This spring the prime ministers of Sweden and Finland made a pair of historic announcements: on 15 May Magdalena Andersson and Sanna Marin declared that their respective countries would end their long-running policies of military non-alignment and apply to join Nato. Amid Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and increasing threats in the region, the Nordic leaders – working in tandem – were securing their nations’ safety, bolstering the Western alliance and defying a nearby authoritarian regime. It was a pivotal moment for both nations, and one celebrated by the majority of Swedes and Finns.
Less than four months later, however, both Marin and Andersson’s political futures are uncertain thanks, in part, to attacks from the far right. For 36-year-old Marin, who has been prime minister of Finland since December 2019, a scandal began after the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti published a leaked video on 18 August showing her exuberantly dancing with friends at a party. The clip triggered a debate about the prime minister’s penchant for “partying” and whether she should act in ways more befitting a head of government, even in her private time. Her supporters argued that Marin was being held to a higher standard than male politicians. It is hard to imagine footage of a male prime minister dancing at a private event inspiring the same level of censure.
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