Sanna Marin

In this episode of The Art of Diplomacy, Florence Gaub speaks with former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Leading a country through a pandemic, an energy crisis, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Finland’s historic accession to NATO, Marin faced a series of decisions that challenged long-held assumptions about security, leadership, and political strategy. In this conversation, she reflects on the role of trust in resilient societies, the importance of listening in negotiation, and why effective leaders must be willing to change course when circumstances shift. Drawing on her experience steering Finland through one of the most consequential periods in its modern history, Marin explains why knowing your own goals is just as important as understanding those of your counterpart. The discussion explores Finland’s distinctive approach to security and preparedness, the political and diplomatic path into NATO, and the challenge of building consensus in moments of profound uncertainty. At its heart, however, this is a conversation about adaptability: how individuals, governments, and societies can remain flexible without abandoning their values—and why the ability to change your mind may be one of the most important leadership skills of all. Before the conversation with Sanna Marin, Florence Gaub is joined by Benedikt Franke, CEO of the Munich Security Conference, to reflect on Finland’s remarkable journey into NATO and the diplomatic leadership that helped make it possible. This episode was recorded in May 2026 in Hamburg.

Sanna Marin is a trailblazer in modern politics. When she became Prime Minister of Finland in 2019, she made history: at 34 she was the youngest ever leader of her country and the youngest leader in the world at the time. As Prime Minister she confronted significant challenges. She led Finland through the COVID-19 pandemic, helped the country navigate neighbouring Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and led Finland’s rapid joining of NATO – the swiftest entry for any country in the alliance’s history. In November 2025, she joined us live to discuss her new book, Hope in Action. She talked about the political challenges facing Europe and the world today, how she coped with her personal life becoming public, including the incident that sparked a media frenzy and prompted women, including Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to express their support. And she explored how we can all develop the courage to lead and act for the change we want to see in the world. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sanna Marin is a trailblazer in modern politics. When she became Prime Minister of Finland in 2019, she made history: at 34 she was the youngest ever leader of her country and the youngest leader in the world at the time. As Prime Minister she confronted significant challenges. She led Finland through the COVID-19 pandemic, helped the country navigate neighbouring Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and led Finland’s rapid joining of NATO – the swiftest entry for any country in the alliance’s history. In November 2025, she joined us live to discuss her new book, Hope in Action. She talked about the political challenges facing Europe and the world today, how she coped with her personal life becoming public, including the incident that sparked a media frenzy and prompted women, including Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to express their support. And she explored how we can all develop the courage to lead and act for the change we want to see in the world. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this inspiring episode of Vital Voices Live , we sit down with Sanna Marin , former Prime Minister of Finland and a global advocate for democratic resilience, gender equality, and compassionate leadership. Marin reflects on her historic rise to national leadership, the complexities of governing through crisis, and the values that continue to guide her vision for a more just and inclusive world. She also dives into her new book, Hope in Action , offering a powerful look at how hope can be a strategic force in politics—and in our everyday lives. Marin shares lessons from her time in office, insights on sustaining courage under pressure, and her belief in the power of communities and young leaders to drive meaningful change. Authentic, thoughtful, and forward-looking, this conversation highlights why hope isn’t passive—it’s a catalyst. Tune in for an intimate and motivating conversation with one of today’s most influential changemakers.

Mit einer Sonderausgabe melden sich Anna Engelke und Kai Küstner ein zweites Mal von der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz. Im ARD-Interview erklärt die finnische Ministerpräsidentin, warum ihr Land zusammen mit Schweden der NATO beitreten will. Sanna Marin spricht über Kampfflugzeuge, Kampfpanzer, das schwierige Verhältnis zu Russland und warum die Ukraine den Krieg gewinnen muss. Das Interview von NDR-Chefredakteur Andreas Cichowicz ist am 19.2. auch im Ersten zu sehen. Der Weltspiegel in der ARD, immer sonntags live ab 18 Uhr 30, diesmal mit dem Schwerpunkt 1 Jahr Krieg gegen die Ukraine. Alle Weltspiegel-Videos zum Krieg gegen die Ukraine in der ARD-Mediathek: https://www.ardmediathek.de/sendung/weltspiegel/Y3JpZDovL2Rhc2Vyc3RlLmRlL3dlbHRzcGllZ2Vs Mehr vom „Weltspiegel“ gibt es am 19.2. um 19:30 Uhr mit einem Livestream bei YouTube. Teilnehmer: Andreas Cichowicz, Anna Engelke und der ARD-Korrespondent Vassili Golod. www.youtube.com/@weltspiegel Podcast-Tipp: Wissenschaftspodcast Synapsen über Tiefseebergbau https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/podcast2994.html