The Sanna Marin party photos row explained and how long she's been Prime Minister of Finland

Sanna Marin, Finland’s Prime Minister, is one of the youngest national leaders in the world, and has hit the headlines after footage of her dancing wildly at a party has emerged.

The 36-year-old says she did nothing wrong by letting her hair down with friends in a private home, and says she did not take any drugs and had no problem with taking a drug test.

Here’s everything you need to know about Europe’s partying PM.

Ms Marin has been hailed as part of a new generation of “cool politicians”, and has also gained respect for her leadership amid the Ukraine war and tensions with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

A member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), she has served as the Prime Minister of the country since 2019.

Having taken the office aged just 34, she is the youngest leader in Finnish history and third youngest in the world.

She graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in administrative science from the University of Tampere in Finland.

She started her political career aged 20 by joining the Social Democratic Youth, and became its vice-chair. She was elected to the Tampere city council and became chairman within months, a position she held from 2013 to 2014.

In 2014 she became second deputy chairman of the SDP and was elected to the Finish parliament in 2015.

In June 2019 she was made minister of transport and communications, and in December of that year was nominated by the SDP to become Prime Minister of Finland, succeeding Antti Rinne.

She has been outspoken about the persecution of ethnic Uyghurs in China, locked down Finland in a state of emergency during Covid, and backed Finland joining Nato.

German newspaper Bild recently described her as the “most important politician in her country who has to lead it through one of the most dangerous crisis of her time… and still finds time to party.”

She has also been praised for her sense of style. Bild celebrated her wardrobe which includes flea-market finds, sparkly dresses, and leather jackets and said she was part of the “cool generation” of new politicians. “Casual, modern and self-confident – that’s how politics can work. Marin stands for the ‘cool generation’, which Putin definitely doesn’t like,” it said.

What happened with the party video?

The video posted on a social media showed six people dancing and singing along to the music, including Ms Marin. Later, she is seen on her knees on what seems to be the dance floor, with her arms behind her head and dancing and singing.

The source of the footage is unknown, although it appears to have been originally published on Instagram Stories.

Among the group is photographer and influencer Janita Autio, media anchor Tinni Wikström, radio host Karoliina Tuominen, stylist Vesa Silver and MP Ilmari Nurminen, according to Finnish media outlet Iltalehti.

Ms Marin and friends are seen dancing along to songs by Petri Nygård and pop singer Antti Tuisku.

“I’m disappointed that it has become public. I spent the evening with friends. Partied, pretty wild, yes. Danced and sang,” she said on Thursday, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE.

“I have not used drugs myself, or anything other than alcohol. I’ve danced, sung and partied and done perfectly legal things. I have also not been in a situation where I would know that others are doing it that way,” Marin added, according to Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper.

It was unclear when the party was held. On the question of drug use, Ms Marin said: “I didn’t see any evidence that anything was used anywhere”.

She suggested her friends were actually shouting about something else rather than the alleged phrase “flour gang” – which is said to be slang for cocaine use.

She added that she had “no problem” with taking a drug test.

Ms Marin said she spent her free time with friends just like others her age and that she intended to continue being the same person as before.

“I hope that’s accepted. We live in a democracy and in elections everyone can decide these issues,” she said, according to YLE.

Critics questioned her behaviour and pointed out that Finland, which shares an 832-mile land border with Russia, faces pressing issues from high electricity prices to the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The country recently dropped its long-neutral stance and asked to join Nato.

In July, Ms Marin was hailed “effortlessly cool” after attending the Ruisrock festival in Turku in leather jacket and denim shorts.

In December she made a public apology after going out clubbing until 4 am without her work phone – so failing to get the message that she had been in close contact with someone who was Covid-positive person. She did not test positive.

Many on social media appeared nonplussed at her letting off steam by dancing with friends. One Twitter user known as Vlad simply said: “Pffff. She’s best.”

Twitter user Stanley Kaye said: “If a prime minister’s hobby was to read literature or go to opera then nobody would bat an eyelid. If she relaxes by partying then she should go for it.”

Journalist Camille Tawil wrote: “Is she the ‘coolest’ prime minister in the world? Someone else in her position might be worried with regard to ‘important’ issues: joining Nato, war in Ukraine, inflation, high energy prices! @MarinSanna is partying. Some (many!) may criticize her… I think she is cool!”