Finland’s Prime Minister has apologised for going clubbing after coming into close contact with someone with Covid, but people think politicians have done a lot worse.
Sanna Marin, who became the world’s youngest prime minister in 2019, was pictured on a night out at the Butcher’s club in Helsinki on Saturday, hours after her foreign minister had tested positive, initially believing she didn’t have to isolate because she had been fully vaccinated.
But the Social Democratic prime minister, 36, missed a text message that advised her to avoid social contact because she had left her work phone at home. So she went out into the night and witnesses reportedly saw her dancing until 4am.
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Now she’s been given a slap on the wrist. In a Facebook post on Monday, translated by the BBC. Marin said she had gone shopping and to dinner with her husband after initially being told she didn’t need to quarantine but that she should have double-checked the guidance and used better judgement.
“I am very sorry for not understanding that I needed to do that,” she wrote.
While Finland’s Covid guidelines – which their PM should probably know a thing or two about – say double-jabbed people don’t need to isolate, they do advise people to voluntarily avoid social contact while waiting for a Covid test.
Separate guidelines for government ministers and employees also recommend limiting social contact immediately after exposure to the virus, according to Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat newspaper.
Speaking to reporters in parliament on Wednesday, Marin said she had not been provided with this guidance. She said she took personal responsibility for the lack of information and again apologised for her actions.
Meanwhile, the day after she went clubbing, she took a negative test for the virus.
But reacting to the story, lots of people weren’t that annoyed with her and saw the funny side:
Nobody:
— Fire Joe Rogan ✡️🇵🇸🤦🏽♂️ (@EvelKneidel) December 9, 2021
The PM of Finland: https://t.co/rG9oE3SdB6
Finland’s prime minister in the club at 4 AM while her people were trying to contact her to tell her to quarantine pic.twitter.com/jlc7ZtPFoo
— kyle (@blkboybulletin) December 8, 2021
The Finland Prime Minister’s gay friend telling her not to bring her work phone to the club pic.twitter.com/as6N4hXuWZ
— Carey O'Donnell (@ecareyo) December 8, 2021
“Aren’t you the Prime Minister of Finland?” pic.twitter.com/nqZ1aKYOo6
— Jake Vig (@Jake_Vig) December 8, 2021
{over extremely loud music}
— Poorly Drawn Turtle (@NoTheOtherJohn) December 8, 2021
ME: SO WHAT DO YOU DO?
HER: [speaking directly into my ear] IM THE PRIME MINSTER OF FINLAND
ME: THATS COOL
HER: WHAT?https://t.co/rPjueJsmY7
Good for her!👍🏻
— MNK1971 (@MNK19711) December 8, 2021
Adds “clubbing with Finland’s Prime Minister” to my bucket list.
— Michael’s musings (@mlreed1956) December 8, 2021
Sounds like my kind of gal
— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) December 8, 2021
The Prime Minister of Finland at 4am: pic.twitter.com/weSZFzLPkG
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) December 8, 2021
However, others thought it was pretty bad form.
Finland's Foreign Minister tests positive for Covid. The rest of the government has been informed and instructed to avoid contact but Prime Minister Sanna Marin was in the nightclub all night even the PM knew about situation. Elite think restrictions don't apply to them. 🍻🥂 pic.twitter.com/Kj4yuB6xYv
— Based 🇫🇮 (@Based_FIN) December 5, 2021
Opposition politicians suggested Marin should have set a good example by isolating voluntarily instead of going clubbing. Mia Laiho, an MP for the National Coalition Party, said Marin had been “irresponsible”.
Meanwhile, in a poll commissioned by the TV channel MTV3, two-thirds of respondents said Marin’s night out was a “serious mistake”.
Oh dear. Sounds like a fun person to have at one of Downing Street’s parties at least.
