Helsinki, Finland- Finland‘s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, has said that she is upset that videos of her dancing at private parties were published online.
Marin who became the youngest government leader in the world at the age of 34 in 2019 said she knew she was being filmed but never thought the videos would become publicly available.
According to the Finnish site Iltalehti, one of the people in the videos is believed to shout out a euphemism for cocaine.
“We just partied, also in a boisterous way. I danced and sang. These videos are private and filmed in a private space. I resent that these became known to the public. I spent a night with my friends. I am not being blackmailed. These are private videos and they were not supposed to be public. They were filmed this summer and in a private home. I am not telling whose home it is ” said the Prime Minister.
Marin, 36, spoke after a two-minute video of her singing and dancing with well-known local influencers and artists spread on social media. The clips were originally posted to a private Instagram account.
The footage shows Marin and five others posing towards a camera and dancing. Another clip appears to show Marin on the floor, singing toward the camera.
It has prompted some of Marin’s opponents to criticize her behaviour as unbecoming of a Prime Minister. Mikko Karna, an opposition MP, tweeted that Marin should undergo a drug test. Nevertheless, Marin told reporters that alcohol was consumed but she was not aware of any drug use during the party.
Meanwhile, local newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said the episode raised questions about her judgement.
“Marin may have acted in good faith, but she should not be this gullible. The Prime Minister can, in a sensitive situation, put the weapons of information warfare in the hands of those who would like to hurt Finland,” read the Editorial of Helsingin Sanomat.
It’s not the first time that Marin’s private life has become politicized in Finland. She previously apologized to the public in 2021 after a photo surfaced of her in a nightclub, following Finland’s Foreign Minister testing positive for COVID-19.
However, many Finns have voiced support for the young leader for combining a private life with her high-profile career.
In January, Marin said she and her fellow young female Ministers were being targeted with extensive hate speech for their gender and appearance while in office.
