Finland PM Sanna Marin pledges to repay €14,000 over breakfast expenses outcry

Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin, on Tuesday, has pledged to repay thousands of Euros in meal expenses in an attempt to contain the fallout from disclosures about her family's subsidised breakfasts courtesy of taxpayers.

The 35-year-old PM clarified she would no longer claim such expenses after pledging over the weekend to pay back over 14,000€ (INR 12,46,613) that she had received in compensations for breakfasts and cold meals at her residence since taking the office in December 2019.

Taking to Twitter, the Finland PM said, "Because there are open questions regarding the meal allowance, I will pay the related costs myself." 

Later in an interview with broadcaster MTV3, she added, "I don't intend to use the meal allowance in future, even if it is ruled to be in line with regulations

PM Sanna Marin asked the officials to let her know whether the allowance is legal and whether the repayments levy taxes and swiftly get done with the chaos.

She said, "I have other work duties to get on with than spending days on end looking into things like my family's food."

Finland PM in troubled waters over € 300 monthly Breakfast expenses

On May 29, Finland Police announced that they were investigating Prime Minister Sanna Marin's alleged expenditure on meals after a tabloid Iltalehti reported her family's breakfast was being unlawfully subsidised using the country's taxpayer's money. Adding insult to injury, the police department announced a pre-trial investigation into a possible public offence upon receiving a request to probe the allegations.

Reports in Iltalehti criminating Sanna Marin of claiming about € 300 every month for breakfast at her official residence in Helsinki, Kesaranta has landed the Finland PM on the line. She took to Twitter to inform that she has asked all related appropriation be suspended until the matter is clarified.

If reports are believed, the Sanna Marin's breakfast bill controversy is likely to heat up ahead of local elections on June 13. The right-wing populist Finns Party is predicted to triumph against the ruling coalition. It is pertinent to note that Sanna Marin has been enjoying spirited levels of public support and her coalition has been lauded for maintaining some of Europe's lowest COVID-19 infection rates in Finland with a population of 5,548,591. 

Reports say that Opposition Parties in Finland have alleged misuse of taxpayer's money for subsidising Finland PM's expenses.