Finland’s prime minister has been drug tested amid criticism over party videos

LAST UPDATE: 18.44

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she underwent a drug test to counter allegations sparked by leaked videos this week of her dancing and partying with friends, Bloomberg reported.

Marin, 36, has faced mounting media criticism and pressure from political rivals after she was seen on video dancing with a group of friends, including celebrities, at a private residence. New footage emerged on Friday showing Marin in a nightclub dancing intimately with a man who was not her husband.

“I have never done drugs in my life, not even in my youth,” Marin told reporters on Friday, confirming the authenticity of the leaked videos. “I wish we lived in a society where my word could be trusted. But because such suspicions are raised, that’s why I took these tests.” He said results are expected in “about a week.”

Finland’s STT news agency reported earlier today that Marin was no longer on summer vacation at the time she was filmed partying with friends, with no replacement appointed to take over as prime minister.

“I will not let anyone blackmail me, under any circumstances with any material,” Marin said, reiterating her disappointment that the video was made public. “I had the day off and I spent it with my friends and I didn’t do anything illegal.”

At a time when Europe is in turmoil over the war in Ukraine, Marin has also been criticized on the grounds that her involvement in the party could affect her ability to carry out her duties quickly in a crisis. “If there was a crisis situation I would know about it before midnight on Saturday,” he told reporters today, adding that the country’s armed forces are well equipped to deal with any military crisis that would affect the country.

In December, Marin faced heavy media criticism after enjoying a night on the town knowing she had been exposed to the coronavirus.