Finnish PM Sanna Marin's party videos: Do public figures deserve to unwind, shake a leg, and have fun?

It’s been an eventful week for Sanna Marin, the Prime Minister of Finland. Private videos of her partying were leaked and then went viral on social media. She had to vindicate herself in press conferences and even had to take a drug test. 

The youngest prime minister in the world has also been facing calls to step down after this episode. But throughout the process, she’s maintained that she has only done what a 36-year-old would normally do or what she refers to as “perfectly legal things”. Finns are asking what level of revelry is appropriate for a prime minister. 

Netizens are divided on whether public figures like a Prime Minister deserve to unwind or simply put, whether a world leader has a right to party? 

But, the global debate online seems to extend beyond the Finnish PM’s private life to a larger question among millennials - how important is it to strike a healthy work-life balance? 

Kanika Tekriwal, founder and CEO of JetSetGo told Business Today, “Coming from personal experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no work-life balance anymore.”

She says that running a charter aircraft firm means that her uber rich clients can call at odd hours and on weekends and that means her team needs to be constantly wired in and available all the time.

Another phenomenon that seems to have emerged from this controversy is that several women are posting videos of themselves dancing and partying in solidarity with the Finnish PM. Many have spoken about having the right to unwind and post about their social lives on popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.

Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President at TeamLease Services says, “The right to what I want to do in my personal time cannot be equated to my right to social media hangouts. Sometimes we just have to make peace with the fact that we are being judged.” She adds, “I think the Finnish PM stood her ground and must not feel apologetic about it.”

Also read: Finland PM Sanna Marin seen partying in leaked video; faces backlash

Also read: Finnish PM Sanna Marin takes drugs test after party video causes stir