Finland's 36-year-old prime minister hits back at critics after videos leak of her partying, saying she was just having fun with her friends
Matias Honkamaa/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images
- Leaked videos published Wednesday show Finland's prime minister dancing with friends.
- Sanna Marin told reporters Thursday that she was "disappointed" the videos were made public.
- After criticism from political opponents, Marin said she would take a drug test if necessary.
Finland's 36-year-old prime minister hit back at critics on Thursday after videos leaked of her partying, saying she was just having fun with her friends.
A series of Instagram clips, first published by the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti, show Prime Minister Sanna Marin dancing enthusiastically with a group of friends in what appears to be a private setting. One of the videos show her dancing while kneeling on the floor.
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The videos prompted backlash from some of Marin's political opponents, with one leader demanding she take a drug test.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Marin said she was aware she was being filmed but didn't think the clips would be made public.
"I'm disappointed that they've become public. I spent the evening with friends. Partied, pretty wild, yes. Danced and sang," she said, Sky News reported, citing Finnish broadcaster YLE.
The videos do not appear to show anyone in the group taking drugs. But Iltalehti claimed that someone in the group could be heard shouting "the flour gang" — supposedly a reference to cocaine — in one of the videos, The Guardian reported.
Marin strongly denied this was the term used, telling reporters that she would be willing to take a test if necessary because she had "nothing to hide," The Guardian reported.
"I haven't used drugs, so it's not a problem to go for a test. But I also think it's quite unusual that something like this is required," she said, per The Guardian. "I have free time that I spend with my friends. I'm pretty sure that's the same as many people my age."
It is unclear whether Marin has taken a drug test since making the comments. A spokesperson for her office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
At 36, Marin is Finland's youngest-ever leader. Last year she was forced to apologize for going clubbing hours after an advisor she had contact with tested positive for COVID-19.
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