Finland's Sanna Marin loses PM race following controversial partying video

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Finnish President Sauli Niinistö addresses Hungary, Turkey's opposition to Finland joining NATO

President of Finland Sauli Niinistö discusses his country's push to join NATO, the Russia-Ukraine war and his recent meeting with President Biden.

Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin lost her bid for re-election as she and her party saw a defeat in the general election by conservative and far-right rivals, reports said Monday.

Marin’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) came in at third place in race with razor-thin margins after 20.8% of Finnish voters threw their weight behind the center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) and 20.1% of voters backed right-wing populist party The Finns.

Marin’s party secured 19.9% of voters support in the Sunday election. 

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Social Democratic Party chair reacts as she watches results of parliamentary election in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, April 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

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While Marin lost out on another term as prime minister, no party is in the position to form a government on its own as each party secured roughly 20% of the vote.

"Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party," Petteri Orpo, leader of the center-right party who secured the general election and is the most likely next prime minister of Finland, said.  

Marin, 37, is one of Europe’s youngest leaders and has received wide recognition for her support of Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion and in Finland’s impending ascension into NATO.

But the young politician also received some backlash earlier this year after video footage was released showing the prime minister dancing and partying with friends. 

The leaked video caused some headache for Marin after opposition leaders demanded she take a drug test. 

The National Coalition party Chairman Petteri Orpo celebrates with supporters at the party's parliament election party at the Ostrobotnia club in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday, April 2, 2023. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto/Lehtikuva via AP)

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The prime minister pushed back on the demands and maintained she only drank alcohol and partied "in a boisterous way," reported the BBC. 

"I danced, sang and partied — perfectly legal things. And I've never been in a situation where I've seen or known of others [using drugs]," she said following the footage’s release.

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin speaks with members of the media in Kuopio, Finland, Aug. 18, 2022.    (Matias Honkamaa/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS)

It is unclear if the video resulted in serious opposition from Finnish voters that could have affected the race for prime minister. 

Chair of SDP Sanna Marin, left, and chair of The Finns party Riikka Purra, right, look on as National Coalition Party chair Petteri Orpo cheers at the Finnish parliamentary elections media reception at the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday, April 2, 2023.  (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP)

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Finland’s position when it comes to chief international policies like the war in Ukraine are unlikely to change under new leadership, and on Monday Orpo told the Associated Press, "We cannot accept this terrible war."

"To Ukraine: We stand by you, with you," he said. "And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear."

"And the message to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose," Orpo said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.