That's weird I thought the social liberals were an economically centerist party with pro-busniesss immigration stance, what exactly is so radical about their stance on immigration ? and how is it getting them votes ?
Yes, they want to significantly increase the influx of foreign labour, but they also want to loosen immigration/refugee policy significantly. Things like participating in the EU distribution of refugees, increase the UN quota refugees, increase benefits for newly arrived migrants, take back Danish citizens from the ISIS camps, let refused asylum seekers with children live outside deportation centres, turn back the so-called paradigm shift which aimed to get refugees to return home by giving temporary refugee status, make it easier to get Danish citizenship etc.
In the 2019 campaign, they also were perhaps the party which focused the most on Rasmus Paludan's Hard Line. As other parties mostly ignored his antics, Social Liberals were eager to act as their counterparts. The lenient immigration policies certainly have an audience, especially among younger, urban voters, but they have made the party toxic for the average voter. This was why the Social Democrats were so adamant that they weren't going to get into a coalition with them, and why it's not a positive thing when Ellemann is seen by some as a semi-Social Liberal. The lenient immigration politicis also helped the party massively increase its vote shared in the most immigrant-heavy areas:
https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2019-06-07-radikale-stormer-frem-i-landets-ghetto-omraader
A couple of questions:
First, aren’t the Social Liberals actually a bit down in the polls at the moment from their previous election result? I know this far out polls might not mean too much, but do you think they are actually going to see an upsurge in support? I could imagine that being unapologetically pro-immigration could carve themselves out a nice electoral niche with votes from both young cosmopolitan types and immigrant communities.
Secondly, how common is party switching in Denmark compared to other countries? Ida Auken’s ride through three parties is quite something.
