Finland's Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, has caused a stir after videos of her partying surfaced on social media.
The videos in question were leaked on Thursday last week, and showed the young Prime Minister dancing with a group of friends at a private party. At one point, Marin was seen to be on her knees lip-syncing to a song playing in the background.
To quell concerns about her behavior, which included partying with Finnish pop star Olavi Uusivirta, the 36-year-old agreed to take the drugs test last week.
Per BBC News, Marin's urine sample was tested for "cocaine, amphetamines, cannabis, and opioids."
An official government statement released on Monday (August 22) confirmed that no narcotics were found in Marin's system. The statement also noted that Marin paid for the test herself.
After the videos were eventually leaked to the public, Marin stated that she was upset they had been published online, as they were only meant to be seen by friends, Reuters reported. She also stated that she had consumed alcohol, but no drugs.
"I am upset that these videos have become public. It was about me having a night out with friends. Partying - even in a boisterous way - dancing and singing," she told Finnish news outlet, Yle.
"Personally, I did not take drugs, nor did I consume anything other than alcohol. I danced, sang, and partied - perfectly legal things. And I've never been in a situation where I've seen or known of others [using drugs]," she continued.
"I want to show that there are ordinary people with ordinary lives in these jobs. 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," she added.
The Prime Minister, who has held her position since December 2019, received a slew of criticism from other Finnish politicians. The opposition party leader first suggested she take a drug test, and reporters questioned whether Marin would have been able to "make snap government decisions" where necessary, BBC News reported.
Marin disagreed that this would be the case, stating: "I don't remember a single time that there was a sudden situation in the middle of the night to go to the State Council Palace [...] I think my ability to function was really good. There were no known meetings on the days I was partying."
In December 2021, the Prime Minister came under fire after it was discovered she had been clubbing without her phone, meaning Marin was unaware she came into close contact with a covid-19 case.
It has been questioned whether the reactions to Marin's behavior are a testament to an era where the public and media remain unfairly focused on women's lives.
"There's a tendency to focus on women's personal lives, their appearance, and in general, I'd say that compared to men, women are more likely to have to really prove their credentials in terms of being capable politicians," Farida Jalalzai, associate dean of global initiatives and engagement at Virginia Tech, told NPR.
Jalalzai also added that women often feel the pressure to "go above and beyond" what is expected to prove their professionalism, and questioned whether Marin's age and gender played a part in the controversy.
