In a series of clips posted to Instagram, which emerged on Wednesday, Marin and other revelers are shown dancing to Finnish pop music – and when the beat drops, they start dancing.
The room is covered in the purple haze of neon party lights, which illuminate Marin as she hugs friends, kneels on the floor and sings songs.
As the videos circulated online this week, some critics called his behavior childishwhile others accused her of not staying focused on Finland’s cost of living crisis.
But many others stopped and asked: what is going on? Analysts say Marin’s age and gender – and the intersection between the two – make her a particular target for criticism in a world ruled mostly by older men.
“I have a family life, I have a professional life and I have free time to spend with my friends. Much like a lot of people my age,” Marin said on Thursday, the BBC reported.
She said the videos were private and filmed in a private space. “I regret that these have become public knowledge,” Reuters quoted her as saying.
It was not the first time that Marin, a member of the Finnish Social Democratic Party, had been “caught” partying. In December, she apologized for another incident in which she stayed in a Helsinki nightclub until 4 a.m. without her mobile phone. While she was away, an alert was sent to Marin’s phone letting her know she was a close contact of someone who tested positive for coronavirus. (She didn’t end up contracting it.)
His political rivals seized on the new videos this week, calling on Marin to submit to voluntary drug tests. “The people are also entitled to expect this from their prime minister,” said Mikko Karna, a Center party MP.
Marin fired back, telling local outlet Yle that she was ready to take a drug test. “I didn’t do drugs myself, or anything other than alcohol. I danced and sang and partied and did perfectly legal things,” she said. added.
An editorial in Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat argued that his party was a security risk.
“The prime minister can, in a delicate situation, put the weapons of information warfare into the hands of those who would harm Finland,” the editorial said. “There may be more leaks. If not now, then at the next party.
Marin was the world’s youngest serving national leader when she was elected in 2019 at the age of 34. Her victory put her in a small but powerful group of elected presidents and prime ministers in their 30s, including New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele. .
As Prime Minister of Finland, Marin succeeded Antti Rinne, born in 1962; and before him, Juha Sipilä, born in 1961. Marin was born more than two decades later, in 1985.
Marin’s position on the executive office alone “disrupts what people have always been comfortable with in terms of age and gender (older men),” said Sara Angevine, a political scientist at Whittier College. , in an email.
Bettina Spencer, a professor at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, In., said young female leaders are scrutinized more harshly than their older male counterparts.
“Young leaders are not taken seriously because of age stereotypes. Women leaders are not taken seriously because of gender stereotypes. Young women leaders are especially not taken seriously because of of the intersection of their age and gender,” Spencer said.
“As such, they face more scrutiny for any behavior that reinforces the belief that they may not be ‘serious’, and that just includes dancing with friends at an event. private,” she said.
But not everyone slammed Marin for going wild – and instead applauded what they said was the prime minister “proving that when you work hard, you can play hard.”
Someone else on Twitter asked: “Is Sanna Marin the only CEO on earth with documented friends.”
