A leaked video of Finland’s 36-year-old prime minister dancing and singing with pals at a private party has sparked a debate among Finns about the acceptable amount of revelry for their leader.
HELSINKI: In a leaked video, Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin is seen dancing and singing with pals at a private party. The leader, 36, poses for the camera. She is seated on her knees, her hands behind her head. She’s caught up in a group hug. She appears to be having a wonderful time.
Several well-known Finnish people were observed at the celebration, according to a story in the Iltalehti daily. Members of Parliament from Ms. Marin’s Social Democratic Party include Ilmari Nurminen, a famous musician, influencer, YouTuber, and radio and TV broadcaster.
Countless such films are published on social media daily by young and not-so-young people partying in Finland and around the world. However, the leak has sparked a debate among Finns about the proper degree of festivity for a prime minister, especially in light of neighbouring Russia’s incursion on Ukraine, which pushed long-neutral Finland and Sweden to aspire for NATO membership.
Marin, the leader of the center-left Social Democratic Party, has been bombarded with inquiries about his party: Were drugs used? Alcohol? Was she at work or on vacation this summer? Was the prime minister alert enough to deal with an emergency if one arose?
“I hope that in the year 2022, it’s accepted that even decision-makers dance, sing and go to parties,” Marin stated to reporters. “I didn’t wish for any images to be spread, but it’s up to the voters to decide what they think about it.”
On Friday afternoon in Helsinki, opinions were divided.
Josua Fagerholm, a marketing professional, believes the incident could harm Finland’s reputation and undermine public trust in Finnish politicians.
“I think it’s important for our politicians to be respectable and enjoy the public’s trust. So I don’t think it’s a good look,” he remarked.
Mintuu Kylliainen, a Helsinki student, disagreed. She stated that everyone has the right to have an opinion, but she believed the leaked film was receiving too much attention.
“It’s normal to party,” Kylliainen explained. “She should have fun, too, in her life.”
Some supporters argue that the criticism of the prime minister is sexist.
Marin’s partying isn’t the first time it’s made the news. She apologised in December after staying out partying until 4 a.m. and missing a text message instructing her to avoid social connections owing to her proximity to a COVID-19-affected person. Marin explained that she missed the message because she had left her phone at home. She did not test positive for the virus.
Marin defies stereotypes of politicians even in Finland’s progressive society. She was raised by a single mother who was involved with another lady. Many Finns admire her innovative attitude to work, mainly her informal clothes. Marin made headlines in April when she arrived at a press conference with her Swedish colleague wearing a black leather jacket.
Marin and her female-majority Cabinet have also received accolades in Finland and abroad for steadfastly navigating the country through the COVID-19 outbreak and the NATO application procedure.
