Major update in Finnish PM ‘partygate’ scandal amid probe into wild twerking rave
FINNISH Prime Minister Sanna Marin has been cleared of misconduct following an official inquiry after she was filmed raving with her high-profile pals.
A probe was launched into the “partygate” scandal after a string of footage was leaked showing the 36-year-old letting her hair down.
The wild clips prompted a string of complaints to the parliamentary ombudsman, accusing Marin of being incompetent.
Party poopers claimed that excessive alcohol consumption at the bash’s would have left the PM unable to carry out her official duties.
Others slammed her behaviour and accused her of undermining her country’s “reputation and security”.
But Finland‘s chancellor of justice, Tuomas Pöysti, concluded she had not neglected her responsibilities after dancing the night away.
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The independent office is responsible for overseeing the legality of government activities and is where citizens can lodge complaints.
Pöysti determined 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.”
He said the complaints failed to establish that Marin had endangered a “specific official duty”.
Marin had previously hit back at critics while wading through the controversy, insisting the clips simply showed her enjoying “an evening with friends”.
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She maintained she always remained in an appropriate condition to “lead the country”.
The mum said the videos were “filmed in private premises” and that her role in government didn’t mean she could not have fun.
Marin explained: “I am human. And I too sometimes long for joy, light and fun amidst these dark clouds.”
She staunchly defended her antics after footage was released of her twerking at a wild party and dancing “intimately” with an unknown man at a club.
The 36-year-old was forced to deny she had taken illicit substances and even took a drug test to prove her innocence.
Marin’s rock and roll reputation saw her become dubbed as the “coolest politician in the world”.
‘KEEP DANCING’
It also earned her an army of supporters as prominent female politicians spoke out backing her right to party.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even tweeted a snap of herself having fun during her time in office.
She wrote: “As Ann Richards said, ‘Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels’.
“Here’s me in Cartagena while I was there for a meeting as Secretary of State. Keep dancing, @marinsanna.”
Chancellor Pöysti also addressed complaints regarding a snap taken at the PM’s residence showing her friends posing topless for a snog.
A pair of patriotic influencers kissed while covering their breasts with a sign that said “Finland” in the same spot Marin is often filmed making official announcements.
Pöysti said his job was not to assess the “moral and social” aspects of the PM in her free time, adding that such questions are a “matter for parliament”.
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He added that political accountability is “also weighed periodically in democratic elections” before confirming Finland’s leader could use the official residence for private events.
Marin previously said it would be up to voters to decide whether her behaviour was “suitable from their point of view, and what they think about it.”
