Danish Elections and Politics

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

He says the ambition was to break the national conservative focus of the Blue Bloc, but he hasn't been able to do that.

This seems like a real white whale of Danish politics?

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

He has good timing, Netflix commissioned another season of Borgen recently.

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

Khader thereby becomes the 13th MP to no longer represent the party they were elected for. 

How common are expulsions and party-switching in the Folketing?

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

DPP rebel re-elected to executive committee with strong support

The ex-MP Martin Henriksen was re-elected to the party's executive committee with strong support despite his recent public attacks on the moderate wing in the party. His public attacks drew criticism from most of the DPP leadership.
Henriksen received support from 272 delegates among the 636 voting at the party congress, so had support from 42,7% of the delegates. The DPP executive committee consists of 11 members, the 5 members of the parliamentary leadership, 5 members elected on the party congress and the leader of DPP Youth. 3 of the 5 members were up for election on this year's congress. Up for re-election was Martin Henriksen and his even more radical supporter Erik Høgh-Sørensen + ex-MEP Anders Vistisen from the moderate wing. Each of the 636 delegates could vote for two candidates.

Martin Henriksen became the topscorer with 272 votes, while his associate Høgh-Sørensen only received 99 votes and lost his seat. Anders Vistisen received 199 votes and also lost his seat, just two votes from getting the third seat. Instead Jens Vornøe, leader of DPP Copenhagen, and ex-MP Merete Dea Larsen won the two remaining seats.

A bit of a mixed result for DPP leader Thulesen Dahl. He is probably quite happy that Vistisen is out, since he and MEP Peter Kofod have been very ambitious and seen as those pushing the hardest for a new leadership. Vistisen even openly ran on the platform of promoting Kofod to 2nd deputy leader instead of a close Thulesen Dahl ally. Vistisen also played to the membership with an thinly veiled attack on Thulelsen Dahl and Peter Skaarup for their witness statements against Morten Messerschmidt at his court trial. But the DPP leader would probably have preferred to see Henriksen out as well. Henriksen's attack on the party line creates unrest in public, and it's hard to see him tone down his style too much after this support. Also Vornøe has actively encouraged Pia Kjærsgaard to take over the leadership of the party again to get things under control.

I think Dea Larsen was the most impressive of the speakers. Interesting to see whether she wants and can rise further in the party. She was an MP from 2015-2019 but without getting any high-profile positions and has been a local councillor for several years. She also seems like she is on fairly good terms with both wings, perhaps leaning a bit towards the radical wing.

Former leader Pia Kjærsgaard was visible enraged by Henriksen and Høgh-Sørensen's speeches. Just look at her reaction in the clip below as Henriksen attacks the current line, and warns that the party is on the road to public indifference.
https://twitter.com/hansersej/status/1439218268208869376

If the party gets the expected poor local and regional election in november, the question is whether the party will see another round of internal fighting, and perhaps movement around the leadership position.

Do I understand correctly that it's unusual for internal DPP strife to be this public?

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

Liselotte Blixt, who along with Thulelsen Dahl, Skaarup, Messerschmidt and Christensen, form the parliamentary group leadership, has said that she is disappointed that none of the candidates seem to have proposed ideas to polish the DPP's social profile, instead Messerschmidt in particular has talked about becoming a more stable part of the Blue bloc (i.e. less opposition to Blue economic policies).

So, basically competing with NB?

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

Last month, tabloid BT wrote that the Social Democrats were trying to lure in Blixt, Bøgsted and Adsbøl. It would be a historic, symbolic triumph for the party if several ex-DPP MPs joined the party.

https://www.bt.dk/politik/socialdemokratiet-lurer-paa-tre-vrede-top-dfere-det-ville-vaere-et-rent-scoop

How controversial do you think that'd be within the Social Democrats?

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

In other news, the Social Liberals, which does not have a formal exclusion procedure, has adapted a resolution which encourages their MEP Karen Melchior to resign from her seat, and states that she does not speak for the party. The wokest of all Danish elected representatives has come in bad standing after her continued abuse of parliamentary staff, and exacerbated by her then going on "sick leave", but continuting to work and vote in parliament. She must be expected to leave the party shortly. I previously speculated that she could perhaps end up in Volt, despite them basically not existing in Denmark. Another option could be a social liberal (or green) party from another EU country. Maybe it can't be ruled out with a move to another Danish party like the Alternative or Independent Greens, but that would almost be too normal a move for her to make. Also such a party would probably be pressed a bit more on why they take in someone with a known abusive behaviour.

Has there been any case of a MEP joining a party not of his or her home country before?

Off the top of my head, Dutch PVV MEP Laurence Stassen quit her party and unsuccessfully ran for re-election in the UK for a minor UKIP splinter in 2014. Not quite the same thing, but LREM also put a member on Renzi's Italia Viva on their list in 2019, and he did get elected.

[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.

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

What are DF doing to try and distinguish themselves from Støjberg and stay above 2%?