Sanna Marin’s Government Failed Because It Wasn’t Ambitious Enough
Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin’s center-left government lost this past weekend’s elections. Her administration had great promise — but it failed to take the measures that would have delivered real material gains for working-class Finns.
Sanna Marin, leader of the Finnish Social Democrats, speaks during a press conference after an early vote tally at the Parliament Building in Helsinki, Finland, on Sunday, April 2, 2023. (Roni Rekomaa / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Four years ago, the Finnish left was content. For decades, Finland had been ruled by governments who, in the name of efficiency and globalization, slowly but steadily chipped away at the framework of labor negotiations, state ownership, and indicative planning that underpinned the welfare state.
The social and health care system was creaking, and weariness was on display across public services. Economic growth was sluggish, and birth rates were in decline. Finland’s political and media class had long claimed the only answer was neoliberalism.
Then there seemed to be another way. In 2019, a new center-left government promised far-reaching social and environmental reforms, including rejuvenating the welfare state and a bold commitment to net zero by 2035.
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