There is talk of many of the cafes finnish its iconic saunas and newspaper headlines: But what do the people of this Nordic country think of our prime minister, Sanna Marin after a viral video showing her dancing and singing recklessly this month?
The video showed Marin, laughing, bouncing, swiveling her hips – having, frankly, what seemed like the best moment of her life – at what she later told press was a private party between friends.
A second footage circulated hours later showing the premier, who is married and the mother of a young child, dancing in the arms of a man who is not her husband.
On Tuesday, she felt compelled to apologize for images posted online of two topless guests kissing at a party at Sanna’s official Helsinki residence. She said she did not personally engage in acts of intimacy with women.
“We have a sauna, swim and spend time together,” said the Finnish leader. “These kind of photos shouldn’t have been taken, but other than that, nothing extraordinary happened at that meeting,” she added.
It’s all in keeping with the “work hard, play harder” image she’s cultivated.
Sanna Marin’s political trajectory
When she became prime minister in December 2019, Sanna was just 34 years old, one of the youngest heads of state in the world. She won over the Finns with a poise and professionalism that seemed to belie her age.
During her three-year tenure, she was able to steer Finland in a capable manner, including the domestic response to the coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 . It also contained the agitation of the Russia when Helsinki asked to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (nato ) in response to the Russian President’s invasion of Ukraine Vladimir Putin .
The premier also proved to be a skilled operator in dealing with the more mundane aspects of running the country and navigating domestic politics. According to opinion polls, getting approval numbers that reached 80%, although at the end of last year they hovered around the 50% mark.
She took the job saying her aim was to help promote a more egalitarian culture of politics and she became an object of fascination on the international stage – in fact, the German newspaper Bild called her “the coolest politician in the world”.
start of slips
But Marin’s lack of zeal for pursuing nightlife got her in trouble last year when a photo emerged of her dancing in a crowded nightclub amid the Covid-19 outbreak, despite being exposed to another minister who had been diagnosed with the disease the day before.
Sanna acknowledged using poor judgment in violating health protocols that required her to self-isolate. “I messed up. I should have considered the situation more carefully,” she lamented in a television interview after the incident.
And then there was her infamous photo shoot: Shortly after taking over as prime minister, she appeared on a magazine cover, wearing a blazer but without another blouse underneath, scandalizing critics at home and abroad.
Supporters, however, rallied around her. In response to this controversy, women across Finland – and in a few other countries as well – posted photos of themselves online in similar states of nudity, with the hashtag #I’mWithSanna.
Finns are now able to see for themselves the “noisy” party – to use the word Marin herself used to describe her dancing – for which the prime minister is known.
The video posted online, and which somehow made its way to Finnish media, showed Marin undulating and thrusting her hip towards the camera. Sanna revealed that she had attended a party in recent weeks, but declined to say exactly where or when.
“I hope by the year 2022 it will be accepted that even decision-makers dance, sing and party,” Marin told reporters. “I didn’t want any images to be released, but it’s up to voters to decide what they think about it.”
The controversy has led some critics to question whether the exuberant display was proper behavior for a head of government. But most of the criticism has been of the “who’s running the store?” type.
Finns have been debating what might have happened if there had been a national emergency while their prime minister was away who knows where.
She addressed the matter in her press releases last week, saying she was always at “full working capacity” even when she was partying. “I spent a night with my friends. We just celebrated, also loudly. I danced and sang,” she said.
After political opponents suggested that illegal drugs might have been used at the meeting, she underwent a drug test, the results of which were released Monday and came back negative.
And just like the controversy a few years ago, women rushed to show their support for Sanna online, posting videos of themselves dancing, some with the hashtag #SolidarityÀSanna and #We’re TogetherWithSanna.
While not all of us are posting dance videos, “staying with Sanna” seems to be the consensus opinion among Finns. Most of us don’t mind, many of us even enjoy the fuss.
Finns continue to support her
In short, many Finns – at least so far – want her back. Initially, many people thought her time as prime minister would be short-lived.
They believed, with some disdain, that the young woman would be unable to hold her own in the turbulent world of politics, which – even in this relatively progressive country – had historically been dominated by gray-haired men. She proved the critics wrong.
Yes, she is young compared to the men who held the position before her. But she is also competent and serious – except, perhaps, at private parties with cellphone recording.
In fact, far from condemning her dancing, some people here have come to see her as a model of work-life balance. She showed us that politicians can enjoy the common pleasures of life. They can loosen their hair a little. And if they can do it, so can the rest of us.
But they don’t free Sanna from responsibility
However, even though people in Finland see her dancing as harmless and age-appropriate behavior, that doesn’t mean we find her completely innocent in recent cases.
The questions raised about your readiness for a potential work emergency are legitimate. Crises cannot be planned: was she really always in a position to handle an emergency, could she during her party?
Another thing to note is that Marin’s footage was not taken clandestinely. She posed for them. Afterwards, she said the video was for private use only. She had trusted her friends not to distribute them to a wider audience.
This is where I personally find the biggest reason to blame her: that degree of naivete is troubling in any politician. If, as a government official, you dance provocatively for the camera, and if those images are shared on an online account with around 100 people – as was the case with the video in which the prime minister appeared – you have to assume let the photos go public.
Even if she continues to have public support, it’s hard to say what the long-term impact will be on her career.
A national poll this week found that only 21% of Finns believe they spend a lot of time partying, while 42% “strongly agree” that the prime minister should be able to relax and enjoy himself in his spare time. But 39% of those polled said the video doesn’t match the picture of how a prime minister’s job should be conducted.
Sanna’s lack of common sense and naivety led us to this ridiculous mishap, which will eventually explode. I am sure, however, that she would prefer to deal with government affairs.
Instead, she is publicly releasing the results of her drug tests and explaining the ins and outs of her social life to the entire world.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
