When everyday life returns to Christiansborg and a new Parliament takes its seats, 86 women will be able to take their places in the chamber. That is a record high. Meet three of them here:
Cecilie Liv Hansen, 24, (LA)
»It doesn’t necessarily mean that much to me that there are more women in Parliament than before. You should be elected for your qualifications, not your gender. But what I do think is very positive is that more women want to run for office. That’s definitely a good thing«, says Liberal Alliance’s new rising star from Southern Jutland.
With her seat at Christiansborg, Cecilie Liv Hansen is the only person in Denmark to hold a political hat trick. From now on, she can call herself a member of Parliament, a municipal councilor and a regional council member, since even before the general election she served in Kolding’s municipal council and in the Region of Southern Denmark.
It is a relatively rare combination, and one she can thank, among others, the 2,569 voters who marked their ballots for her in the Southern Jutland constituency. And now she has a clear ambition to repay the trust she has been given:
»I hope I can help give some freedom back to citizens. We need more trust and confidence in one another«, Cecilie Liv Hansen says, continuing:
»I want to help rethink the welfare state so there is room for more flexibility. We already pay so much in taxes, and the services we receive are not optimal. That’s why we also need to challenge the public-sector monopoly«.
On her way into Christiansborg, the new Liberal Alliance profile beat several seasoned names who were already in Parliament, including Steffen Larsen, chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee and Liberal Alliance’s spokesperson on immigration and integration. Cecilie Liv Hansen has only praise for her party colleagues, but still has an idea of why she received more votes.
»I think we had many strong candidates, but maybe there was a desire for a breath of fresh air and some new, young forces. After all, it’s our future we’re creating, so many people probably think we should also be part of shaping it ourselves«.
Ellen Emilie, 24, (M)
Elected in the Copenhagen constituency with the second-highest number of personal votes for Moderaterne, surpassed only by Jakob Engel-Schmidt.
Why did people vote for you?
»During the campaign, I felt that many people wanted to give my generation a voice. Climate change, pensions, the long-term future of the welfare society, war«.
Ellen Emilie finished high school during the pandemic, and since she couldn’t travel anyway, she became active in Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s political meeting place. She went on to found Unge Moderater (Moderaterne’s youth wing) and became its political leader.
What will you fight for in Parliament?
»A housing market that makes it possible for my generation to get a foot in the door. Doing something about primary school — I experienced myself how terrible the school reform was. And then there’s the climate and drinking water«.
What do you think you’ll do differently from older politicians?
»I think my generation has a different relationship with the climate. That’s probably what I’ll do differently from the old ones«.
Do you fear anything about your new life?
»No. I’m looking forward to it. I’m humble, but confident that I can handle it just fine«.
She has just been busy figuring out when she — like all new members of Parliament — must sign the Constitution. It turned out to be April 14.
»It’s so crazy that I have to do that. A historic responsibility. A humility and seriousness that culminate in signing. And yes — it’s legally binding, too«.
Sofie Villadsen, 32, (SF)
With 3,349 votes behind her, Sofie Villadsen takes one of SF’s two seats in the Copenhagen Suburbs constituency and will now, for the first time, get to call Christiansborg her workplace.
The 32-year-old SF politician wants to use her seat to speak for those who otherwise are not heard: the vulnerable, those who fall through the cracks. And children — they are at the very top of her list.
»It’s no secret that I care deeply about children — making sure they have a good upbringing no matter where they come from. That’s something I fight hard for«, says Sofie Villadsen, who is occasionally interrupted by her two-year-old, almost as if it were staged.
She works day to day as a civil servant at the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. At least for a little while longer. Education is therefore also close to her heart, and she says that one of the absolute highlights of the campaign was touring local upper-secondary schools.
»I think the young people have been really good at asking smart questions and being critical of us politicians. So I have a great deal of faith in young people«.
What are you most looking forward to as you start your daily life at Christiansborg?
»I think it’s an enormous privilege to be allowed to be part of our democracy in that way. So that’s definitely what I’m most looking forward to«, she says, adding that during the campaign she met many candidates from other parties whom she is looking forward to having as colleagues.
»Christian Vigilius from Konservative is a young guy I campaigned alongside, and even though we don’t agree on many things, I think we’ve had a good time at the debates.«
Is there anything you fear?
»Not really«, she replies.
»We’ll take it one step at a time. Then it’ll all come together«.
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