Scandal Surrounds Finnish Social Democrat Leader over Controversial Photo

Antti Lindtman, the new leader of the Finnish Social Democrats, is facing controversy due to a 23-year-old photo that has recently resurfaced. The photo, which shows Lindtman and four others naked, has raised eyebrows due to its disturbing content.

The Controversial Photo

In the photo, four individuals are wearing balaclavas, one is wearing a Santa Claus hat and beard, and two of the five are seen making the Hitler salute. The individual in the Santa Claus hat is also holding a gun. Lindtman has confirmed that the photo was taken when he was just 18 years old.

Lindtman explained that the photo was taken at a Christmas party for his film group. "They were taken as a thank you for those who helped us make a short film," he said earlier this summer to the newspaper Iltalehti when the photos first surfaced.

Lindtman's Response to the Scandal

It remains unclear whether Lindtman himself is making the Hitler salute in the photo. However, he has distanced himself from those who did, stating they had clearly gone too far in posing. He strongly disassociated himself from the far-right, stating, "I was not a Nazi sympathizer then, and I am not now." Lindtman also revealed that he had requested the removal of the photos from the website.

The Successor to Sanna Marin

Lindtman has taken over from former Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who stepped down as party leader last Friday. Marin, who became the youngest female prime minister in the world at the end of 2019, also faced controversy when a dance video of her surfaced. She voluntarily took a drug test to prove she was not under the influence of narcotics.