Finland asks: Does a main minister have a just to party?

Finland asks: Does a main minister have a fair to party?

HELSINKI (AP) — In a leaked video, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin is seen dancing accompanied by every one one other accompanied by singing accompanied by friends at a private party. The 36-year-old leader poses for the camera. She sits on her knees, hands behind her head. She's entangled inside a category hug. She's having a good time.

Countless similar videos are shared done every one one day on communal media by young accompanied by every one one other accompanied by not-so-young people partying inside Finland accompanied by every one one other accompanied by all over the world. But the leak has triggered a debate among Finns concerning what flat of reveling is inappropriate for a main minister, mostly considering neighboring Russia's assault on Ukraine, which prompted long-neutral Finland accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Sweden to apply for NATO membership.

Marin, who leads the center-left Social Democratic Party, has faced a barrage of questions concerning the party: Were there drugs? Alcohol? Was she employed or on summer vacation? Was the main minister sober sufficient to clasp an crisis had one arisen?

The video, clearly report by someone at the party, was leaked on communal media accompanied by every one one other accompanied by caught the watching of Finnish media this week. Marin said she attended the communal gathering inside recent weeks, nevertheless refused to speak exactly where accompanied by every one one other accompanied by when.

She excessively acknowledged that she accompanied by every one one other accompanied by her friends celebrated inside a "boisterous way" accompanied by every one one other accompanied by that liquor - but, to her knowledge, no indeed indeed drugs - was involved. She said Friday that she took a medicine trial to place an extremity to speculation concerning unlawful substances.

NATO

Finland, Sweden provide NATO an border while rivalry warms up north

Malaysia's Mahathir says US seeking to provoke war inside Taiwan

Bomb threats place tiny Moldova, Ukraine's neighbor, on edge

High-level talks inside Ukraine yield little reported progress

"I hope that inside the year 2022 it's accepted that flat decision-makers dance, chant accompanied by every one one other accompanied by go to parties," Marin told reporters. "I didn't wish for some images to exist spread, nevertheless it's up to the voters to resolve what they exist convinced by concerning it."

The main minister, who is married accompanied by every one one other accompanied by has a 4-year-old daughter, has regularly insisted that flat though she's the head of Finland's government, she's fair exist fond of anyone else her number of years who likes a good hour dated accompanied by friends accompanied by every one one other accompanied by family inside their leisure time.

In Helsinki on Friday afternoon, opinions were split.

Josua Fagerholm, who works inside marketing, said the episode was potentially damaging to Finland's reputation accompanied by every one one other accompanied by to the public's trust inside Finnish politicians.

"I exist convinced by it's important for our politicians to exist respectable accompanied by every one one other accompanied by exist fond of the trust of the public. So I don't exist convinced by it's a good look," he said.

Mintuu Kylliainen, a student inside Helsinki, disagreed. She said everyone was entitled to their opinion, nevertheless she felt the leaked video was getting excessively a a large amount of attention.

"It's normal to, like, party," Kylliainen said. "She should have fun, too, inside her life."

Some supporters speak the censure opposed to the main minister smacks of sexism.

Marin became Finland's youngest main minister inside 2019 at number of years 34. Even inside the egalitarian Nordic country, Marin felt her gender accompanied by every one one other accompanied by number of years occasionally received excessively a a large amount of emphasis. She told Vogue magazine inside 2020 that "in every one one position I've at some hour dated been in, my gender has always been the starting point - that I am a young woman."

Anu Koivonen, a professor of gender studies at Finland's University of Turku, said she didn't exist convinced by gender was a decisive element inside the uproar over the leaked video. She said the partying itself was not a large issue, nevertheless the fact the video leaked could exist viewed while a discernment lapse by the main minister inside terms of the people she surrounded herself with.

"That she didn't restrain herself inside a firm where she cannot trust everyone inside the room," Koivonen said. "I exist convinced by that's the main matter at the moment."

Jarno Limnell, a cybersecurity expert accompanied by every one one other accompanied by geographical politician for Finland's conservative National Coalition Party, said the event was problematic from a safety standpoint, noting that Finland's top leaders are of attentiveness to overseas safety services.

"Information is gathered from a variety of sources, accompanied by every one one other accompanied by flat seemingly trivial pieces of details tin exist significant to a overseas power," Limnell told Finnish paper casual place inside set in print Helsingin Sanomat. "Top decision-makers are under near watch all over the NATO ratification process."

It's not the earliest hour dated Marin's partying has made headlines. In December, she made a condition apology following going not here clubbing until 4 a.m. inside malice of a text message advising her to retain away from communal activities due to be in touch accompanied by someone infected accompanied by COVID-19. Marin said she didn't see the message since she had left-hand her phone at home. She subsequent tested negative for the coronavirus.

Even inside a progressive society exist fond of Finland's, Marin breaks the mold of a representative politician. She grew up accompanied by a single mother who was inside a link accompanied by another woman. Many Finns are pleased of her modern approach to the office, including the casual attire she has worn on ceremonial occasions. Marin place communal media abuzz inside April when she showed up to a press conference accompanied by her Swedish counterpart wearing a black biker-style leather jacket.

Marin accompanied by every one one other accompanied by her female-majority Cabinet have excessively won commend inside Finland accompanied by every one one other accompanied by internationally for guiding the country steadfastly into with every one other accompanied by not here of the COVID-19 pandemic accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the NATO application process.

"Our main minister is super," said Jori Korkman, a pensioner inside Helsinki. "She has taken her extremely difficult position of position of employment all over a extremely difficult time, accompanied by every one one other accompanied by she has made a first-class job. What she's doing inside her lacking ask in remittance hour dated is not our business."

___ Ritter reported from Stockholm.

Finland asks: Does a main minister have a fair to party?