Government still hiding spin doctor salaries

Dansk Folkeparti and Enhedslisten have called for the finance minister to follow up on his promise to make spin doctors’ pay public

The finance minister, Bjarne Corydon (Socialdemokraterne), has not kept the promise he made earlier this year of having the salaries of ministers' special advisors – commonly referred to as spin doctors – out in the open.

“We are going to secure the necessary openness regarding the salaries of advisors by collecting all the information on the website of Moderniseringsstyrelsen [the agency for the modernisation of public administration],” Corydon announced in May, after concerns were raised about the high salaries of ministerial spin doctors. There are currently 27 spin doctors working in Christiansborg. 

Corydon also promised that the government would publish the name, background, qualifications and specific tasks whenever a new spin doctor takes office.

READ MORE: Is Denmark’s political culture sick? Ask your spin doctor

But even though there seemed to be a lot of spin going on behind the scenes during the shake-up of the prime minister's cabinet in August, there has been no example of a minister following that approach.

"It has not yet been established," a spokesperson of Moderniseringsstyrelsen admitted to Ritzau news bureau, adding that they couldn't give an estimate on when the promises of increased openness will become reality.

Corydon has not commented on the issue.

Right wing party Dansk Folkeparti and left wing party Enhedslisten told Ritzau that they were having a hard time understanding why it would take so long to make a list of the spin doctors’ salaries public and the two parties are pressuring Corydon to give an explanation as to why he hasn't followed through on his pledges.

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