Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced backlash last weekend after a video of him singing at a hotel bar in London, UK, two days before Queen Elizabeth’s funeral II, has been widely distributed online.
In the 15-second video recorded on Saturday, Trudeau can be seen wearing a t-shirt and singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, while famous Quebec musician Gregory Charles played the piano. Critics on social media and in newspaper columns argued it was inappropriate and disrespectful during a time of mourning.
And last month, a video of Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin dancing at a party was leaked online and sparked outrage from some Finns, who said the incident could damage the country’s reputation.
But experts say world leaders should be able to let loose and have fun once in a while – within limits.
Political marketing expert Clive Veroni said the outrage over Trudeau’s singing in London was “out of proportion”.
“The Prime Minister was in London a few days before the funeral… and had a Saturday night off and was hanging around a piano and singing with friends for a few hours,” he told CTVNews.ca by phone on Wednesday. . Morning. “I think at the most basic level we can say that, yes, leaders of governments also have privacy and they should be allowed to have fun in their free time.”
Veroni said it was “even more surprising” to see the outrage when the Finnish prime minister’s party videos were leaked.
“It’s a perfectly ordinary thing for someone to do at that age — frankly, at any age,” he said.
Lydia Miljan, a political science professor at the University of Windsor, says that while world leaders like Trudeau are “certainly allowed to have some downtime”, they need to be aware of context and timing.
“In the case of the (Finnish Prime Minister), it’s fine. She’s allowed to dance,” she told CTVNews.ca by phone Wednesday afternoon.
“Trudeau’s case is a bit different in that he was in the UK on state business. He was part of an official delegation to commemorate the Queen, and it was during the time of mourning. And I think that’s where people find the optics of his … impromptu singing is objectionable,” Miljan added.
In some cases, Miljan says a video of a prime minister singing can help humanize them, offering the example of then-prime minister Stephen Harper singing a Beatles song with Yo Yo Ma in 2009. But in Trudeau’s case, his critics have called him an unserious leader and she argues that this video only reinforces that view.
“It helped Harper because he had such a negative image of being a robot and an anti-culture. It kind of allowed people to see him differently. Unlike Trudeau, he doesn’t need good faith on the culture file. His shortcomings It’s not that he’s a robot. It’s that he’s frivolous or that he’s not a serious prime minister,” she said. .
For Veroni, the most interesting part of the Trudeau singing controversy was how it exposed the political divisions in Canadian society.
“There are people who say anything Trudeau does will be unacceptable. And it was one of those things that was ripe for comment and criticism, because it happened just before the Queen’s funeral,” did he declare. “And I think a lot of other people give a Gallic shrug and say it’s no big deal.”
“I think what’s interesting is how it reveals the attitudes and perceptions of the people who comment on it.”
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