Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised following the publication of a photo which showed two topless women kissing each other during a party at her official residence.

The photo emerged last week after a video of Marin dancing and partying with friends was leaked on social media, prompting outrage from opposition parties and sparking a debate about the PM’s extra-curricular activities.

The picture, which has since been deleted, first appeared on the TikTok account of Finnish model and influencer Sabina Särkkä. It shows her kissing another woman while the two of them hold up their tops, with a ‘Finland’ sign covering their breasts.

Marin herself does not appear in the photo but did confirm it was taken in a bathroom at an official residence of Finnish prime ministers following a music festival in early July.

‘I think the picture is not appropriate, I apologise for it. Such a picture should not have been taken, but otherwise, nothing extraordinary happened at the get-together,’ Marin said during a press conference on Tuesday.

She said the post-festival gathering was a private party and the names of all guests were provided to the security detail that monitors the Kesaranta property, located in the northern part of Helsinki.

The two-story wooden villa from 1873 features a seaside sauna, a pavilion, a jetty, and a tennis court.

‘We were using the sauna facilities and the garden area, but we did not spend time inside the Kesaranta house, although the downstairs guest toilets were in use,’ Marin said, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE.

The incident is the second time the Finnish PM has been forced to apologise for partying in recent weeks, when a video emerged of her drinking and dancing exuberantly during another private party.

Marin admitted that she and her friends partied in a ‘boisterous way’ at the undisclosed location in recent weeks, but said she was not aware of any illegal substances consumed.

She said Friday that she took a drug test to put an end to speculation about illegal substance use.

The results, published on Monday, were negative, with Marin confirming she paid for the test herself.

‘I have nothing to hide. I have never taken drugs. Personally, I did not take drugs, nor did I consume anything other than alcohol.

‘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].’

Ms Marin also said that she ‘resents’ that private videos filmed in a private space were leaked to the public.

Marin, 36, became the world’s youngest head of state when she was first elected in 2019, and has since won praise for guiding the country steadfastly through the COVID-19 pandemic and the NATO application process following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Although pressure has been mounting amongst elected officials regarding the fallout of the leaked photos, Marin nevertheless remains popular with members of the Social Democratic Party and the political impact of the scandal has remained limited.

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