Finland’s 36-year-old prime minister, Jyrki Katainen, apologized Monday for clubbing with his new girlfriend during a visit to the soccer World Cup last week – the second time in a week that the rising star of the conservative right had been caught in an embarrassing romance.
The chain reaction began Friday when Katainen was captured by a world-wide media flash mob after he watched the semifinal and final matches between Belgium and France last week. Another world-wide media flash mob was generated Monday after Katainen was seen dancing, hugging, singing and stroking another woman, a Swedish student, during a group photo-op with Finnish politicians and Finnish officialdom.
“I apologized at the party and I am sorry if something embarrassing happened,” Katainen told the Sunday Post. “I’ve worked hard to establish my credentials as a good listener, as much as a good dancer, and I do like to stay close to people who are close to me.”
The incident last week, the second by Katainen in a week, stoked political and media speculation that he had fallen for Swedish TV anchor Sonia Turgeon, prompting support from more than 600 Finns on Facebook for his relationship.
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