Today’s big topic: Troels Lund rules out a new government with the Social Democrats and demands a yes-or-no answer from Løkke
Moderaterne leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Venstre chairman Troels Lund Poulsen will meet Friday afternoon for what appears to be the decisive round of coalition talks — and perhaps the last with Troels Lund serving as the royal negotiator.
What’s happening?
Moderaterne hits back hard at royal negotiator Troels Lund Poulsen (V), who has demanded a clear yes‑or‑no answer on forming a VLAK government – a government consisting of Venstre, Liberal Alliance and Konservative.
That suggests that the final showdown between Venstre and Moderaterne is now approaching ahead of the decisive meeting Friday at 4:30 p.m., when Lund Poulsen has invited party leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) to talks at the Scandic Hotel in Copenhagen.
Acting Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund (M) notes that on Tuesday evening Moderaterne posed a series of clarifying questions on key policy areas that still have not been answered — for example, whether the Great Prayer Day holiday will be reinstated, whether the Quran law will be repealed, and how a number of political priorities for a new VLAK government would be financed.
»We haven’t gotten any answers. It’s not irrelevant what kind of political foundation you base a government on. So naturally, we still want answers to those questions. We think it lacks the seriousness it deserves, when you want to put yourself at the head of leading Denmark«, Christina Egelund says.
Why it matters!
The sharp response from Moderaterne comes after Troels Lund Poulsen on Thursday afternoon demanded, in a Facebook post, either a yes or a no from Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his party when they meet with Venstre’s leadership at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
»We need to be able to conclude tomorrow whether Moderaterne will oppose the formation of a VLAK government«, Troels Lund wrote Thursday afternoon. Whether such a government can be formed is expected to be decided at a meeting between Venstre and Moderaterne on Friday afternoon.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
– Sextortion of boys and young men is rising explosively in Denmark
Foreign criminals have pushed their way all the way into Danish boys’ bedrooms, where children as young as 12 are subjected to ’sextortion’. It is a brutal form of digital blackmail in which criminals threaten to publish nude photos or videos of the boys unless they send money.
In the last year alone, police received 1,842 reports of sextortion with a financial motive. That is a fourfold increase over five years, Denmark’s National Special Crime Unit (NSK) writes in a new analysis.
– Citizens’ proposal from DF reaches enough supporters to be brought before Parliament
More than 50,000 citizens have signed a citizens’ proposal from Dansk Folkeparti to cut taxes and VAT on gasoline and diesel after prices have climbed sharply. That means the proposal must be taken up in Parliament, Ritzau reports.
»Fuel is a necessity for many Danes — not a luxury. Yet we pay some of the highest prices in Europe. Not because oil is more expensive in Denmark than it is in Germany, but because Denmark has very high taxes and a high VAT on gasoline and diesel«, the proposal says.
– FCK defeats Brøndby
In a high-intensity match at Brøndby Stadium on Thursday night, FC Copenhagen came out on top and secured a place in European soccer next season. After extra time in the Superliga’s Europa Playoff, FCK beat Brøndby 3-1.
This weekends itinerary
Where to sip coffee?
Here at Politiken, we often write about where to find the city’s best coffee or a good lunch. But where should you go if you want to drink your coffee to the sound of great music? Politiken’s music critic, Alexander Vesterlund, visited 10 cafés in Copenhagen to find out what they sound like.
»It’s still elite third-wave coffee, but without the snobbery. The warm, welcoming algorithm-jazz signals that you can ask for milk in your coffee without losing face. And when you can walk in at 9 on a rainy morning to the sound of ‘Wicked Games’ by Chris Isaak, well, you don’t even have to bring the mood yourself«, he writes of Coffee Collective on Godthåbsvej in Frederiksberg.
Read the full article here.
Where to party?
You and your dance poles have a busy weekend ahead. Among other things, that’s because one of Scandinavia’s most influential names on the electronic scene is stopping by Klub Werstatt on Refshaleøen.
The weekend is calling for (finally) 20-plus degrees — and whether it lasts or not, that deserves a celebration. If you’re the kind of dance-floor creature who can’t keep still, you won’t be sitting down. On Friday, May 22, you can dance with the in-demand Copenhagen DJ Harty at Sigurd Cphin Nørrebro. And on Saturday, May 23, it’s the man behind the immortal dance hit ’Inspector Norse’ — Norwegian DJ and producer Todd Terje — who’s coming to Klub Werkstatt on Refshaleøen.
Read the full guide here.
This newsletter features stories originally published in Danish. AI was used to shorten and translate the articles into English, after which a member of the editorial staff reviewed and refined the content.