Danes get an Alternative for upcoming election

When Danes go to the polls later this year, they will now have more option for where to place their vote. 

 

The new political party The Alternative (Alternativet) on Monday passed the necessary 20,000 signatures needed to earn a place on the ballot. 

 

“We did it!!!” the party wrote on Facebook.

 

The Alternative is led by former Social Liberals (Radikale) culture minister, Uffe Elbæk, who was forced to leave his ministerial post after allegations of nepotism. Elbæk was ultimately cleared of the charges and has remained in parliament as an independent. 

 

“I’m excited to get going with a good election campaign. Most of all, I look forward to talking about policies and sustainability with the Danes,” Elbæk told Politiken.

 

The party will now need to have its signatures officially verified by the Interior Ministry. 

 

See also: New parties vie for political breakthrough

 

Another party vying for a spot on the ballot is the National Party (Nationalpartiet), founded by three Danish brothers of Pakistani descent who say they want to change the discourse of the national immigration debate and reclaim ‘Danish values’ from the right wing. 

 

In a video congratulating The Alternative, National Party leader Kashif Ahmad said that his party had collected around 12,000 signatures, putting them a bit over the halfway mark of the number needed to make the ballot. Ahmad appealed to supporters to sign a voter declaration via the party's website.