Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised for a leaked photo that has emerged showing two women kissing while topless at a party held at her official government residence.
Prime Minister Marin apologized over the photo, which appears to show two topless women kissing with a sign saying “Finland” covering their chests, after the image went viral across social media on Tuesday in what is just the latest controversy over Marin’s party lifestyle.
According to Marin, the images and video were taken at a party at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Kesäranta on the Sunday after the Ruisrock festival, which took place last month in July, broadcaster Yle reports.
“We had sauna, swam and spent time together,” Marin said and added, “That kind of a picture should not have been taken but otherwise, nothing extraordinary happened at the get-together.” She added that the picture of the two women had been taken in the guest toilets of the official residence.
Petteri Orpo, the chairman of the opposition Conservative Party, commented on the new images saying, “I think it would be excellent to focus on what the Prime Minister does not do. We have the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the energy crisis, interest rates are rising, inflation is galloping, we have a crisis in services for the elderly, and there are problems with health care. I would expect there to be leadership on these issues.”
The images come just days after footage of Marin and her friends partying went viral on social media networks, leading some to make allegations of possible drug use due to a phrase shouted during one of the videos believed to be linked to cocaine use.
“I haven’t used drugs myself, and nothing but alcohol. I’ve danced, sung, celebrated, and done perfectly legal things. And I haven’t been in a situation where I’ve seen or known that others [used drugs],” Marin said.
Political opponents, such as Riikka Purra, the chairwoman of the populist Finns Party, called on Marin to take a drugs test, which the Prime Minister agreed to and passed earlier this week.