After a leaked video showed Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin dancing at a party with friends and appearing ‘visibly intoxicated’, she has tested negative for drugs.
The 36-year-old leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) agreed to the test following criticism from opposition politicians. They claimed that her behavior of dancing and partying while not on leave was inappropriate. Some even called for her resignation.
Calls for Ms Marin to take the test came after allegations arose that she was socializing with people who used illegal substances.
A statement on Finland’s government website on Monday, August 22 confirmed that no narcotics were found in the test, which Ms Marin had paid for herself.
Marin stated that she has ‘never’ used drugs and that nothing ‘inappropriate’ happened during the party after another video showed her dancing intimately with Finnish pop star Olavi Uusivirta. The pop star posted on Instagram, stating that ‘nothing inappropriate’ happened between them.
When she announced she was taking the test last week, Ms Marin said: “I have nothing to hide. I have never taken drugs. Personally, I did not take drugs, nor did I consume anything other than alcohol.
“I danced, sang, and partied – perfectly legal things. And I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve seen or known of others [using drugs].”
Ms Marin also said that she “resents” that private videos filmed in a private space were leaked to the public.
The first video, which appears to be from Instagram Stories, showed Ms Marin drinking with a group of friends, singing and dancing, and was released on 17 August.
There was no evidence of illicit drug-taking in the video, but some media outlets claimed that the phrase “jauhojengi” – meaning “powder gang”, interpreted as alluding to cocaine – could be heard in one of the leaked clips, Finland’s public broadcaster Yleisradio Oy (YLE) reported.
Throughout her premiership, Ms Marin has made a point of spending her free time with friends just like others her age, even though this has meant criticism that she spends too much time at music festivals and not enough governing.
“I want to show that there are ordinary people with ordinary lives in these jobs. I have a family life, I have a work life and I have free time to spend with my friends,” she has said.
In 2021 she entered into another political storm when she went to a nightclub despite recently having been in contact with foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, who had just contracted Covid-19.
Ms Marin, 36, is Europe’s youngest leader.
