Picture this (apologies in advance): a video is leaked online of a tipsy Boris Johnson dancing in an apartment with his friends, jumping around as they sing along to dance music. Now replace Johnson with Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron or Justin Trudeau. What would the online reaction be? Likely, they would be ridiculed and made memes of yes, but would there be any real political fallout? Would anyone question their quality of leadership based on one night of fun? Unlikely.
That’s what’s happening right now to Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who at 34 was the youngest serving prime minister when she was first elected in 2019. Now aged 36, that title currently held by Chilean President Gabriel Boric, but her youth and gender continue to be used against her.
Ever since a video leaked of Marin partying with friends, opposition parties have questioned her fitness for leadership, even demanding she take a drug test. Marin has denied taking drugs and said she has ‘no problem taking tests’. ‘I danced, sang, and partied - perfectly legal things,’ she said of the leaked video. ‘And I've never been in a situation where I've seen or known of others [using drugs].’
But her social life appears to be a constant source of criticism levelled against Marin. She makes no secret of having fun and was pictured at a music festival in Helsinki just last week. The only notable mis-step Marin has made was in December 2021 when she went clubbing after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case. The Prime Minister had initially been told she did not need to isolate as she was double vaccinated, but later missed a text advising her to do so as she had left her work phone at home. Marin sincerely apologised at the time.
Now however, she’s being forced to defend herself over even the slightest indication that she likes to go out and have fun. In fact, a story in The Times today goes as far as to shame Marin for dancing with men. ‘Finnish PM Sanna Marin “danced intimately with several men at nightclub”’ the headline reads, introducing ‘allegations’ that she ‘sat in the laps of two male acquaintances during a night of drinking and revelry’. But what exactly are we ‘alleging’ here: that women can’t dance with male friends that aren’t their husband? That Marin isn’t fit for her job because she liked to go out to nightclubs in her spare time?
‘I have a family life, I have a work life and I have free time to spend with my friends. Pretty much the same as many people my age,’ Marin said of the criticism, noting that she would not change due to it. ‘I am going to be exactly the same person as I have been until now and I hope that it will be accepted.’
Marin is being targeted because she's a young woman in an industry of pale, stale men.
One has to draw the obvious conclusion: Marin is being targeted because she’s a woman, and because she’s a young woman in her field at that. Were an older male world leader videoed dancing with female friends, it would be laughed off in an instant. If anything, he would likely be lauded as some kind of sex God. Some might have a few disapproving words about his married life, but there’s no doubt that his ability to run the country would not come into question.
So rather than criticising Marin, we say we should be celebrating her. We should embrace seeing a political leader – a person who is meant to represent the general public’s interest, we might add – actually be relatable to the general public. We should relish having at least one world leader who can connect with younger voters in this way, whose leadership style and ability to maintain a social life while leading the country will only attract more young people into politics.
So instead of holding Marin to a ridiculous standard - having her constantly prove her worthiness in an industry of stale, pale men - we should be shouting our support for her being able to balance one of the world’s hardest jobs with having fun.