A new autobiography by Dansk Folkeparti’s Pia Kjærsgaard has made headlines with its personal details and attacks on political foes.
In the book, entitled ‘Fordi jet var nødt til det’ (Because I had to), Kjærsgaard talks about the death of her alcoholic brother and her mother’s attempt to write the former DF leader out of her will. Advance reports on the book, which will be released tomorrow, did not specify whether Kjærsgaard details the troubled relationship with her daughter Nan, who has publicly distanced herself from the politician.
The book also includes a photo of a young Kjærsgaard clad in a bikini and sailor hat alongside recollections from a trip to Italy with her father.
“After my parents' divorce, my father took us on holiday to Malcesine in Italy,” the now 66-year-old Kjærsgaard writes in the book. “I was a teenager and enjoyed having the young Italian men take long looks in my direction.”
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But aside from the juicy personal details, the book is also gaining attention for its political content.
Kjærsgaard sets her sights on PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt (S), calling her “the most incompetent” prime minister in history. But she also opens the door to supporting Socialdemokraterne and swapping from the ‘blue block’ to the ‘red’ if Thorning-Schmidt is replaced as the party chairman.
According to DR’s political analyst Ask Rostrup, this is an obvious attempt to win votes from Socialdemokraterne, a party that shares many standpoints with DF.
“She says directly to the Socialdemokraterne voters that are unsure about Thorning and her political line: ‘Listen here, you can vote for Dansk Folkeparti because we are also social democrats',” Rostrup said, according to metroxpress newspaper.
She also says that it is “politically stupid” that Socialdemokraterne hasn’t attempted to make better contact with DF.
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It’s not just DF’s political foes that Kjærsgaard goes after, however. She also disparages the leader of the Konservative party, Lars Barfoed, as “not a politician” and someone who simply “doesn’t have it”.
Kjærsgaard stepped down as DF’s party leader in 2012 and now serves as the party’s ‘values spokesperson’.
