Sanna Marin got in trouble for partying, trollers questioned her capability of handling the office
Highlights:
- Finnish Prime Minister: The Party Animal!
- Is it a crime to have fun out of office?
- A leader should be….
Women from all over the world are posting dance videos with #SolidarityWithSanna. This is a campaign stand with Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin. By now, some of you may have been following the story.
Let’s give you a quick recap.
Finnish Prime Minister: The Party Animal!
The story began with a video where Finland’s Prime Minister was having a blast with some of her friends. The group is seen dancing and singing at a house party. The video has shocked some people. The sight of a prime minister letting her hair down was perhaps too much for them.
Some called Sanna Marin an insult to her office, and some called for her resignation. The opposition asked the Prime Minister to take a drug test. Even a member of her own party supported this demand.
Sanna Marin is a 36-year-old who was elected to office in 2019; until some time ago, she was the world’s youngest prime minister.
Dancing and singing are perfectly normal activities. However, it became more considerable when the Prime Minister pulled up a party.
Is it a crime to have fun out of office?
There is no law forbidding a leader to have a party. In fact, many are praised for taking some time out.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was routinely photographed going off on adventure trails. The shirtless photos are branded as excellent.
US presidents are often clicked on family holidays. The trips are showcased as work-life balance.
When Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau posts photos of quality time with family, people applaud him. So, what went so wrong with the Finnish Prime Minister’s minister’s video that upset people so much?
What are really the clothes?
What is dancing?
Or
What is a thought of a young woman leader having some harmless fun?
Did it automatically mean that she could not handle a high office or balance work and life?
A woman who dances cannot deliver her professional promises?
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How did it become a national scandal and a global headline?
The world has more serious things to worry about than a prime minister doing what regular people do. Finnish voters, by the way, agree as they share their party and dancing videos on social media. This is their way of saying that dancing is harmless regardless of whether or not the person dancing is a prime minister.
Sanna Marin says, “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”.
Should you stop being who you are at the moment you enter the office? The days are gone when Ministers tried to project themselves as superhumans by wearing a wheel of secrecy and mystery. Today leaders should be relatable and accessible.
Some ministers bring children to work because they have family and friends outside the work like any other ordinary citizen.
Of Course, Sanna Marin did not expect a private party video to become public, but now if it has, she has no regrets.
“I danced, sang, and partied-perfectly legal things.”
She also took a drug test. Sanna Marin was forced and was under a lot of pressure to undergo this test. The results were negative, so the backlash backfired.
A leader should be….
This episode threw up some crucial questions for voters and politicians.
How do you want your leaders to be normal or disturbingly perfect?
Would you like your PM to be someone who works all the time, is serious all the time, or you want them to be more like you?
As the definition of an ideal person changes as the definition of what is perfect changes, perhaps it is time to change the lens through which we view our leaders.
Think about it!
