The Finnish Way.
In June 2019, 117 members of the bicameral parliament supported Antti Rinne in his bid to become prime minister of Finland. Barely six months later, a strike by postal workers, which turned into a strike by Finnair employees and a number of other, mainly industrial, companies, broke Rinne's neck. The Prime Minister resigned from his post. In December of that year, 99 votes were enough to make Sanna Marin, former Minister of Transport and Communications, the new Prime Minister. The cabinet reshuffle brought about a significant image change. Several women in their thirties form the basis of the new Finnish government. Of the nineteen ministerial positions, a dozen are filled by women. Finland has also relied on youth in female form within the five governing coalition parties. All are led by women. Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, sent a congratulatory message to Marina, adding that Finland has taken gender equality to a new level. Young Finnish women have also been in charge of the ministries of the interior, finance and education since last week. However, it is not just about the internal affairs of the Nordic country. The Finnish presidency of the European Union, which the Romanians took over from the Finns in July this year, brings with it a number of stated tasks that need to be met or at least taken forward. These include, first and foremost, the issue of European subsidies in the context of respect for the rule of law, the fight against climate change and, of course, the obligatory approval of the European budget for next year. The leadership of the half-billion-dollar European Union, even if only for a few weeks, is a major task for the new Finnish representation, alongside the resolution of national labour unrest. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, who is the oldest serving Prime Minister in the world, 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, has stepped forward with his advice. He said it was important to combine youth and experience. Only from this mix can something good come. However, the Finnish government is not a one-generation government. The foreign minister is sixty-one, the defence minister is forty-five and the employment minister is fifty-nine. The Finns can manage without outside insights, comments and advice.