In an emotional tone, the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, defended this Wednesday (24) her “right to joy and life”, in an attempt to definitively respond to a wave of criticism involving videos and photos published on the networks. party socials with your presence.
“I am a human being. Sometimes I also look for joy, light and pleasure in the midst of these dark clouds”, he declared, with a choked voice and teary eyes, during a kind of redress organized by his legend, the Socialist Party. Democrat (SPD) in Lahti, southern Finland. “This is something private, it’s joy and life. But I haven’t missed a single day of work.”
Last week, videos circulated on the networks of the head of government dancing at a party with friends and digital influencers. The episode prompted accusations that Marin behaved inappropriately for the position he holds; many comments were misogynistic, highlighting the fact that the prime minister was married and using foul words to refer to her.
Others, however, have come forward to defend her right to enjoy events and combine a private life with a high-profile political career. After the initial backlash of the videos, women from several countries posted footage of themselves dancing, accompanied by phrases like “we should dance some more” and “keep dancing, Sanna Marin.”
Earlier this week, to “dispel any suspicion” of drug use in the events that led to the controversy, the prime minister voluntarily underwent a toxicology test, which came back negative.
When she announced she would be auditioned, Marin claimed that she had 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 reportedly left the party. if I needed to work.
“I want to believe that people watch what we do while we work and not what we do in our free time,” he declared on Wednesday, saying that the last few days have been very difficult. On Tuesday, the controversy was renewed with Marin being forced to apologize for another photo, taken at the official residence in July.
In the image, released by Finnish media, two women are seen kissing and lifting their blouse, covering their breasts with a sign that says “Finland”. The photograph had initially been published on TikTok of one of them, who still wrote “Kesärata” in the publication – the name of the prime minister’s official residence is Kesäranta.
“I think the photo is inappropriate, I apologize. This photo should not have been taken,” Marin said.
According to the Prime Minister’s account, the recording was made during a private party after a music festival. “We went to the sauna, swam and spent time together. These kind of pictures shouldn’t have been taken, but other than that, nothing extraordinary happened at the date.”
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, the prime minister has been criticized that participating in parties could interfere with her ability to quickly fulfill the duties in case a sudden crisis hit your country.
Marin, 36, became the world’s youngest government leader in 2019 and has never hidden her love of partying since. In January, the politician alleged to the Reuters news agency that she and her ministers are targets of machismo.
In December 2021, her participation in another event also caused criticism. At the time, she was filmed in a nightclub shortly after having had contact with a person infected with the coronavirus. The prime minister apologized to the population, saying that she had acted wrongly and that she “should have evaluated the situation more carefully”.
