The Finnish Prime Minister had come under fire for a video showing her at a party with friends this summer. This Friday, complaints of misconduct against Sanna Marin were dismissed. The Chancellor of Justice, an official position in Finland charged with examining the legality of the action of members of the government, “sees no reason to suspect the Prime Minister of unlawful conduct in the course of her activities or of having neglected official duties,” he said in a statement.
Several dozen complaints had been made to the chancellor after a video leaked on social media in late August showing the 36-year-old leader dancing and having fun with friends and local celebrities. The case had gone around the world and raised both the question of the behavior of leaders in their private lives and those of accusations deemed excessive brought against women in power.
“Inappropriate” behavior
The requests accused in particular the youngest head of government in Europe of not being able to work “because of alcohol consumption”, of having behavior “inappropriate” for a Prime Minister or even of harming “the reputation and security” of Finland.
But the Chancellor of Justice considered that the complaints had not been able to establish the violation of a “specific official function”. For the complaints to be admissible to investigate the private life of a prime minister, they would have had to establish “a relevant legal connection with the official action of a minister”, the official believes. As for the “moral and social aspects” of the private life of a member of the government, this is the “responsibility of Parliament”, he stressed.
Negative drug screen
“Political accountability is also assessed regularly during democratic elections,” he pointed out. To clear herself of all suspicion after the video, the Social Democratic leader had taken a drug test – which turned out to be negative. But the controversy was reinforced a few days later after the publication of a photo of two women lifting their tops during a party organized in July at the residence, forcing Sanna Marin to apologize.
The young leader had already been criticized for a nightclub outing in 2021 before we managed to inform her that she was in contact with Covid-19. In office since 2019, the Prime Minister must try to obtain a new mandate after the next legislative elections in April.