Topline
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tested negative for drugs, her office announced Monday, after a leaked video of the 36-year-old leader partying at a nightclub sparked backlash among Finland’s conservatives and spurred Finnish women to post clips of themselves dancing online to show solidarity with the prime minister.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin addresses the media during the first day of a German federal … [+]
Key Facts
No traces of drugs were found in Marin’s system following a test she said Friday she took to “clear up any doubts” of drug use, after a Finnish media outlet published a video of her dancing at a popular nightclub in Helsinki.
Some Finnish media outlets reported the leaked clips, which Marin said were meant to be private, feature people in the background yelling the phrase “flour gang,” a supposed reference to cocaine that Marin denied, saying she was not aware of any drug use during her night out and she only consumed alcohol.
Marin has faced backlash from critics who said a prime minister shouldn’t go to nightclubs and should instead focus on Finland’s cost of living crisis and other national issues, while others have defended her and say Marin is being unfairly targeted because she’s young and a woman.
The incident sparked a social media trend in which Finnish women posted clips of themselves dancing and partying with friends online under the English hashtag #SolidarityWithSanna.
Key Background
When Marin—the leader of the left-of-center Social Democrat Party—was elected in 2019 at age 34, she became the youngest prime minister in Finland’s history and, at the time, was the youngest head of government in the world. She’s faced criticism for her love of nightlife before. In December, she publicly apologized for going clubbing after coming into contact with a positive Covid-19 case. Marin has been photographed at music festivals and other events with Finnish celebrities, a sharp departure from her predecessors, who were decades older. “I personally hope that in 2022 it will be acceptable for people in such a decisive position (as prime minister) to spend the evening singing and dancing,” Marin said Friday.
Further Reading
Why women are dancing in solidarity with Finland’s prime minister (NPR)
Video of Finnish prime minister partying sparks outrage — and applause (Washington Post)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/08/22/finlands-prime-minister-tests-negative-for-drugs-after-leaked-party-video-went-viral/