Finnish PM Sanna Marin cleared of 'misconduct' in partying scandal

Sanna Marin, the 36-year-old prime minister of Finland, was found not guilty of any misconduct on Friday after an official investigation over a leaked video depicting her partying in August.

After the prime minister was pictured dancing and having a good time with friends and famous people, sparking headlines around the world, dozens of complaints were made to Finland's chancellor of justice.

However, the chancellor, a separate body tasked with monitoring the constitutionality of government actions and to which any citizen may file a complaint, came to the conclusion that Marin had not disregarded her obligations as prime minister.

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There was "no reason to suspect the prime minister of unlawful conduct in the performance of her duties or of neglect of her official duties," Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Poysti concluded.

At the time of the scandal, Marin said she spent "an evening with friends" and that the videos were "filmed in private premises".

"I am human. And I too sometimes long for joy, light and fun amidst these dark clouds," she said.

There were complaints made to the chancellor that Marin was unqualified to serve as prime minister "due to alcohol consumption," that she acted inappropriately for the position, and that she endangered Finland's "reputation and security."

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The accusations, according to the chancellor, failed to prove that Marin had neglected or jeopardised a "specific official duty".

The chancellor stated that evaluating the "moral and social" aspect of a prime minister's extracurricular activities is "a matter for parliament" and that "political accountability is also periodically weighed in democratic elections."

To dispel any doubts raised by some that words heard on the tape alluded to drugs, Marin had a drug test in August; the results were negative. This was a topic that generated a lot of discussion on social media, and the prime minister vehemently rejected it even as she got widespread support from women who even posted their dance videos to express solidarity with her.

(with inputs from agencies)