Finnish Prime Minister's 'Wild Party' Controversy Official Investigation Released: "Not Negligence"

by Lee Jungyun

Published 05 Nov.2022 08:58(KST)

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is addressing the press in Kuopio, where she visited to attend the Social Democratic Party's summer meeting on August 18 (local time), explaining the controversial video of the wild party.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] An official investigation has concluded that Sanna Marin, the Prime Minister of Finland who was suspected of hosting a wild party last summer, did not engage in negligence or illegal activities.

According to AFP on the 5th, Tuomas Poysti, the head of Finland's Parliamentary Ombudsman, stated that "there is no reason to suspect that the Prime Minister acted against the law or neglected her official duties while performing her work." The Parliamentary Ombudsman is a lifetime public official appointed by the president and is responsible for overseeing the legality of government activities.

Prime Minister Marin became embroiled in controversy after a video circulated on social media showing her dancing vigorously and singing along with singers, broadcasters, and members of parliament at a party held at a private residence in August this year.

At the time, Prime Minister Marin said, "I was just having dinner with friends." She also pointed out that the video was filmed in a private space, adding, "I am human too. Amid these dark clouds, I sometimes want joy, light, and fun."

Poysti, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, noted that there is no evidence that Prime Minister Marin omitted or endangered any specific official duties. Regarding the Prime Minister's leisure activities, Poysti said that evaluating them from a 'moral and social' perspective is a matter for the parliament, adding, "Political responsibility is regularly assessed through democratic elections."