Finland’s MPs approve world’s youngest PM Marin

Finland’s parliament approved the nomination on Tuesday Social Democrat Sanna Marin, 34, as the world’s youngest serving prime minister. Out of the parliament’s 200 members, 99 voted in favor and 70 against her nomination. Thirty deputies were absent.

The government resigned last week after the Center Party said it had lost confidence in Social Democrat Prime Minister Antti Rinne over his handling of a postal strike.

Marin’s five-party coalition cabinet consists of 12 female and 7 male ministers. Deep divisions remained between the main coalition partners, Marin’s Social Democrats and the Center Party, Reuters reports.

Marin will struggle to defend her leftist views against the Center Party, which wants action to boost Finnish employment to pay for the costly welfare state. Strikes continued as she took office.