Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday, 24 August, that she too is human and should be entitled to a private life, in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding leaked visuals from her house party.
Holding back tears, Marin said that she too sometimes wants "joy, light, and fun amidst the dark clouds."
Opponents have described the 36-year-old prime minister's behaviour as inappropriate while many Finnish women have come out in support by posting videos of themselves drinking and dancing.
Marin even apologised for a picture taken at the party showing two women kissing and lifting their shirts to reveal their torsos with a sign that said "Finland".
"I think the picture is not appropriate, I apologise for it. Such a picture should not have been taken," she had said in her apology.
After the images and videos from the party went viral, Marin received a negative result in a drug test that she willingly took to "clear up suspicions" after the video sparked controversy.
"Drug test taken from Prime Minister Sanna Marin on 19 August 2022 did not reveal the presence of drugs. The test was a comprehensive drug test. We did not choose how the test was done," the prime minister's office had said in a statement.
Calling the public demand for a drug test "unjust", the PM had said, "I consider these accusations to be very serious."
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)