Finland Appoints World’s Youngest PM; Elizabeth Warren Says We Are Ready for a Female President

Finland’s transportation minister, Sanna Marin, 34, is set to become the world’s youngest serving prime minister after she has been selected to lead the Social Democratic Party, the largest in a five-member governing coalition.

Marin takes over after the resignation of Antti Rinne, who resigned on Tuesday last week. His government has lost confidence after the unsuccessful handling of a national postal strike. The new prime minister will take office in the next couple of days.

Finland is now in the middle of a 3-day wave of strikes, which will affect the production at some of the country’s largest companies from Monday. According to the Confederation of Finnish Industries, the unrest will cost them a combined USD 550 million in lost revenues.

Sanna Marin started her political career several years ago. At the age of 27, she became head of the city council of her industrial hometown of Tampere.

According to Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Marin will become the world’s youngest prime minister. Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, is 39, while the PM of Ukraine, Oleksiy Honcharuk, is 35. North Korea’s president, Kim Jong-un is reportedly to be 35.

The timing for a leadership change in Finland is somewhat awkward. The country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and plays a central role in defining the bloc’s budget.

Speaking of female leadership, Democratic White House hopeful, Elizabeth Warren said in an interview with the Associated Press Sunday that Americans are ”ready for a presidential ticket with two women on top.”

Furthermore, Warren has categorically declined the concerns from some Democratic circles that a woman would not beat President Trump. After Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 elections to Donald Trump, some Democrats are now hesitating to nominate another woman.

In response, Warren argued that the Americans are not that much worried about the gender as they are paying more attention to what the candidates are offering.

Warren’s interview comes less than a week after her rival, California Sen. Kamala Harris dropped out of the presidential race. The former lawyer confirmed she considers inviting Harris as a running mate. Warren also pointed out that she is open to a discussion with Joe Biden to take his previous position.

Warren has criticized the former New York City Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, saying again that the problem with the billionaires is they have no limit on how much they can spend.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Elizabeth Warren that the Americans are now ready for a female President?