The Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, received a negative result in the drug detection test she took to clarify suspicions after the publication of videos in which she appears dancing at a party with friends.
Marin underwent a urinalysis for several substances, including cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis and opioids. According to a statement released on Monday (22) by her office, the test was signed by a doctor and did not reveal the presence of drugs.
In the last week, a video of the prime minister partying with Finnish influencers and artists began to circulate on social media and was soon published by various media outlets at home and abroad.
After being criticized, Marin claimed that she never used illegal drugs — not even when she was younger, before entering politics — that her ability to perform official duties remained intact on the nights in question and that she would have left the party if she needed to work. . She also said that she was upset after learning that videos of her dancing at private parties were shared as they were only meant to be seen by friends.
“In the last few days, there have been very serious public accusations that I was in a space where there was drug use or that I was using drugs myself,” the prime minister said at a press conference last Thursday (18).
Marin, who became the world’s youngest government leader in December 2019, agreed to take the test after requests from members of her governing coalition and the opposition. The Social Democrat leader said she drank alcohol at the party but did not see anyone using drugs.
While many praised her for balancing a demanding job with an active private life, others questioned her decision to allow herself to film, albeit with a promise that the videos would not be released. Some of the criticism was misogynistic, with netizens and media outlets highlighting the fact that Marin is married and using foul words to refer to the prime minister.
Finland shares a long land border with Russia and, at a time when Europe is experiencing instability in different parts due to the Ukrainian War, Marin has also been criticized that attending parties could interfere with his ability to comply quickly. functions in case a sudden crisis hit your country.
“If there was a crisis situation, I would have known before midnight on Saturday,” she told reporters on Thursday, adding that the Finnish Armed Forces are well equipped to anticipate any military emergency that could affect the country.
Marin had previously been criticized after another video of her at a party was leaked. At the time, in December 2021, she was filmed in a nightclub shortly after having had contact with a person infected with the coronavirus. The prime minister then apologized to the population, saying that she had acted wrongly and that she “should have evaluated the situation more carefully”.
After the backlash of the latest video, women from several countries took to social media in solidarity with the Finnish prime minister. In the campaign, they use the hashtag #solidaritywithsanna and post videos of themselves dancing at parties, as well as phrases like “we should dance some more” and “keep dancing, Sanna Marin”.
