A mere three days before Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen moves into COP15 negotiating mode to reach a political agreement in Copenhagen, there is unrest on the issue in his own Liberal Party parliamentary group.

According to Berlingske Tidende, several members of the group told a group meeting yesterday, that the climate and energy debate has gone too far, and restricts personal freedoms to an unreasonable degree.

The reactions resulted in Group Chairman Hans Christian Schmidt postponing approval of one of the government’s own Bills, which is designed to further energy savings in housing.

Berlingske Tidende says that several members, led by Parliamentary Speaker and former Finance Minister Thor Pedersen said they were sceptical about the Bill, which would force those selling homes to provide energy labels for their houses.

Liberal Scepticism
According to the report, Pedersen warned that personal freedoms were being trodden on, adding that he enjoyed coming home in the evening and seeing the lights on in his house – and that he would continue to do so.

Several members were reported to have expressed deeply-rooted scepticism at the government’s climate proposals.

Liberal Party Political Spokesman Peter Christensen says, however, that the party fully supports the government’s ambitious targets and sees no problem in Pedersen wanting to keep his lights on.

“People can use the lights that they pay for,” he says.