Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin again denied on Friday that she had used drugs at a party and announced that she underwent a drug test to clear her reputation. The results are expected to be published within a week.
She insisted that the public accusations claiming drug use had been highly serious. For legal protection, and despite finding drug testing unnecessary, she chose to take the test to dispel doubts surrounding the matter.
Marin became embroiled in controversy after a video surfaced showing her singing and dancing at a private gathering. In the footage, she asserted that she has never used drugs or witnessed others consuming them. “Never in my life, even in my youth, did I use drugs. I wish people would simply accept my word. Yet now they are raising suspicions, so I decided to take the test”, Marin said with visible disappointment.
The sensational video, released on Wednesday by the tabloid Iltalehti, captures memories from a private party Marin attended. She is seen energetically singing and dancing with friends at a private home. Initial portions of the clip reportedly appeared in a closed Instagram group with fewer than a hundred members to which Marin belonged, but the material eventually spread on social media.
“I want to believe and trust people. I am sorry that the material has been made public for everyone to see”, she added, her expression reflecting regret.
In the video, partygoers can be heard singing along to the chorus of a song that mentions the term jauhojengi, translated as ‘flour gang.’ For some observers, the scene suggested drug use, including cocaine, though Marin did not address any specific substances in that moment.
Regarding potential political consequences of the video, Marin noted that Finnish citizens have the right to judge her actions and to express their views at the next elections. The 36-year-old prime minister has endured unprecedented public scrutiny since taking office, marking her as the youngest female head of government in Finnish history.