Danish Elections and Politics

[Diouf]

The Moderates were officially founded today. The party has symbolically chosen the purple colour for their party logo, and then added the slogan "together for change".

The most anticipated part was probably the announcement of the 41 parliamentary candidates, but there weren't many new big names on the list. The only, apart from Løkke, with parliamentary experience is Jakob Engel-Schmidt who was a MP for the Liberals from 2013-2015 and 2016-2017 before leaving parliament after he was caught driving high on cocaine. But he has worked for the party for months, so it was no surprise to see him on the list. The same can be said for journalist Jeppe Søe, who works as the party's head of communication. He was a leader for Borgerligt Centrum (Civic Centre) for a year from 2009-2010 after its founder MP Simon Emil Ammitzbøll had left the project to join the Liberal Alliance. A further three names might have a bit of recognition: theatre director Jon Stephensen, former CEO of the Danish Meteorological Institute Lars Philipsen and founder of Gadejuristen (the street lawyer), a charity giving legal support for people with social problems, Nanna Gotfredsen.

When asked about Frederiksen's announcement about a government across the centre, he cheered it on, but also said the rejection from the Blue parties showed why the Moderates are necessary. The only way to ensure a government across the centre is therefore that the Moderates get the decisive seats.

https://twitter.com/RikkeGjolManso/status/1533363303556255746

[Diouf]

Is there a clear sense of whether this is a genuine change of heart or trying to appear reasonable/get ahead of the likely election result?

On the one hand, the crisis mentioned have led to more cooperation and perhaps some good political manoeuvring can get blue parties to back her agenda. Radikale also look likely to have the seats for a majority so their support is necessary and may require blue block participation. On the other hand, the Social Democrats have still been arguing with the blue block about economic policy (covid related measures, tax cuts, Arne pension etc), so it’s hard to see how they could find a compromise that keeps both sides happy (and it’s hard to talk about a cross-block coalition while slagging each other off). It’s also hard to imagine the Social Democrats wanting to let Radikale in government again given the latter’s ability to control the agenda. Is there a decent chance Frederiksen just wants to make herself look reasonable/centrist but when negotiations arrive she is unable to agree to ‘unreasonable’ blue block demands and is ‘forced’ to maintain her current governing basis?

I don't have access to her heart, so can't answer that.
A centre-right attack on the announcement I have seen a few times today is that this is a just a veiled way for Frederiksen to say that she is ready to let the Social Liberals back into government. Pape even said that this was a sacrifice to SPP + Social Liberals in order for them to go easy on Frederiksen once the Mink Commission report comes.

But it's important to remember that Frederiksen is still prefering to continue the current one-party government. Therefore one would also expect that a Social Democrat - Social Liberals - SPP government with only Red-Green backing is preferable to a cross-bloc government for her. But it is probably more popular to open for the cross bloc thing, and it also primes voters that she is ready to make some concessions if it's necessary to include the Moderates and/or a Blue Bloc party to get a majority.

It is the Social Liberals and Moderates who have insisted on a cross-bloc government, so it's more them who will be interesting to follow if they have the decisive seats. Lars Løkke has said a Red-led government should include a Blue Bloc party if it's to get his support, and that the Moderates isn't a Blue party. So that should mean even if Soc Dem + SPP + Soc Lib + Moderates have a majority, he would insist on getting a Blue Bloc party in. And he said today he wasn't afraid of months of gridlock to get the desired result. Carsten Nielsen also insists on a cross-centre government, but whether she counts Moderates as a enough for that is not totally clear yet. But still it's crucial that if she is to follow through on her statements, then a pure Red Bloc majority should not be used. But I'm sure these things will be discussed heavily in the campaign with attempts to get the conditions laid down as precise as possible.

[Diouf]

Social Liberal leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen tonight said that the party can't support a government which deports asylum seekers to a third country, likely Rwanda, which is what the government has worked for throughout this term, and where it sounds like it might soon be able to conclude a deal like the British one. She actually says that she is not principially against third country processing centres, but that it should be a part of a common EU model, that it should be in a place where human rights are followed, that the relevant country should receive massive economic support and that those found eligible for asylum should be transported back to Europe to live (unlike the government's plan where the asylum will be granted in Rwanda).

I can't believe the government would be willing to drop the idea. Hopefully a deal can already be concluded before the election, and then we will see whether Carsten Nielsen follow through on her threat. The Blue Bloc parties, minus Moderates + Christian Democrats, should support it, so the deal will likely receive a handy majority.

[JimJamUK]

Social Liberal leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen tonight said that the party can't support a government which deports asylum seekers to a third country, likely Rwanda, which is what the government has worked for throughout this term, and where it sounds like it might soon be able to conclude a deal like the British one. She actually says that she is not principially against third country processing centres, but that it should be a part of a common EU model, that it should be in a place where human rights are followed, that the relevant country should receive massive economic support and that those found eligible for asylum should be transported back to Europe to live (unlike the government's plan where the asylum will be granted in Rwanda).

I can't believe the government would be willing to drop the idea. Hopefully a deal can already be concluded before the election, and then we will see whether Carsten Nielsen follow through on her threat. The Blue Bloc parties, minus Moderates + Christian Democrats, should support it, so the deal will likely receive a handy majority.

There does seem to be wiggle room in her announcement and perhaps she knows it given she said she could back the broad idea in principle. The EU bit obviously cannot be changed, but the other 3 seem like areas where there could be compromise (Rwanda publicly agrees to uphold the asylum seekers rights, Denmark gives a bit more money than planned, a small % receive asylum in Denmark etc). Nonetheless, this does seem jarring given she previously accepted that Radikale cannot significantly alter any future government immigration policy. She said this to make Radikale government participation easier, but some voters will have been upset and presumably shes trying to keep them onboard.

[Diouf]

Social Liberal leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen tonight said that the party can't support a government which deports asylum seekers to a third country, likely Rwanda, which is what the government has worked for throughout this term, and where it sounds like it might soon be able to conclude a deal like the British one. She actually says that she is not principially against third country processing centres, but that it should be a part of a common EU model, that it should be in a place where human rights are followed, that the relevant country should receive massive economic support and that those found eligible for asylum should be transported back to Europe to live (unlike the government's plan where the asylum will be granted in Rwanda).

I can't believe the government would be willing to drop the idea. Hopefully a deal can already be concluded before the election, and then we will see whether Carsten Nielsen follow through on her threat. The Blue Bloc parties, minus Moderates + Christian Democrats, should support it, so the deal will likely receive a handy majority.

There does seem to be wiggle room in her announcement and perhaps she knows it given she said she could back the broad idea in principle. The EU bit obviously cannot be changed, but the other 3 seem like areas where there could be compromise (Rwanda publicly agrees to uphold the asylum seekers rights, Denmark gives a bit more money than planned, a small % receive asylum in Denmark etc). Nonetheless, this does seem jarring given she previously accepted that Radikale cannot significantly alter any future government immigration policy. She said this to make Radikale government participation easier, but some voters will have been upset and presumably shes trying to keep them onboard.

And certainly several MPs + others in prominent positions in the party. Many from the dominant leftliberal wing have been biting their tongue about this for long, and you have rarely seen anyone more passionate than those MPs blasting cheerfully on and on about this message (that they would then not support a government) yesterday. So while there are still quite a few Social Liberal MPs, perhaps including Sofie Carsten Nielsen, who in traditional Social Liberal style would be willing to compromise on anything, including this, to get into government and make broad agreements, there is a significant chunk of the parliamentary group who are more of the woke activist type, and on the final day would prefer to sit out and be pure and holy rather than enter (or even support) such a government. And now with this public message from the leader agreeing with this group, it will take even more blood and tears internally to reverse the course again.

[Diouf]

Isabella Arendt, who until a month ago led the Christian Democrats, has now joined the Conservatives. While the two parties are to some degree related and both are in EPP, it isn't the most obvious choice. But she probably didn't trust Løkke enough, or simply saw a much safer route to parliament in the Conservatives. The leader she replaced in the Christian Democrats, Stig Grenov, tweeted "congratulations Isabella with joining the Conservatives, who are more black than green, lowers benefits, sorts refugees after origin, pushes the poor to the rural districts. The Christian Democrats will continue to fight for borgerlig decency". Particularly on immigration policy, there are plenty of examples of Arendt attacking DPP/New Right + and/or Liberals/Conservatives for not distancing themselves from those two parties. So it might be a bit weird to join a party with several hardliners on immigration, although that gap inside the Conservatives already exist and haven't caused significant problems in this term yet.
Some bitter ex-party members exposed another significant policy difference between her and her new party. In her most recent Christian Democrat candidate form, she states that the party should accept that in any votes on sending Danish troops into any war, she would vote against. Pacifism not exactly a Conservative trademark.
And of course her abortion policies is not in sync with her new party, but that would be the case for almost any party she joined.

In a new poll by Megafon for TV2, 40% of voters said they would prefer a government with both blue and red parties, 29% preferred a true blue government while 25% preferred a strictly red bloc majority. However, 44% belived the red option was the most likely after the next election, 27% believed the most in the blue option, while only 17% saw a cross aisle government as the most likely.

The same pollster asked voters to choose the three most trustworthy party leaders.
Søren Pape still leads clearly ahead of Olsen Dyhr and Frederiksen.
Vanopslagh with clear progress and now the second most trustworthy in the Blue bloc. Løkke around the same level as his Liberal successor. Poor numbers for Messerschmidt.

Pape 49%, Olsen Dyhr 33%, Frederiksen 31%, Vanopslagh 30%, Ellemann-Jensen 23%, Løkke 21%, Vermund 16%, Villadsen 15%, Carsten Nielsen 12%, Messerschmidt 9%, Rosenkilde 2%, Karlsmose 2%, Siddique 2%.

That poll suggests some potential for Løkke and the Moderates. Voxmeter, which has so far been the pollster most sceptical of his party, had him jumping from 1.5% to 3.7% today. We will see in the coming weeks whether the other pollsters also see a boost, and whether it will last or is just a post-founding bounce.

[JimJamUK]

Interesting thread on euroscepticism in Denmark. Support for leaving the EU was as recently as a few years ago fairly represented from the left to the centre to the right, with the hard left having the biggest support (though very much a minority). Now, support for leaving the EU has completely collapsed among the hard left and has instead surged among the hard right to 1/3 support for leaving.

This is underlined by the Megafon poll on how people voted in the recent referendum found the following (Yes figure):

RV - 95%
SF - 82%
V - 79%
SD - 76%
Alt - 70%
KF - 69%
KD - 68%
LA - 67%
EL - 38%
DF - 23%
NB - 13%

The traditional eurosceptic vote among SF has completely gone and a decent minority of EL supporters would probably prefer the formers EU policy these days. The big 3 parties representing centre left-centre right voters are all clearly but not uniformly in favour, while only DF and especially NB voters are overwhelmingly opposed. Also, it’s within the MOE, but a Radikale splinter having one of the most eurosceptic electorates won’t stop being funny.


https://twitter.com/theisemol/status/1536264533240692738?s=21&t=yv-jD-1iGZXmVCkHV8yBDQ

[Diouf]

Government agrees benefit reform with support parties

The government, SPP, Social Liberals, Red-Green Alliance, Alternative and the Christian Democrats today agree a reform of the benefit system. The benefit cap is loosened a bit in a new 'stair case model' with more levels of caps depending on your situation, a children's add-on will become a part of the benefit levels, increased prescription medicine support, it will become slightly easier to earn small amounts while still receiving cash benefits, you will be able to use holiday funds from a previous employment without losing your cash benefit for up to four weeks a year, and a removal of the demand to take out your work pension, if possible, and live off that after six months of cash benefits.
All in all, the deal will cost 485 mio DKK a year. 390 mio of that is just taken out of the state coffers, while the remaining 90 mio DKK come from abolishing the option of getting housing subsidies if you are renting a family-purchased house (the so-called parental purchases).

[Diouf]

Two applications have been made to the Interior Ministry to register new party names, "Danske Værdier - Inger Støjberg (Danish Values - Inger Støjberg) and "Danmarksdemokraterne - Inger Støjberg" (Danish Democrats - Inger Støjberg). The names will be considered eligible or ineligible on 21 June, and I see no reason why any of them should not be approved. Once approved, it will be possible to start collecting signatures. Then we might expect a revelation soon about whether either of those are the name Støjberg is going for. Today, her expected party partner Kristian Thulelsen Dahl announced that he won't be running for DPP at the next general election.

[Diouf]

Two applications have been made to the Interior Ministry to register new party names, "Danske Værdier - Inger Støjberg (Danish Values - Inger Støjberg) and "Danmarksdemokraterne - Inger Støjberg" (Danish Democrats - Inger Støjberg). The names will be considered eligible or ineligible on 21 June, and I see no reason why any of them should not be approved. Once approved, it will be possible to start collecting signatures. Then we might expect a revelation soon about whether either of those are the name Støjberg is going for. Today, her expected party partner Kristian Thulelsen Dahl announced that he won't be running for DPP at the next general election.

In the end only the name Danmarksdemokraterne - Inger Støjberg was applied for and approved. The other application was withdrawn. I guess a better translation might be Denmark Democrats, like Sweden Democrats, of which the name is obviously inspired.
Støjberg has called a press conference tomorrow, so we might learn more there about the project.

[Diouf]

Støjberg launches new party

https://twitter.com/politikdr/status/1539958724646694912

Today Inger Støjberg launched her new party Danmarksdemokraterne (Denmark Democrats). It seems like collecting enough signatures to get on the ballot will happen very quickly for the party, likely the fastest in history. The party needs 20.182 signatures with double approval (with a week between the two). The party has only been eligible to collect signatures since Tuesday, but already almost 14.000 have given their signature the first time. The fastest in recorded history was the New Alliance in 2007, who collected the signatures in 46 days.

She already gave some indications of the new party's policies in several areas in an interview with Avisen Danmark.

When asked why there was a need for a new party on the Blue side, she says that there have never been more Blue parties and yet she doesn't know who to vote for. When asked for her differences with her previous party, the Liberals, she says that the party has moved in a more EU-positive direction and becoming softer on the 'value policies' (immigration, law and order etc.), while she has moved in the other direction. However, when compared to DPP, she says she doesn't want to leave the EU completely. Støjberg defines the party by looking back at the 00es with Anders Fogh as PM, and says she sees the party as a mixture of that Liberal-Conservative government and their support party, the DPP. When asked whether she would still define her self as a liberal, she says that if one has to use a description, she would define her policies as borgerlig common sense.

When asked about the choice for PM, she doesn't completely rule out supporting Ellemann, but says it must be someone she can trust.

When asked about other potential members, she says she wanted to start it up herself, but others are now very welcome to join it. However, new members should be aware that she doesn't want to set up a protest party. It will be a party which will be part of negotiations and deal-making. And it will not just be for a new DPP.

In terms of policies, she says that there are no taxes she wouldn't like to lower, but that it needs to be financed. It would not be anathema to lower the top tax, and it's crucial that it should pay to work. She says her most important policy topic is still immigration, but a close second is better conditions for those living outside the major cities. In terms of health care, schools, police, broadband and avoiding draconian climate taxes on the rural lifestyle.
She supports the Social Democrat key policy from this term, the early retirement scheme for those who started working early in life.
She supports the Rwanda plan, but doubts that the government has the will power to carry it through, and that it will in the end probably require changing the relationsship to the international conventions.

[Jens]

The former DF-MP's are very busy trying to join Støjberg's new party. If she allows them to join and former leader of DF Kristian Thulesen Dahl also joins, it will be the largest breakaway party since Radikale Venstre broke away from Venstre back in 1905. If Thulesen Dahl joins and DD manages to reenter parliament, he will be only the second MP to get elected for two new parties after Aksel Larsen (DKP & SF)

[crals]

So what are the big differences between her new party and DPP? Aside from not wanting to leave the EU they seem very similar.

[Diouf]

So what are the big differences between her new party and DPP? Aside from not wanting to leave the EU they seem very similar.

I mean the party is a day old and without a full program yet, so it's very early to make a lot of comparisons. It sounds like it closest to DPP, but e.g. the things she said on taxes doesn't sound like something DPP would say, especially in relation to the top tax. But I don't think it sounds very wrong when she says it will be somewhere between the DPP and the government of the 00es.

I think she is wary of it just becoming the losing wing of DPP. She would like it to pick off voters and profiles from Liberals and Conservatives as well. So that's why she hasn't just said quickly yes to all the ex-DPPers. I don't know if she can construct any excuse to keep them out in the end. Right now I think she is saying to some of them that they should perhaps wait till she announces more of her program, so they are sure they are signing up to the right thing.

Btw, it seems like the last remaining MPs from the losing wing in DPP are leaving the party now. Kristian Thulelsen Dahl's brother, Jens Henrik, has left the parliamentary group today. And one of the four DPP founders Peter Skaarup has done the same. Both already said he will join Denmark Democrats, so as soon as the party has collected the necessary signatures, they will be officially represented in parliament. And Messerschmidt himself said today, that he expect Kristian Thulelsen Dahl to make the same journey very soon. And if Søren Espersen does the same, then DPPs parliamentary group will only consist of Messerschmidt and the 5 MPs who supported him. From a starting point of 16 MPs.
Støjberg's party has already received more than 50.000 signatures, so late next week/early the week after, once those persons can start giving the second and final signature approval, the party will likely already pass the signature threshold

[Diouf]

Agreement on climate tax

Yesterday, the government, Liberals, SPP, Social Liberals and Conservatives made a deal about climate taxes. The deal introduces a higher level of CO2 taxes for companies. Those companies who are not currently part of the EU CO2 quota system will get a taxation of 750 DKK per ton of CO2 emitted, while those in the EU quota system will get an extra tax of 375 DKK per ton of CO2 on top. The tax will be phased in from 2025 to 2030. A controversial aspect is a sector-specific rebate for companies creating building materials through mineralogical processes. They will only pay 125 DKK per ton CO2 emitted. A rebate in large part made to benefit giant cement company Aalborg Portland, and a key explanation why the furthest left/green parties were not a part of the deal.
Taxes on electricity are lowered in the deal.

The deal also includes a climate fund of 7 billion DKK. Companies can apply for funding to turn their production into a more climate-friendly one. It will be with certain sectors in mind, like fishery, horticulture. The fund will also support carbon capture and storage technology

[Diouf]

Now even the Messerschmidt-supporters are leaving DPP. MP Dennis Flydtkjær today announced his departure. He says his work in recent years has been overshadowed by leaks, infighting and criticism of party colleagues in the media. He adds that the day-to-day work in parliament has been poorly organized by the party, where all the ressources are concentrated and used on a few persons, while all others have to get by on their own. "You might ask whether I shouldn't stay and try to solve the problems, but things are too broken to repair".

Earlier today, the big profile Søren Espersen left the party. Espersen also played a key role in the party's early ears, where he was head of media for several years, before being elected to parliament in 2005 and has been a MP since then.

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

It does seem like, between Støjberg and NB, the 'firmly opposed to immigration but still vaguely social' position the DPP used to be able to occupy is being abandoned. Which doesn't have to be a tactical disadvantage - NB does seem to manage to win a slice of working-class voters despite having economic policies as dry as anything - but it could be against Frederiksen.

[JimJamUK]

It does seem like, between Støjberg and NB, the 'firmly opposed to immigration but still vaguely social' position the DPP used to be able to occupy is being abandoned. Which doesn't have to be a tactical disadvantage - NB does seem to manage to win a slice of working-class voters despite having economic policies as dry as anything - but it could be against Frederiksen.

The position is still sort of occupied but not really. DF still basically occupy it despite moving to the right, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to be a very credible party at the next election. Støjberg isn’t social but she doesn’t seem to be positioning herself as anti-social (Arne pension, attracting DF MPs mainly from the left of the party etc). NB is obviously very right wing ideologically but even they pay lip service to some disadvantaged people (Arne pension, radical welfare reforms that would leave some people better off though others much worse off etc).

Tbf it’s quite hard to occupy that position these days. In the past the Blue Bloc was very focused on immigration and attacking the Red Bloc for being too soft. That’s not the case these days, with a Social Democrat government trying to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. In fact, V, K and LA are now attacking the Red government for not being pro-immigration enough! (The government proposed lowering the minimum earnings for economic migrants, but cannot get the bill through as the aforementioned parties want an even lower minimum and for the changes to be permanent). Instead, they’re much more focused on attacking the government economic agenda. With those dividing lines changed, is there really much point running as and voting for an anti immigration and semi-social right wing party? The old DF vote doesn’t seem to think so, with a large chunk going V and K (centre-right voters who think immigration problems are now being taken seriously), NB (the properly right wing voters who were never really supportive of semi-social, as well as immigration hardliners), and to S (anti-immigration left wingers who are content with the workerite direction of the government). There doesn’t seem much likelihood of reassembling this diverse coalition anytime soon, so it doesn’t seem like any party is going to bother trying, outside of a few parties not trying to actively alienate them.

[Diouf]

Deal to boost wind and solar energy

Another big climate deal was just agreed. Of the parties represented in parliament only New Right, Independent Greens and the Moderates weren't a part of the deal. The two first are probably opposed to it from each side of the green spectre, while Løkke's party is only recently officially founded so probably didn't exist when negotiations started and therefore haven't taken part.

The deal aims to quadrouple the electricity production from solar and land-based wind energy in 2030. This will happen by creating 10-15 new, large 'energy parks' with solar cell areas + wind turbines. The exisiting limits on the scope of such projects will be loosened, and climate will be inserted into the planning laws as a criteria on par with environment and growth. It will also be easier to place renewable energy sources in the so-called "manor areas", the large nature areas around historic manors. The parties also agreed on adding 4 GW of sea-based wind energy in 2030.

In addition, the parties agreed that the use of gas for heating should be phased out. They aim for gas no longer to be used in heating houses in 2035. District heating should be the replacement in most areas. Until gas is phased out, the ambition is for the gas production to become as green as possible, so that already in 2030 it will only be biogas.

[Jens]

Deal to boost wind and solar energy

Another big climate deal was just agreed. Of the parties represented in parliament only New Right, Independent Greens and the Moderates weren't a part of the deal. The two first are probably opposed to it from each side of the green spectre, while Løkke's party is only recently officially founded so probably didn't exist when negotiations started and therefore haven't taken part.

The deal aims to quadrouple the electricity production from solar and land-based wind energy in 2030. This will happen by creating 10-15 new, large 'energy parks' with solar cell areas + wind turbines. The exisiting limits on the scope of such projects will be loosened, and climate will be inserted into the planning laws as a criteria on par with environment and growth. It will also be easier to place renewable energy sources in the so-called "manor areas", the large nature areas around historic manors. The parties also agreed on adding 4 GW of sea-based wind energy in 2030.

In addition, the parties agreed that the use of gas for heating should be phased out. They aim for gas no longer to be used in heating houses in 2035. District heating should be the replacement in most areas. Until gas is phased out, the ambition is for the gas production to become as green as possible, so that already in 2030 it will only be biogas.

It looks like a pretty decent deal. One thing I really like, is that no municipalicy can opt out of having windmills - If they lack the space, they will have to finance windmills elsewhere (overhead the mayor of Rudersdal at Folkemødet trying to wease them out of during anything cause "they havn't got the space and is already paying soooo much equalization...")

[Jens]

The former Chairman of DF and cofounder Kristian Thulesen Dahl has just annonced, to nobodys surprice, that he is leaving the party
https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2022-06-29-kristian-thulesen-dahl-melder-sig-ud-af-dansk-folkeparti

A fair guess it that he is joining Danmarksdemokraterne

[Diouf]

A couple of dramatic days in Danish politics.

Kristian Thulelsen Dahl is surprisingly not joining Denmark Democrats. He is leaving parliament completely to become CEO of the Port of Aalborg.

Denmark Democrats have reached the signature threshold already, blasting past the previous records. As soon as the signatures are officially approved, the party will be eligible to run in the next general election, and will be officially represented in parliament by a number of the ex-DPP MPs.

The Mink Investigation Commission released it 1600 page report on the illegal mink cull during a covid fear in late 2020. The report is highly critical of the state's handling of the case. The toughest criticism is directed at several leading officials. The Permanent Secretary in the Prime Ministry, Barbara Bertelsen, has committed service wrongdoings to the extent that the recommendation in the report is that "the public should prosecute her for her breaches of the principles of truth and legality", which means firing her and even perhaps a trial. The same criticism is labelled at the leader of the Danish Police, Thorkild Fogde. The permanent secretaries in the Ministry of Justice and in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture face almost as tough a criticism.
So far PM Mette Frederiksen has expressed confidence in Bertelsen, but it seems likely that the PM's right hand could be the major sacrificial lamb of this case.

In terms of the politicians, the reports is very critical of Mogens Jensen, the then Minister of Food of Agriculture, who is found to have lied to the public and parliament about the case. But he already had too be dismissed in the days after the cull, so little more will probably happen for him.

In regards to Mette Frederiksen, the report says that the PM's statements during the cull were grossly misleading, but it does not find evidence that she was aware of this. The political reactions have circled around the question of whether the report warranted an independent lawyer review of Mette Frederiksen. That is the part of the normal procedure to launch an impeachment case. And if the lawyer review finds basis for an impeachment case, it's normally so that a majority in parliament launches an impeachment case.
The Liberals, Conservatives, DPP, New Right, Liberal Alliance, Independent Greens, the Moderates and the so-called "geese group" of six ex-DPP MPs have all called for an independent lawyer review to be launched into Mette Frederiksen's role. Christian Democats + Alternative have not spoken yet. The Social Democrats are of course against, and the Red-Green Alliance + SPP were quick to join them in rejecting the independent review.
This of course means the Social Liberals have the decisive seats.

And just a few hours ago, the Social Liberal leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen announced what the party has decided. The party says it will not support an independent lawyer review. However, she states that the party demands that the PM calls a new election, before parliament opens again on 4th October. She says the report has shown the ugly sides of the goverment's self-willed and stubborn style, and that it's urgent with a new multiparty government. She adds that the mink case has poisoned the waters beween the governing majority and the opposition parties to the degree that a fast election is needed. The party has said if it doesn't happen, it will vote for a vote of no confidence and the fall of the government, so it should be fairly certain with an election within a few months. But Mette Frederiksen should quite easily be able to live with that. It was probably already a quite likely option that she would call an election in the fall.

[Diouf]

Voxmeter's first poll with a whole week after Støjberg launching the party. Others at 10.1%, and since no other parties are remotely close to reaching the signature threshold, it should basically only be votes for Denmark Democrats. That would clearly make the party the third biggest in the Blue Bloc, and Liberals and Conservatives are only at 13.6% and 12.3% respectively as the two biggest parties. Of course this is after a week with massive focus on her, so not necessarily accurate about how an election result would be. But that position as the third biggest Blue party should certainly be possible to achieve. DPP all the way down at 2.2%, so very close to the treshold.

I wonder whether we will get many more polls in the next weeks. Normally, there isn't much polling during the summer holidays. So perhaps the next polls won't be until mid-/end august, where the early election campaign should basically already be starting.

[BlueSwan]

Voxmeter's first poll with a whole week after Støjberg launching the party. Others at 10.1%, and since no other parties are remotely close to reaching the signature threshold, it should basically only be votes for Denmark Democrats. That would clearly make the party the third biggest in the Blue Bloc, and Liberals and Conservatives are only at 13.6% and 12.3% respectively as the two biggest parties. Of course this is after a week with massive focus on her, so not necessarily accurate about how an election result would be. But that position as the third biggest Blue party should certainly be possible to achieve. DPP all the way down at 2.2%, so very close to the treshold.

I wonder whether we will get many more polls in the next weeks. Normally, there isn't much polling during the summer holidays. So perhaps the next polls won't be until mid-/end august, where the early election campaign should basically already be starting.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FW0G-uLXwAA3HOt?format=jpg&name=900x900

Also worth mentioning that the Mink report has had no discernible effect on the Social Democrats poll numbers yet. The report was released halfway through the polling period but really there was massive talk about the report being damaging in the days leading up to it dropping.

[ingemann]

Voxmeter's first poll with a whole week after Støjberg launching the party. Others at 10.1%, and since no other parties are remotely close to reaching the signature threshold, it should basically only be votes for Denmark Democrats. That would clearly make the party the third biggest in the Blue Bloc, and Liberals and Conservatives are only at 13.6% and 12.3% respectively as the two biggest parties. Of course this is after a week with massive focus on her, so not necessarily accurate about how an election result would be. But that position as the third biggest Blue party should certainly be possible to achieve. DPP all the way down at 2.2%, so very close to the treshold.

I wonder whether we will get many more polls in the next weeks. Normally, there isn't much polling during the summer holidays. So perhaps the next polls won't be until mid-/end august, where the early election campaign should basically already be starting.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FW0G-uLXwAA3HOt?format=jpg&name=900x900

Also worth mentioning that the Mink report has had no discernible effect on the Social Democrats poll numbers yet. The report was released halfway through the polling period but really there was massive talk about the report being damaging in the days leading up to it dropping.

I always saw the main risk for MF and the party to be whether it would end up with a impeachment. The truth is that I doubt many normal people really care about this, unless they already dislike MF.