A video has been leaked to the Finnish media showing Prime Minister Sanna Marin drinking and celebrating. Marin is heavily criticized for the performance. According to media reports, the video was first published as a story on Instagram and then circulated on social media.
“This video shows the Prime Minister of Finland (brunette in white pants and black top) at a private party. Finland is suffering from record high electricity prices, a shortage of healthcare and elderly care professionals, and this is how our head of government is doing his time!” writes one user.
Screenshot Twitter @Valavuori
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin not so sober.
Sports talk show host Aleksi Valavuori says: “This is Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Some say she’s cool… maybe among other teenagers. But a responsible leader for a country in crisis?”
But not all users are outraged. One user writes: “Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin proves that you can party hard if you work hard.” Another says: “Sanna Marin is becoming a symbol of progress and I like it. If we had always asked these Conservatives for permission, there would be no women prime ministers. I am proud to show this video to my friends and colleagues. The world and ‘acceptable values’ are changing.”
Marin: “I have nothing to hide and I have not done anything illegal”
The Prime Minister of Finland has now commented on the video: “These are private pictures that were not intended for the public,” she told the Iltalehti newspaper. “I am sad that they have been published.” She trusted that they would not leak.
At the same time, the Prime Minister said: “I have nothing to hide and I have not done anything illegal.” At the celebration in private premises a few weeks ago, she drank alcohol but did not use any drugs.
With her friends, who include a Finnish influencer, an artist and two moderators, she then moved on to two bars. She spends her free time just like other people her age. “I hope that will be accepted,” Marin told broadcaster Yle. “We live in a democracy.”
Marin has drawn attention to herself several times in the past, for example by attending rock festivals and partying in discos. On one of her party outings, staff tried to reach her to tell her that the foreign minister was corona positive and could have infected her, but the prime minister didn’t have her work cell phone with her. Marin later apologized for this.
Opinions differ in Finland on their fondness for parties. While many Finns, especially younger ones, are proud of their exuberant prime minister, there was also criticism online: “That’s not prime minister’s level. You should know how to behave,” commented one user on Twitter. Another user reacted relaxed: “Ok. A young person having fun. So what.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article said guests were screaming for cocaine in the background. But the guests are said to have called for “Jallu”, a Finnish alcohol.
