London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Finland’s PM Sanna Marin takes drug test after party ‘to clear up doubts’

Leaked videos show leader drinking at event at which unconfirmed reports claim drugs may have been taken by others

Finland’s prime minister, Sanna Marin, has said she has taken a drug test after videos were leaked showing her dancing and drinking during a private party at which some reports have suggested drugs may have been consumed.

Marin, 36, told reporters she was tested on Friday and the results would be available in a week’s time. She said she had never taken drugs, “not even in my teenage years”, and had taken the test “for my own legal protection and to clear up any doubts”.

Other guests in the video, reportedly filmed on Saturday 6 August, two days after the prime minister cancelled a planned holiday and declared herself on duty for the weekend, included well-known TV and radio hosts, influencers and a singer.

Finnish media have reported claims, amplified on social media by far-right and anti-government accounts, that a voice on the clip can be heard shouting “the flour gang”, supposedly a reference to narcotics, but there is no certainty the term was used.

Finland’s prime minister, Sanna Marin (l), with friends. She says she is unaware of any drug use at party on 6 August and says she herself has never taken drugs.


Marin said that to the best of her knowledge no drugs had been consumed at the party. “As far as I know, I have never been in such a situation,” she said. “On the night shown in the video footage, I didn’t see anyone using drugs.”

Asked whether she had been in a fit state to take important decisions at a time of heightened security, Marin said her “ability to function was really good”. If the need had arisen, “I could have left to take care of work tasks in the evening”, she said.

She described her alcohol consumption as “moderate” and said she had drunk only mild alcoholic drinks at the party. “I walked normally from the restaurant to the car and went home, and woke up feeling normal the next morning,” she said.

Questioned about a possible compromise of national security, Marin, who was the world’s youngest prime minister when she was elected in 2019, said she could “always be reached by phone, and always be reached by security personnel”.

The authoritative daily Helsingin Sanomat said in an editorial on Friday that prime ministers were entitled to relax, there was no evidence Marin had broken the law, and that experts it had consulted concluded there was no risk to national security.

The Finnish people would be able to say what they thought of Marin’s policies and her style, it said. “The institution of prime minister changes over time, and there is no one right way for government to act,” it said. “Elections are next spring.”

Marin insisted she spent most of her time working, and videos such as this gave a “distorted” view of how she spent her time. “My entire term as prime minister has been a time of crisis and things have been reasonably well taken care of,” she said.

The videos were “private, not intended for public viewing”, she said, adding that she was sure other material existed. “I feel like footage is shot all the time, everywhere, and it doesn’t feel good,” she said. “Even normal things are made to look bad.”

Asked if she could have done anything differently, she said she hoped that in 2022 it was possible for people in her position to enjoy their free time and dance with friends. “I trust people understand free time and work time can be separated,” she said.

But with hindsight, she added, “what could have been done was to take care that such things would not be leaked to the public. Yes, I want to trust people. Yes, I trust my friends. I trust and know that my friends have not leaked these clips.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
×