Denmark Democrats – Inger Støjberg Danmarksdemokraterne – Inger Støjberg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | DD Æ[a] |
| Chairperson | Inger Støjberg |
| Parliamentary leader | Peter Skaarup |
| Founder | Inger Støjberg |
| Founded | 23 June 2022; 3 years ago (2022-06-23) |
| Split from | Venstre Danish People's Party |
| Ideology | Conservatism Right-wing populism |
| Political position | Right-wing tofar-right[3] |
| Regional affiliation | Nordic Freedom[b] |
| European Parliament group | European Conservatives and Reformists Group |
| PACE affiliation | European Conservatives, Patriots & Affiliates |
| Colours | Red Blue |
| Folketing | 16 / 179 [c] |
| European Parliament | 1 / 15 |
| Municipal councils | 36 / 2,436 |
| Regions | 2 / 205 |
| Election symbol | |
| Æ | |
| Website | |
| danmarksdemokraterne.dk | |
TheDenmark Democrats (Danish:Danmarksdemokraterne[ˈtænmɑɡ̊sde̝moˌkʰʁɑˀtɐnə],DD) is aconservative[4] andright-wing populist[5]political party in Denmark. The party was founded in June 2022 byInger Støjberg,[6][7] and is officially titledDenmark Democrats – Inger Støjberg (Danmarksdemokraterne – Inger Støjberg).[8] The party is currently in opposition to thesecond Frederiksen government.
The party was founded in June 2022 byInger Støjberg who had served variously as theminister for immigration, housing and gender equality in theFolketing for theVenstre party before she was impeached for misconduct in office after separating families in migrant centres and was accused of party disloyalty.[9] According to Støjberg, her new movement would be aright-wing party with a strictimmigration policy, but at the time of its founding there was no actualparty platform.[10] In July, the party was formally registered after obtaining the necessary voter declarations on 1 July, eight days after the party was founded.[11][12]
That same month,Members of the FolketingPeter Skaarup,[13]Jens Henrik Thulesen Dahl,[14]Bent Bøgsted,[15] andHans Kristian Skibby[16] announced that they wished to join the Denmark Democrats. These four were originally elected to theFolketing for theDanish People's Party (DPP) but had since becomeindependents before joining the party.[17] Skaarup was admitted as a member on 28 July 2022, giving the party its first seat in the Folketing.[18]
In August 2022, nine local councilors defected to the party, including former local members of theConservative People's Party.[19][20]
In the2022 Danish general election held on 1 November 2022, the party won 8.1% of the vote and 14 seats, making them the fifth largest party in theFolketing along with theLiberal Alliance.[22]
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The party is positioned on theright-wing[23][24] tofar-right[1][2] of thepolitical spectrum.Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy branded the party as "a conservative party with a strict immigration policy and a focus on the balance between rural and urban areas as its primary key issues."[4] Journalist Theodoros Benakis described it asright-wing populist andanti-immigration.[25] Foreign policy-wise it has supportedUkraineagainst Russia, with Støjberg visitingKyiv together with Defense MinisterTroels Lund Poulsen and voting with thegovernment for establishing a Ukraine Fund.[26][27]
In the interview in which party founder Støjberg announced her leadership of the party, she stated: "I think that what is missing is aborgerlig [bourgeois or middle-class] party that takes care of the interests of the majority of people. And that has a clear view of everything that goes on outside ofCopenhagen. I think that the connecting lines between Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark are becoming weak."[28] She also stated one of the main focuses of the party would be to review Denmark's immigration policy.[29]
On its website and early policy brief, the party seeks to improve conditions for the elderly, young people, and small and medium-sized companies. It also aims to combat what it describes as overbearing bureaucracy from theEuropean Union (EU) on Denmark and wants to further decentralize power to regions outside of the capital. It also wants to increase funding for the police and calls for compulsory policies for immigrants to adapt to Danish culture.[30] In an updated policy platform, the Denmark Democrats stated its objectives to be removing all EU influence on Danish pension, tax and maternity leave policies, tougher regulation on car leasing companies, tax deductions for workers who commute above certain distances, removing VAT on energy bills, changes to the Danish education system to encourage more vocational training, and reforms and cuts to Denmark's foreign aid and government funded arts budgets.[31]
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Inger Støjberg | 286,796 | 8.12 (#5) | 14 / 179 | New | Opposition |
| Year | List leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | EP Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kristoffer Hjort Storm | 180,836 | 7.39 (#5) | 1 / 15 | New | ECR |
