Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has been ousted from power after the opposition National Coalition Party secured a surprise victory in the country's parliamentary elections. The outcome was seen as a significant upset, given that Marin had held the position for just over four years and had previously enjoyed high approval ratings among Finnish voters.
CNN spoke with New York Times' Chief Diplomatic Correspondent Steven Erlanger to get his take on the key issue that ultimately sealed Marin's fate. According to Erlanger, the issue at the heart of the election was Finland's economy, which has been plagued by high levels of unemployment and poverty in recent years.
"The Finnish people were looking for a change," Erlanger explained. "They felt that the previous government had failed to address the country's economic woes, particularly with regards to youth unemployment and poverty rates."
Erlanger noted that Marin's left-wing government had focused on social issues such as education and healthcare reform, but ultimately struggled to connect with voters on the economy.
"It was a tough sell for Marin and her party," Erlanger said. "The opposition National Coalition Party presented themselves as being more in tune with the concerns of ordinary Finns, particularly when it came to economic growth and job creation."
The election result marked a significant shift in Finnish politics, and has left many wondering what this means for the country's future. As one analyst put it, "Finland is not just any country – its economy is as integrated into Europe as they come."
CNN spoke with New York Times' Chief Diplomatic Correspondent Steven Erlanger to get his take on the key issue that ultimately sealed Marin's fate. According to Erlanger, the issue at the heart of the election was Finland's economy, which has been plagued by high levels of unemployment and poverty in recent years.
"The Finnish people were looking for a change," Erlanger explained. "They felt that the previous government had failed to address the country's economic woes, particularly with regards to youth unemployment and poverty rates."
Erlanger noted that Marin's left-wing government had focused on social issues such as education and healthcare reform, but ultimately struggled to connect with voters on the economy.
"It was a tough sell for Marin and her party," Erlanger said. "The opposition National Coalition Party presented themselves as being more in tune with the concerns of ordinary Finns, particularly when it came to economic growth and job creation."
The election result marked a significant shift in Finnish politics, and has left many wondering what this means for the country's future. As one analyst put it, "Finland is not just any country – its economy is as integrated into Europe as they come."
I mean, Finland was already doing pretty well economically, but still had some issues with unemployment and poverty. So I guess the people were like 'enough's enough' 
and voted out their PM. The thing that really surprised me was how young Sanna Marin was when she took office - 34 or something? 
I don't think most PMs have been in office at that age before, so that's definitely a sign of changing times. It'll be interesting to see who comes next and what kind of changes they make. The part about Finland's economy being super integrated with Europe is also kinda mind-blowing - it makes sense now why there was such an emphasis on it during the election 
I mean, unemployment and poverty rates are super tough issues to tackle, but if the opposition party can bring in some economic growth and job creation ideas, that's gotta be a good thing! 
Marin's left-wing government had some great initiatives on education and healthcare reform, so maybe they won't just disappear into thin air. 
Also, Finland is like super connected to Europe, so I'm hoping this new government will keep those ties strong while also focusing on the country's own economic needs. 
. One day we're invested in the current government, and the next, we're yearning for change. It's like Finland's story with Sanna Marin - she had a good run, but her party couldn't quite connect on the economic front. What does that say about our ability to see beyond the issues of the moment? 
. Sanna Marin's ousting from power doesn't add up to me. Like, what about all the times she said Finland was on the path to greatness? 
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i mean, it's not all doom and gloom tho - maybe this shift will lead to some fresh ideas on how to boost growth and create more jobs 
what's gonna change? only time will tell 
. And yeah, the economy was definitely an issue, but I thought her party did a pretty good job with education and healthcare reform 
. But I guess you can't win 'em all, right? 
The National Coalition Party must have really connected with voters on economic growth and job creation... that's what they were selling, anyway 
