HELSINKI (AP) – In a leaked video, Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin is seen dancing and singing at a private party with friends. The 36-year-old leader poses for the camera. She is sitting on her knees with her hands behind her head. She is engaged in a group hug. She is having a good time.
Countless similar videos are shared daily on social media by young and not-so-young people celebrating in Finland and around the world. But the leak has sparked debate among Finns about how much celebration is inappropriate for a prime minister, particularly given neighboring Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which prompted long-neutral Finland and Sweden to bicker for NATO membership apply.
Marin, leader of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, has been met with a barrage of questions about the party: Were there drugs? Alcohol? Was she working or was she on summer vacation? Was the Prime Minister sober enough to deal with an emergency if one arose?
The video, which was apparently shot by someone at the party, circulated on social media and caught the attention of Finnish media this week. Marin said she had been attending the party for the past few weeks but refused to say exactly where and when.
She also acknowledged that she and her friends partied “exuberantly” and that alcohol – but no drugs, to her knowledge – was involved. She said Friday that she took a drug test to put an end to speculation about illegal substances.
“I hope that in 2022 it will be accepted that even decision-makers dance, sing and party,” Marin told reporters. “I didn’t want any images to be circulated, but it’s up to the voters to decide what they think about it.”
The Prime Minister, who is married and has a 4-year-old daughter, has often stressed that despite being the Finnish Prime Minister, she is just like everyone else her age who enjoys spending quality time with friends and family in her free time .
Opinions differed in Helsinki on Friday afternoon.
Josua Fagerholm, who works in marketing, said the incident could damage Finland’s reputation and the public’s trust in Finnish politicians.
“I think it’s important that our politicians are serious and enjoy the trust of the public. So I don’t think it looks good,” he said.
Mintuu Kylliainen, a student in Helsinki, disagreed. She said everyone is entitled to their opinion but felt the leaked video was getting too much attention.
“It’s normal to celebrate,” Kylliainen said. “She should also have fun in her life.”
Some supporters say criticism of the PM smacks of sexism.
Marin became Finland’s youngest prime minister in 2019 at the age of 34. Even in the egalitarian Nordic country, Marin felt that her gender and age were sometimes overemphasized. She told Vogue magazine in 2020 that “in every position I’ve been in, my gender has always been the starting point — that I’m a young woman.”
Anu Koivonen, a professor of gender studies at Finland’s University of Turku, said she didn’t think gender was a determining factor in the uproar over the leaked video. She said the partying itself wasn’t a major issue, but the fact that the video was leaked could be seen as a flaw in judgment by the Prime Minister about the people she surrounds herself with.
“For not holding back in a society where she can’t trust everyone in the room,” Koivonen said. “I think that’s the main problem at the moment.”
Jarno Limnell, a cybersecurity expert and regional politician from Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party, said the incident was problematic from a security perspective, noting that Finland’s top leaders are of interest to foreign security services.
“Information is gathered from a variety of sources, and even seemingly trivial information can be of importance to a foreign power,” Limnell told Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. “Top decision makers will be closely watched during the NATO ratification process.”
It’s not the first time Marin’s party has made headlines. In December, she issued a public apology after going out to clubs until 4am despite receiving text messages asking her to avoid social activities due to contact with a person infected with COVID-19. Marin said she didn’t see the message because she left her phone at home. She later tested negative for the coronavirus.
Even in a progressive society like Finland’s, Marin breaks the mold of a typical politician. She was raised by a single mother who was in a relationship with another woman. Many Finns pride themselves on their modern approach to the office, including the casual attire they wore to formal occasions. Marin caused a stir on social media in April when she appeared at a press conference with her Swedish colleague in a biker-style black leather jacket.
Marin and her majority-female cabinet have also received praise in Finland and internationally for steadfastly leading the country through the COVID-19 pandemic and the NATO bid process.
“Our prime minister is great,” said Jori Korkman, a pensioner in Helsinki. “She took on her very difficult job at a very difficult time and she did a first class job. What she does in her free time is none of our business.”
___ Ritter reported from Stockholm.