As Finland gears up for the polls on Sunday, Marin is fighting for her political life with the final poll from Finland's public broadcaster Yle showing that the country faces a shift to the right. Petteri Orpo's right-wing National Coalition Party is the frontrunner by a slim margin, followed by Riika Purra's nationalist Finns Party, and then by Marin's Social Democrats party. While all three parties are in the running, fears about rising public debt, a deep-seated concern in Finland, appeared to have undermined Marin's prospects with NCP leader Orpo's messaging on fiscal discipline winning voters to his side.

Marin, who took over as Social Democrat leader in 2019, remains a popular figure both at home and abroad. Her handling of the COVID pandemic was seen as effective and her pivot to supporting Finland's entry into NATO was well received. She has also retained firm support among voters despite opposition claims that she lacked seriousness after she was filmed dancing and singing with friends at a party last summer.

If Orpo fails to form a government, Marin could be offered a chance to build a coalition. She has said she doesn't want to govern with the Finns, a party she has accused of making openly racist statements. In the end, the election results will determine whether Marin will continue to lead the country's Social Democrats party and Finland's governing coalition of five parties.