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POLITICS

Danish Conservative party names Juul as new leader

The Danish Conservative party has named Mona Juul as its new political leader following the death of previous leader Søren Pape Poulsen. Juul is also expected to become the party chairperson.

Published: 13 March 2024 16:26 CET
Danish Conservative party names Juul as new leader
Mona Juul has been named new political leader of the Conservative party. Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix

Juul is the new political leader of the party and will be elected as party chair at an upcoming extraordinary national congress, the Conservatives said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

The date of the congress is yet to be confirmed and further arrangements will be made following a meeting of the party’s leadership.

A political leader can be chosen by the party’s members of parliament alone, but the chairperson must be elected by members.

In theory, the two roles can be held by different people, but this is not usually the case. Poulsen was both chairman and political leader until his death earlier this month.

READ ALSO: Danish politics in shock after death of Conservative leader Poulsen

“We are not letting go of Søren but we must choose a new political leader for our party, because that’s how parties work. Even though it doesn’t quite seem fair,” Juul said at the briefing.

“We are also looking to get things in order so we know what we agree on. I dare say Søren would have wanted that,” she said.

“I’m very proud that the Conservative parliamentary group has placed its confidence in me with the task of being political leader,” said Juul, who has been a member of parliament since 2019.

Juul’s previous roles in the party’s parliamentary group include as spokesperson for climate and business.

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POLITICS

Denmark’s Social Democrats overtaken by left-wing ally in new poll

The Socialist People’s Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti, SF) has become the party with the most support in Denmark for the first time in a new opinion poll.

Published: 24 June 2024 13:10 CEST
Denmark’s Social Democrats overtaken by left-wing ally in new poll

A new poll from Voxmeter places SF as Denmark’s largest party, should it be replicated in an election vote, with an 18.8 percent share of the vote.

The Social Democrats, traditionally the largest party on the left, received 18.4 percent in the poll. That represents a large drop in support compared to the 2022 general election, when the Social Democrats gained 27.5 percent and went into coalition government with two parties on the right of centre.

The poll result for SF gives it a share 8.3 percent larger than it gained in 2022 and continues the centre-left group’s recent success after becoming the largest Danish party in the EU parliament in the EU elections this month.

Speaking on EU election night, SF leader Pia Olsen Dyhr said the party’s excellent result could be used as a “catalyst” for a new political landscape in Denmark.

The EU election result can fuel further gains for SF when the next general election comes around, Dyhr said in the midst of her party’s celebrations.

“There’s an alternative to this government. There’s an alternative that wants [more] welfare and [to do more for] the climate and we are willing to deliver this in the EU parliament,” she told broadcaster DR.

“It gives us a tailwind and enthusiasm for the party and it means people will be even more ready for local elections next year and the general election further ahead,” she said.

READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: Is left-wing party’s EU election win good news for foreigners in Denmark?

Another notable observation from the poll is that is the worst for the Social Democrats since the 2022 election and since Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen became the party’s leader in 2015.

In 2013, when former leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt was prime minister, the party’s polls dropped as low as 15.8 percent, but they recovered after Frederiksen took over to win the 2019 election.

The other two parties in the coalition government – the Moderates and Liberals (Venstre) – are also struggling in opinion polls.

The new poll gives the Liberals 9.7 percent – compared to 14.7 percent at the EU election and 23.5 percent in 2019.

For the Moderates, the 6.5 percent polling is better than the 5.9 percent achieved by the party in the EU election, but less than the 9.3 percent it gained in 2023.

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