The questioned summer of Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland: “I danced, sang and went to a party: perfectly legal things”

A black and white photograph of a woman at a rock music festival, dressed in a leather jacket, short jeans and aesthetic ankle boots navy (fashion inspired by the uniform of the sailors) caused a furor on the internet: the protagonist of the image was not a influencer, not the celebrity of the moment, not one of the artists who performed at the festival, but Sanna Marin, the Prime Minister of Finland, the youngest person to reach that position in the country. When she took office she was 34 years old, which earned her the nickname “millennial prime minister”.”. She is currently 36 years old and she shows that her name fits her like a glove: yes, she is the prime minister of her country, but she is also a millennial who does millennial things. The Ruisrock music festival, which has been held since 1970 on the Finnish island of Ruissalo, and which has been attended by artists of the stature of David Bowie, Morrisey or bands like Blondie, Metallica and Motörhead, served Marin to send a clear message: that she was not an ordinary prime minister and that she was not going to corsete herself in the suit that she might be expected to wear.

However, this apparent closeness and his constant signs of normality have also generated criticism from his detractors and political opponents. The most recent happened last Wednesday, when a video was leaked of the prime minister dancing and drinking at a private party in a house with friends, among whom were some familiar faces from the country, for which the prime minister had to give explanations. Faced with the accusations and demands of the opposition, the Prime Minister underwent a drug test this Friday to show that she did not take any narcotics.

At the beginning of this hot summer, the fact that the prime minister went to a rock festival and with that look She was well received both inside and outside her country: the social democrat Sanna Marin represented the face of a new politics, a young, friendly, approachable and modern face. The Twitter account Very Finnish Problems (Very Finnish problems), he tweeted: “Prime Minister of Finland, today, at the Ruisrock festival. Appoint a cooler prime minister… I’ll wait for you.” That the prime minister had come to the festival on her day off and shown it to the world was also a reason for applause, since for many people in the Marin estate she was leading by example in terms of the importance of disconnecting from work, the free time and conciliation. If the maximum leader of a country can rest, any citizen can do it.

His Instagram account is proof of this leitmotiv: in it he mixes images of an institutional nature with prime ministers and presidents of other countries, along with selfies long hair in the wind in which he writes “summer breeze”, photographs with friends or small visuals of his outdoor plans on Sundays. Throughout the summer, this prime minister raised by two women, she participated in the Helsinki Pride rally, where she stressed the importance of this claim: “Pride also means a lot to me personally because of my background. I grew up in a rainbow family, for me the equality of people and the fulfillment of human rights are the reasons why I ever got involved in politics. A few weeks later, she attended Helsinki’s Flow Festival, one of the country’s biggest music events, clad in a sequined dress for a debate on the state of the country’s music industry, and then mingling with those there. presents.

After the dissemination of the video of the party that has generated controversy, Marin responded to the press on Thursday, August 18: according to her, the videos are private and were recorded in a private residence a few weeks ago. Despite knowing that she was participating in the recording, she thought they would remain private. “I am angry that these videos have been made public. It was a night out with friends. Partying, even in a boisterous way, dancing and singing, ”she declared.

Marin has also commented that she consumed alcohol, but no other substance, after Riikka Purra, the party leader of the far-right Finns Party, urged the prime minister to take a drug test to “dispel any shadow of doubt”. Mikko Karna, from the Center Party – which is part of the government coalition – joined on Twitter by saying that “it would be advisable” for the president to “voluntarily submit” to a test. “Personally, I did not take drugs, nor did I consume anything other than alcohol. I danced, sang and partied, perfectly legal things,” Marin explained. “And I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve seen or met other [usando drogas]”, added the social democratic ruler, who assured that she would have no problem undergoing a test. This Friday she announced that she had undergone the tests requested by the opposition and that the results will be known next week.

“In recent days there have been serious public accusations that I was in a space where drugs were taken, or that I consumed them myself,” he said at a press conference. “I consider these accusations very serious and although the request that I take a test seemed unfair, for my own legal security and to clarify any doubts, I took a test today,” she announced. The prime minister has assured that her ability to carry out her work was not affected during the party and that if it had been necessary, she would have left the meeting.

On more than one occasion he has acknowledged that he wants to shake the dust off the post of prime minister and offer the world a new vision of politics: “I want to show that there are normal people with normal lives in these jobs. I have a family life, I have a work life and I have free time to spend with my friends. More or less the same as a lot of people my age.”

It is not the first controversy that Marin has faced related to the night: in December she apologized publicly after various local media published that the president went out partying the previous weekend, hours after her head of Foreign Affairs, the environmentalist Pekka Haavisto, tested positive for covid-19. Marin explained to several journalists in Parliament that while she was in a nightclub she received two text messages recommending that she isolate herself, but she did not see them until the next day because she had left her professional mobile phone at home. On that occasion, her political opponents called her attitude “absolutely irresponsible.”

On this occasion there is no irresponsibility, but even so the prime minister has received criticism: in social networks they condemn her and celebrate her in equal parts. The first, like the twitcher Finnish Valavuori, for showing a way of life that is not up to her political office: “This is the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin. Some have said that she is cool maybe among other teenagers. But a responsible leader for a country in crisis? She is by far the most incompetent prime minister we have ever had. She does not know anything. Please, she take her leather jacket and quit. Thank you”. The seconds have congratulated her for enjoying herself after her work: “People are really angry with Sanna Marin for having friends and having a fun social life. I think you need help”, the user wrote. @JulienHoez.

Perhaps, the old politics is still not able to understand the new millennial wave in politics: a generation sandwiched between two crises, hyper-connected and used to using social networks professionally and personally at the same time, and seeking a better balance between professional career and personal life, even if they are the leaders of a country. Sanna Marin isn’t looking for favor with old politics, but rather a connection with young voters.