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Finland PM Sanna Marin defends lifestyle, takes voluntary drug test after leaked party video

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced Friday that she has taken a drug test in the wake of a leaked video which showed her dancing and lip syncing at a party, according to the BBC.

Marin addressed the controversy at a press conference in Helsinki, calling the demands for drug testing "unjust."

"I did nothing illegal," Marin said to reporters Friday.

Opposition party politician Riikka Pura called for the prime minister to do a voluntary drug test, saying there was a "shadow of doubt" hanging over her, the BBC reported.

"I consider these accusations to be very serious," Marin said Friday. "Though I consider the demand for a drug test unjust, for my own legal protection and to clear up any doubts, I have taken a drug test today, the results of which will come in about a week."

Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin
Prime minister of Finland Sanna Marin holds a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, on August 19, 2022, after videos showing her partying and leaked into social media have sparked criticism. RONI REKOMAA/Lehtikuva/AFP/Getty Images

Marin, who became the youngest prime minister in Finnish history when she was elected in 2019, said she did not have work responsibilities the weekend she was at the party.

"We didn't have any government meetings during that weekend," she said at the press conference. "I had time off and spent it with my friends and family, and did nothing illegal."

Earlier this week, Marin told reporters that she "represents a younger generation," and that she will continue to live her life how she wants to, the BBC reported.

"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," she said. "I am going to be exactly the same person as I have been until now, and I hope that it will be accepted," she said.

This is not the first time Marin has come under fire by her opponents and the media for dancing and attending parties. In December 2021, Marin apologized for going to a club, where she was exposed to someone with COVID-19.

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