Today’s big topic: Pia Olsen Dyhr’s hiring of a new adviser sparks internal criticism in SF
The 39-year-old Lotte Kofoed has been a member of SF for most of her adult life.
What’s happening?
Pia Olsen Dyhr’s choice of personal adviser in her new role as minister for economic affairs and the interior has reignited a previously undisclosed #MeToo case inside the party.
The case concerns a former senior adviser in SF who abruptly left his job in 2020 »by mutual agreement«, as it was put at the time. That followed allegations from several women of inappropriate behavior and one incident of sexual harassment. For weeks, rumors in SF have circulated that Pia Olsen Dyhr planned to rehire the man if she became a minister. Recently, it caused a stir among several party colleagues when the former SF adviser was once again among party members at Christiansborg and took part in a group meeting.
»Several people contacted me because they didn’t think it was okay«, says Lotte Kofoed, SF’s alderman on Frederiksberg. She is now describing how, in 2020, she went to the party’s then deputy chair and said she had been sexually violated by the adviser.
Why it matters!
In 2020, Pia Olsen Dyhr herself helped put an end to the collaboration with the adviser. Lotte Kofoed and a number of other party colleagues are criticising her judgment because she has rehired the former adviser. They call it morally unacceptable. Pia Olsen Dyhr does not wish to give an interview about her decision, but writes the following in a text message:
»Six years have now passed, and after careful consideration, I’ve concluded that it is reasonable to give the person a new chance. I know not everyone will agree with that assessment. I respect that. But I believe people must both be held accountable for their actions and be given an opportunity for a new chance«.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
– Watch movies outdoors for free all summer
Would you, more than anything, rather zone out to a movie than try to look cool at La Banchina — even if the sunshine is tempting, too? Then haul yourself off that Omhu sofa and head for Banegaarden in Jernbanebyen on Vesterbro, which all summer long is hosting the popular series Sommerbio — free films under the open sky. The program kicks off this weekend with three fairly different picks. On Saturday June 13, it’s the rat-bashing charmer ‘Ratatouille’ and the Heath Ledger rom-com ‘10 Things I Hate About You’, while Sunday June 14 brings the Iranian film ‘My favorite cake’. Free of charge — but first come, first served. Read more and see the rest of the summer’s program here.
– Bicycle race and Pokémon hunting will affect weekend traffic
Several major events this weekend will affect traffic in Copenhagen, North Zealand and the capital region. This is stated by the Danish Road Directorate and the City of Copenhagen in separate press releases, according to Ritzau. Over the weekend, the international cycling race Copenhagen Sprint will be held in and around Copenhagen and North Zealand. At the same time, thousands will gather in Fælledparken to take part in Pokémon Go Fest. Therefore, it’s a good idea to leave the car at home and get around the city on foot or by public transport
– Roskilde Festival reports sold out
All tickets for Roskilde Festival have now sold out, according to the festival’s website. This year’s Roskilde Festival runs from June 27 to July 4. The lineup includes several international acts such as Zara Larsson, The Cure, Kneecap and South Korea’s Jennie, who, as the first K-pop star, is a headliner at the Roskilde Festival. The festival has also announced several Danish names, including Tobias Rahim, Aphaca, Tessa and Pil, who on Wednesday, July 1, will open the main stage, the Orange Stage. Festivalgoers can look forward to a total of 177 musical acts this year.
Talk of town: Noma reopens as a regular restaurant in Copenhagen
»See you soon, Copenhagen. I can’t wait to come back«, René Redzepi says in a video on Instagram, adding that he plans to shape Noma into its »best version ever« when it reopens in Copenhagen.
René Redzepi stepped down as head chef in March after a story in the American newspaper The New York Times, in which former employees at what was then the Danish Michelin-starred restaurant described a workplace marked by violence. Now he is responding to the allegations for the first time and, in the wake of them, announcing that Noma will return as a permanent restaurant in Copenhagen on Aug. 5. That was not the original plan.
Redzepi and his staff had planned to create a research institute called Noma 3.0 in Refshaleøen. But sponsors pulled out of the project when the allegations against Redzepi surfaced, and now Noma is changing course. In the new restaurant, Pablo Soto, Mette Søberg and Annika de Las Heras will handle the day-to-day management. Redzepi will instead become creative director.
»I know I’ve been an idiot, pushed people around, and yelled and screamed, but I haven’t done extreme things like what’s been described«, Redzepi told Berlingske.
Can Noma succeed after the media storm around its former head chef? Communications expert William Atak has no doubt: »Noma will make a comeback no matter what«.
Atak has advised on managing online firestorms for nearly 20 years and believes Redzepi is doing »the only right thing« by denying the allegations while also acknowledging that he has done plenty wrong. He thinks Noma can absolutely succeed and says it is wise for Redzepi to focus on the future and install a new leadership team at the restaurant.
»When you visit Noma now, you trust that the tumor has been cut out«, Atak says.
Read the full article 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.