The columnist wonders what would happen if her party photos were published. Unless she does it herself. Fine, nobody cares. But still, when you’re a young head of government, aren’t you allowed to party? And what if Olaf Scholz invited friends to the Chancellery, what would happen wildly?
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin likes to celebrate – a sack of rice falls over in China. Our Friedrich Merz flies to a wedding himself in a private jet – one could miss the most valuable thing. Silvio Berlusconi probably still bunga-bunga in his 80s – where’s the bus with people who care? Here? Then you are correct, because we can now consider together what is suitable for a real scandal and what is not.
Sanna Marin, hach ??- the young Finnish head of government is known for her party life. In general, these northern lights, including the prince of all Norwegians, Haakon, had caught a party princess in 1999, even “took” her with the child already born, hui, little scandal. In the meantime, Mette-Marit’s former escapades have been forgotten just as much as Franz Josef Strauss’ excursions to the streets of New York’s Central Park, but forget about it, such a well-established man was finally allowed to let off a bit of steam on a trip abroad without being photographed right away. Or one of his buddies who was traveling with him would have posted it on the internet. Fun fact: there was no network at all. But a double bottom. Because back then, the Willys, the Helmuts and the Joschkas all acted according to the principle: lots of women, lots of honor. If you party a bit above average today, you have to apologize, several times, and cry. Because you did something wrong? How far have we actually come? “Mer must also be able to treat yourself” – I don’t even know how many times I’ve used this quote.
“One” should perhaps also decide what “one” wants now: do one want approachable politicians like “you and me”, do one want godlike people, do one want role models or do one want human beings? If someone, like Friedrich Merz, who has already been mentioned in a different context, finally lets himself out at his party’s summer party and dares a brisk little dance, then he can almost certainly assume that he will be ridiculous in the relevant press the next day made – at least pulled through the cocoa – to be. Or, when our former chancellor let us look a little deeper, there was also great excitement, but hello ….
Back to Sanna: She also had a cleavage that was too low, too wild leather clothes, looked too happy at a festival, celebrated and danced with friends, cuddled with an influencer, a footballer man … wait a minute, footballer man is ok, but what else? Oh yes, celebrated again, but this time allegedly with coke in the background, and until then you really have to say: everything is possible. Or do you always know what is happening behind your back? The question of whether “one” is allowed to dance or have fun “in these times” came up. I think you can. One must! In the worst of times there was celebration.
After all, the shrillest parties are organized by necessity, in order to forget. To endure “it”. We love TV series that are about the roaring 20’s or the crazy 70’s, but now? Celebrations forbidden? The question of whether this is exemplary or pious can be asked on a case-by-case basis.
I can party and still work the next day (for men it’s a kind of accolade, by the way, for women it always sounds sloppy, but that’s it). I can drink something, and I’m still not a bad person. I dance with other men and hug girlfriends (and vice versa) – doll, tight, laughing, whispering in my ear. There are photos of it. Well, nobody cares, but shouldn’t a woman in her mid-thirties be allowed to show off? Would it be better if she gave up everything when everyone else around her is also celebrating? As long as she doesn’t have to have open-heart surgery the next morning – and the country and its borders are safe – a head of government should have fun.
It gets stupid when regulations are violated, see Boris Johnson’s parties in the toughest Corona times. Or someone gets hurt. Or the Third World War breaks out during a party and the prime minister can only babble that the shots will be fired back from now on. Honestly, joking aside: If you can no longer fulfill your duties, then it gets stupid. Marin, however, insisted that she was ready for action at any time. What people get is certainly a bit of envy – of their youth, their beauty, their carelessness in taking things that others don’t dare to do. That other women don’t dare. So is it a debate that we’re more likely to let men get away with partying? I’m thinking about Gerhard Schröder (which I don’t do as often as I used to because it’s become so much more annoying to think about him) who nonchalantly asked someone: “Get me a bottle of beer. Otherwise I’ll go on strike here! “
Unimaginable today! Just imagine how everyone would look if Annalena Baerbock said: “Get me a glass of prosecho!” An outcry would go through the republic! From: “She can walk herself” to: “Isn’t that a mother” and: “She has to call everyone the same name, just because she’s a Green” to: “Decadent swill” or: “Drinking at work, das hamwa gladly” the range would certainly be almost endless. Back then, Stefan Raab even made a song out of Gerhard’s saying!
So Sanna has gone too far when she left her friends the key to her official residence Kesäranta in Helsinki, including a sauna (crazy, those Finns!!!) while she was at a festival (again?). It would have been wiser if Sanna had been there in the residence sauna. Because the otherwise energetic Sanna Marin might have been able to prevent two women from the party crowd pulling up their shirts and having to post their nudity pictures from the high house.
Finally, you need a bit of imagination, imagining how Olaf Scholz hands his friends (I was asked: “Does he have any?”) the key to the Chancellor’s office while he might be, let’s say, at a Reinhard Mey concert. And how his friends would stage themselves there: telling Schröder jokes and Scharping anecdotes, cyclists drinking in short-sleeved shirts. Instagram? Rather not.
And maybe Sanna still has to learn that: to develop a feeling for how far one can go. She definitely needs to ban her friends from posting photos. Maybe even take photos at all. And maybe think again about whether they are really friends, because what do you want to achieve as an influencer with a photo from the Finnish head of government’s official residence? Attention? Right! And Sanna Marin can now get it better and more skillfully herself. Even without crying!
Have a nice weekend and be careful who takes pictures of you where, how and with whom!
