Finland’s young PM promises stability, and to keep posting on Instagram
* Parliament approves Sanna Marin as prime minister
* Marin, 34, is world’s youngest prime minister
* Twelve members of 19-person cabinet are women
* Four of the five coalition parties are led by women (Adds new PM’s comments, adds Malaysian PM’s comment)
By Anne Kauranen
HELSINKI, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Social Democrat Sanna Marin said on Tuesday she would restore stability to Finland and keep using social media – but with care – after being sworn in as the world’s youngest prime minister at the helm of a government led by women.
Marin, 34, won a confidence vote in parliament, with 99 in favour and 70 against, and will head a coalition government in which four of the five parties are led by women and 12 of the 19 members of the new cabinet are women.
A former transport minister, she takes over during a wave of labour unrest and strikes that have halted production at some of Finland’s largest companies for three days.
Marin said recreating trust between the coalition partners would be one of her first tasks after her predecessor, Antti Rinne, lost their confidence over his handling of a postal strike and resigned last week.
“This is our opportunity to tell who we Finns are and what kind of country Finland is,” Marin told reporters in the Finnish capital, Helsinki. “The government’s responsibility is to create stability in society.”
One challenge is likely to be defending the views of her leftist Social Democrats against the Centre Party, which wants action to boost employment to pay for the costly welfare state.
Marin did not give details of how she would recreate trust but said: “It demands discussion, a direct one.”
Defending her frequent use of social media, she said: ”I present a younger generation but of course, when it comes to social media or Instagram, I think that I’m an individual, a person, a real person even though I’m a prime minister.”
“So I won’t change the way I behave. Of course I have to be careful in what I say,” said Marin, who posted pictures of herself pregnant and later with her child, now two, on Instagram.
She made no reference to other leaders, such as U.S. President Donald Trump, who frequently use social media and sometimes attract criticism over their online comments.
