27

Swing municipalities, sure things and surprising honesty at the 2021 Local Elections

Lone Pilgaard Sørensen, the Socialdemokratiet mayor candidate in Lemvig, where Venstre has held power for 47 years, is refreshingly realistic about her chances of an upset

By now, thanks to the huge interest in Barack Obama and Donald Trump’s campaigns, we all know what swing states are.

Months before every US election, you can safely colour in over half the map with either red or blue. 

States with huge city areas will be blue and mostly rural areas will be red.

Only occasionally will someone buck the trend – like Ronald Reagan in California in 1980, where the Republican had been the former mayor.

Shortage of ‘swing states’
Well, heading towards the local and regional elections on Tuesday November 16, Denmark is not much different, reports DR.

In 41 of the country’s 98 municipalities the party of the presiding mayor has not changed over the last 16 years.

To prove the point, TV2 Midt-Vest caught up with the Socialdemokratiet candidate for mayor in Lemvig in west Jutland, a safe Venstre seat, at her local Kvickly over the weekend.

Did Lone Pilgaard Sørensen have a chance of unseating the blue bloc.

“Neee-hej,” she laughed, which roughly translates as “Not on your nelly!”

“I’m not Comical Ali”
The good humour continued with a reference to Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the former media and foreign affairs minister for Iraq.

“I would be Comical Ali if I stood here and said that Socialdemocratiet will have the mayoral post after the next election,” she said.

“For me to win, the citizens of Lemvig Municipality would have to do something completely different.”

The incumbent mayor, Erik Flyvholm, has been in power since 2007 – and his party Venstre for 47 years.  It holds 12 of the 21 seats on the municipal council.

Homogenous homies
Ulrik Kjær, a municipal researcher at the University of Southern Denmark, attributes the situation across Denmark as an indicator of how homogenous communities are.

“In many places, we live door-to-door with people who are similar to ourselves,” she explained.

“There are some mayoral candidates whose only hope is finding voters in the other parties’ core voter groups. It’s tough!”

The only excitement in a lot of municipalities, she concluded, is seeing how big the margin of victory is.

Not unprecedented
But could Sørensen pull off a Ronnie?

In the early 1990s, Socialdemokratiet candidate Hilmar Sølund unseated the Venstre mayor – a seat the party had held for 77 years.

And another upset occurred in Aarhus in 2002, when Venstre candidate Louise Gade unseated the long-standing Socialdemokratiet mayor.

Sørensen says no, not this year, but that she is more optimistic about 2025!




  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

  • Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Copenhagen’s international community is not just a demographic trend – it’s a lifeline. Our hospitals, kindergartens, construction sites, laboratories and restaurants rely on talent from all over the world. In fact, more than 40% of all job growth in the city over the past decade has come from international employees.

  • The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    With half of the population of Copenhagen at Roskilde this week, Eva away in Aalborg and the weather being a bit of a joke , Melissa and Rachel bring you a chatty episode to cheer you up looking into three of the top stories in Denmark this week.

  • A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    The Tour de France has started and thus the news focus in Denmark for the next few weeks is defined. The double Tour winner will once again compete with the phenomenon Tadej Pogacar to stand at the top in Paris. Many Danes will daily follow whether one of the nation’s great sons succeeds

  • Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    The 53rd edition of Roskilde Festival ended Saturday night. More than 100,000 people gathered to listen to music, party, drink – and for many to take a stand on the conflict between Israel and Palestine

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system