Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has said she could return to politics if Finland faced a national emergency, including a Russian attack. However, she considers another election campaign unlikely.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, published on 11 October, Marin said she would be willing to serve her country again under exceptional circumstances.
“For example, if Russia attacked us.”
The remarks do not signal an imminent political comeback, but clarify the circumstances under which the former Social Democratic leader might reconsider her decision to leave Finnish politics.
A return to politics only in an emergency
Marin served as Finland’s prime minister from December 2019 to June 2023. Her government faced the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Finland to abandon its longstanding policy of military non-alignment.
Under her leadership, Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022 and became a member on 4 April 2023.
After the 2023 parliamentary elections, Marin stepped down as leader of the Social Democratic Party and resigned from parliament to become a strategic adviser at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
She had not ruled out a future return to political life at the time, but her latest comments suggest that another conventional election campaign remains unlikely.
In the Italian interview, Marin also discussed the personal pressures of governing through successive crises. She described the exhaustion of political leadership and the difficulties of balancing her responsibilities with family life, explaining that she had wanted to regain control over her private life.
Marin warns Europe of further Russian aggression
Beyond her political future, Marin issued a warning about Russia’s ambitions in Europe.
She argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to restore Russia’s former power and expressed concern that Moscow could extend its military aggression beyond Ukraine.
“No one is safe.”
Marin identified Finland, the Baltic countries and Poland as particularly exposed to Russian threats. However, she stressed that geographical distance from Russia would not necessarily protect other European countries, pointing to drones and cyberattacks as potential threats.
These warnings reflect Marin’s assessment of Russian intentions rather than evidence of an imminent attack on Finland.
The former prime minister called for faster modernisation of European armed forces, particularly through the development of drones and other unmanned military systems.
She also advocated a tougher response to Russian military provocations, arguing that Russian fighter jets violating European airspace should be shot down.
Marin continues to work on international policy, including European Union enlargement towards Ukraine and Moldova. In the same interview, she argued that both countries should meet the EU’s anti-corruption, rule-of-law and economic requirements before joining, while maintaining that Europe should remain open to their membership.
