in Nordic countries [than elsewhere] because of our society model,” she told POLITICO’s Power Play podcast. “But … there’s still a gap also in the Nordics, and we should really ask why is this.”
“Are we supporting women enough? Because women are not worse than men … They are very capable, they are talented, they’re brave,” she said.
“But for some reason our societies are built in a way [that stops women from attaining leadership roles],” she added.
Marin, a star of the European center-left, served as prime minister of Finland from 2019 to 2023, presiding over a female-majority Cabinet. Her popularity suffered at home over the country’s rising debt.
She narrowly lost an election in April 2023 and stepped down as the chair of her Social Democrats party, joining the Tony Blair Institute as a strategic counsellor in September.
Of the 27 EU member country leaders attending the European Council this week, four are women, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola.
Marin said European countries need to be “better partners” with NATO, adding that Finland made the right decision to join the alliance. She was Finnish prime minister when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and oversaw Finland’s entry into NATO.
“Everybody needs to really make sure that we have those capabilities that we do not only depend on U.S. help because we also have to make sure that our own backyard is safe and secure,” she said.
“I’m very happy that Finland is a part of NATO and we are a member of NATO because of Russia, because Russia attacked Ukraine,” she added.
Marin dismissed speculation that she is eyeing a comeback in Finnish politics or a role in Brussels, saying she “would never say never” but is “not looking for institutional positions.”
“You will always, if you are prime minister, you will represent your government and you will represent the collective decision making of your own government and your own parliament,” she said.
“Now I’m free, so I can say whatever I want. That’s nice.”
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