Does the prime minister have party rights?
HELSINKI — Prime Minister Sanna Marin is seen in a leaked video dancing and singing with her friends at a private party. The 36-year-old manager poses for the camera. He is sitting on his knees with his hands behind his head. He’s tangled up in a group hug. He’s having a good time.
Countless similar videos from young and not-so-young people celebrating in Finland and around the world are shared daily on social media. However, the leak has sparked a debate among Finns about what level of revelry is appropriate for the prime minister, especially when taking into account neighboring Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which prompted the long-neutral Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership.
Marin, who leads the center-left Social Democratic Party, has faced a barrage of questions about the party: Were there drugs? Alcohol? Was he at work or on summer vacation? Was the Prime Minister sober enough to handle an emergency if one arose?
A video clearly shot at someone’s party was leaked on social media and caught the attention of the Finnish media this week. Marin said she attended the party in recent weeks, but declined to say exactly where and when.
He also admitted that he and his friends partied “raucously” and that alcohol – but, as far as he knows, no drugs – were involved. He said Friday that he took the drug test to end speculation about illegal substances.
“I hope that in 2022 it will be accepted that even the decision-makers are dancing, singing and partying,” Marin told reporters. “I didn’t want to spread the pictures, but the voters will decide what they think about it.”
The married prime minister, who has a 4-year-old daughter, has often emphasized that even though he is the head of the Finnish government, he is just like everyone his age, spending his free time with friends and family. .
In Helsinki on Friday afternoon, opinions were divided.
According to Josua Fagerholm, who works in marketing, the episode may damage Finland’s reputation and citizens’ trust in Finnish politicians.
“I think it’s important that our politicians are respectable and enjoy the trust of the public. So I don’t think it’s a good look,” he said.
Mintuu Kylliainen, a student from Helsinki, disagreed. He said everyone was entitled to their opinion, but he felt the leaked video was getting too much attention.
“It’s normal to celebrate,” Kylliainen said. “He should have fun in his life too.”
Some supporters say the criticism of the prime minister smacks of sexism.
Marin became Finland’s youngest prime minister in 2019 at the age of 34. Even in the egalitarian Nordic country, Marin felt that her gender and age were sometimes given too much weight. She told Vogue in 2020 that “in every position I’ve ever been in, my gender has always been a starting point – that I’m a young woman”.
Anu Koivonen, professor of gender studies at the University of Turku, said that he does not think that gender is a decisive factor in the uproar caused by the leaked video. He said that the party itself was not a big issue, but the leaking of the video could be seen as the Prime Minister’s judgment of the people around them.
“That he didn’t restrain himself in a company where he can’t trust everyone in the room,” Koivonen said. “I think that’s the main question.”
Cyber security expert and Coalition politician Jarno Limnell said that the party incident was problematic from a security point of view and noted that Finland’s top leaders are interested in foreign security services.
“Information is collected from different sources, and even seemingly trivial information can be important to a foreign power,” Limnell told Helsingin Sanomat. “Top decision-makers are closely monitored during the NATO ratification process.”
This isn’t the first time Marin’s partying has made headlines. In December, he apologized after going out clubbing until 4 a.m. and missing a text message telling him to avoid social contact because he was close to someone with COVID-19. Marin said she didn’t see the message because she had left her phone at home. He tested negative for the virus.
Even in a progressive society like Finland, Marin breaks the mold of a typical politician. He grew up with a single mother who was in a relationship with another woman. Many Finns are proud of his modern work, including casual wear. Marin set social media abuzz in April when she appeared at a press conference with her Swedish counterpart wearing a black leather jacket.
Marin and her female-majority board have also received praise in Finland and internationally for the country’s consistency through the COVID-19 pandemic and the NATO application process.
“Our prime minister is great,” said retired Jori Korkman from Helsinki. “He’s taken on a very difficult job at a very difficult time, and he’s done a first-class job. What he does in his spare time is none of our business.”
___ Ritter reports from Stockholm.