Sanna Marin has come under fire recently as videos were leaked of her dancing and singing. The Finnish PM has been heavily criticised for her behaviour.
The videos show her apparent love of partying and letting loose. However it has sparked a large debate all over social media. Is this the correct way for a Prime Minister to behave? Following that, many women have come out in support of Sanna Marin; including other women at the very top.
A Prime Minister under the microscope
At only 36, Sanna Marin is the youngest Prime Minister in the country’s history. However, her strides in Finnish politics have not stopped her from being criticised over her behaviour. And it is not the first time. She has often been seen letting go and partying. But not without having people wonder if this is the right way for a Prime Minister to behave.
Under the pressure, she was asked to take a drug test as she was seen dancing with a Finnish popstar. That test came back negative, but not before people could wonder if they could trust their Prime Minister. The world is engulfed in a living crisis, energy prices are rising. When those videos were leaked, some people started to doubt that Sanna Marin could do her job.
However, Marin’s love of partying and letting go is not a new thing. Indeed just recently, a German news outlet referred to her as the ‘coolest Prime Minister in the world.’ And she has proved she can do her job and let go knowing when to draw the line.
This young woman is at the top of the Finnish government and has had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, a living crisis. The list goes on. She has also brought Finland into NATO. Yet, she is still being criticised for partying.
Women support Sanna Marin
Since those videos were leaked, and Sanna Marin was criticised, many women have come out in support of the young politician. Hundreds have been posting videos and pictures of themselves dancing with the #SolidaritywithSanna.
Even Hilary Clinton, former US Secretary of State, has come out in support of Sanna. She tweeted a photo of herself dancing in Cartagena, Colombia in 2012 when she was there on state business. In her tweet she urged the PM to keep dancing.
As support pours in for Marin, people have noticed that her male counterparts have never been criticised in such ways. People wonder, if videos of a male Prime Minister or President had been leaked, whether people would have made such a fuss over it? Or is it simply because she is a woman?
With the state of the world right now, and the amount of pressure she has been under since she took office in 2019, no wonder she wants to kick back and let off steam. All of us would. So why are we criticising Sanna Marin? It is not easy being the top official in a country. Let alone being a woman in that role.
Sanna, keep dancing. And keep being a role model for women and girls who want to be in politics.