The result of the EP Elections in Denmark

The elections turned out very interesting, and over half the Danes came out to vote (perhaps because of the constitutional change) which is very good for Danes' involvement in the EU democratic processes. However, before proceeding to the elected candidates, I must mention the great losers of the election which I have to regret are Junibevægelsen and Radikale Venstre.
Although I generally disagree with Junibevægelsen, I find it a huge pity that Ms. Hanne Dahl did not get re-elected into the Parliament; she has undoubtedly been one of the most competent Danish MEP's and Junibevægelsen has done a lot to push for increased transparency and democracy in the EU. The demise of Junibevægelsen is a huge loss to the MEP and to Danish voters who are concerned about EU transparency.
And I say this as someone who is a supporter of Danish membership in the Euro and to take away the Danish "forbehold."

The Radikale Venstre had a messy campaign, although one must admire the tenacity and optimism of Sofie Carsten Nielsen; I hope to see her in Danish politics.
Nevertheless, one must question some of the choices that the party made; they chose to focus only on Ms. Carsten Nielsen, and this totally overshadowed other candidates, most notably Mr. Johannes Lebech, who has been a competent MEP over the last five years. Also, I am afraid their alliance with the Social Democrats and SF backfired, as some voters became afraid of seeing their votes being wasted on more socialist parties.
The great winners were DF and SF, who each managed to get two mandates. DF continues being an important player in Danish politics, and has run a very good campaign, competently appealing to the more nationally-minded voters, sceptic of EU cooperation. I also think DF in fact benefitted from no alliances with other parties: if you voted for DF you knew your vote would not get traded for petty favours!
Some of the Venstre and Conservative candidates also tried strategy based on petty nationalisms, and in spite of what they may think themselves, they came out quite pathetic and unreliable in the face of it. In Venstre there has been an open debate on the chosen strategy, and I agree with them who say this backfired and made DF stronger.
SF rode on the wave of increased popularity in Danish politics, as well as with the perfect combination of a competent and experienced Margretehe Auken and a dynamic and young Emilie Turunen.

The 13 Danish MEPs are:

• Margrethe Auken, SF: Very competent and intelligent candidate who drew the bulk of the personal votes in the party. It is certainly good that she will be back in the EP, and I hope that she is able to access the Danish media more to tell about her good work in the EP.
  
• Emilie Turunen, SF: I followed her closely in the campaign, considering to vote for her, but in the end found her way too immature, mostly because she seemed very narrowminded and insulting towards other candidates. No question about her great dynamism though. In one debate I heard her promise that she would keep her constituency close to her work even when in Brussels, but I honestly doubt that she will keep this.
  
• Dan Jørgensen, Social Democrats: Has been interesting to follow Mr. Jørgensen in the campaign, where he has suddenly had to justify his last five years in Brussels, which he got by free-riding on the popularity of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. I must admit that I have my doubts to him, as I heard nothing about him during his previous five years and that some rather odd stories came out about him, like him voting "wrongly" on an issue of animal welfare as well as being the Danish MEP with lowest attendance in the EP. I hope he improves since his voters certainly deserve it, and he should be thankful for their trust.
  
• Britta Thomsen, Social Democrats: She led a serious campaign on her core issues on sustainable energy and equality, using her experience as an MEP very well in the face of a campaign that often lack substance.
  
• Christel Schaldemose, Social Democrats: Has been an MEP for the last five years, and I am certain she has been competent and hardworking, something she has deservedly benefitted from. She managed to get many personal votes in spite of a somewhat less prominent campaign. In a debate I heard her say that she has been the most cited Danish MEP the last five years. I must admit I hadn't noticed this, but hope that she manages to make herself more noticed this time around.
  
• Ole Christensen, Social Democrats: This candidate can thank the alliance with the Radikale that he got in, and I personally greatly blame the Radikale for this (they thus justified my limited bad conscience at not voting for them!). In his time as an MEP he has never been heard about in any domestic debate and I doubt he will be heard of any more over the next five years.
  
• Morten Messerschmidt, DF: Emerged as the great winner of the elections with some 265,000 personal votes. I personally find him too ideological and appealing to the lowest denominators of Danish nationalism, but I have to respect his intelligence and competence. I am certain he will be a hardworking and competent MEP, although very ideological. He is surely bound for a great career in Danish politics.
  
• Anna Rosbach, DF: If I liked anyone from DF it was Ms. Rosbach, who knows the EP well, has a very positive approach to her colleagues in the EP (differently from one of her predecessors, Mr. Mogens Camre), and I hope she continues working like that as an MEP for a party that largely has a negative message to anyone who is not Danish.
  
• Jens Rohde, Venstre: Mr. Rohde as probably run the most populistic and unreliable campaign of all candidates. But as top candidate of Venstre he managed to get sufficient exposure to appeal to nationalistic voters with some very un-Venstre rhetoric. I have no idea how he will bring Danish views to the EU, like he has said he will; in fact, I believe that this is another way of telling us that he will not try to be accountable to Danish voters.
  
• Morten Løkkegaard, Venstre: The example that you only need to be a known face to get elected, Mr. Løkkegaard drew more personal votes from many far more experienced and competent candidates, after barely running an election campaign. I don't think we will hear from him at all over the next five years.
  
• Anne E. Jensen, Venstre: A very experienced and competent candidate who with this enters her third term as an MEP. I thought this was too much, as I think Ms. Jensen has been too anonymous in her last period as an MEP. But with a new period I hope she uses her experience to continue her good work. She is the only hope of a serious politician for Venstre in the EP.
  
• Bendt Bendtsen, Conservative: Mr. Bendtsen had a good personal election - no question about it. However, I think he could have pulled more votes for his party, and get one more Conservative in, had he not been so poor in the debates (he looked like he couldn't bother) and so focused on Turkey. I have very few expectations to him as an MEP, except that I predict we will hear something shady about him at one point.
  
• Søren Søndergaard, Folkebevægelsen mod EU: It is a pity that it was not Junibevægelsen who entered to represent the EU-sceptic movements. However, Folkebevægelsen, and notably Søren Søndergaard has skillfully combined an appeal to the left-wing voters and the nationalist voters, and still advocates for Denmark to withdraw from the EU. He will surely be controversial as an MEP and push for changes.
  

In relation to the candidates I would have preferred to see in the Parliament, only Ms. Margrethe Auken and Ms. Anna Rosbach managed to get elected. Of course I would have liked to see all "my favourites" represented, but there are certain candidates I personally find a great shame that they didn't get in (in spite of the fact that I didn't vote for them in the end): Venstre's Mr. Kasper Elbjørn and Ms. Louise Freiberg, as well as the Conservatives' Mr. Christian Wedell-Neergaard. They would all have been far more competent and accountable MEP's than the candidates who actually got elected from these two parties.
I really hope to see them in Danish politics in the future.
In general I am mostly in doubt about the candidates from Venstre, Conservative and the Social Democratic party. In spite of some of them being extremely competent and experienced (Ms. Schaldemose, Ms. Thomsen and Ms. Jensen), I am afraid that we will not hear from them over the next five years now they are "safely" in Brussels.
I have great doubts they would even answer a question from a petty citizen like me - maybe they can prove me wrong...?

Now what remains is to follow the work of all of these candidates over the next five years. Have no doubt that the democratic work of citizens don't end with the elections, but must continue by monitoring our MEPs and making them accountable.
That is what they get (very well!) paid for, and each of them must now prove to all the good people who voted for them and whom they represent, that they are in Brussels and Strasbourg for them, and not for their own small egos and purses.

The privilege and burden is on you all, MEP's.
In the meantime, congratulations to each of you.

Weekly Update on the EP Elections Part IV

-Elections in Denmark are tomorrow; while the media has finally managed to follow the elections well, it seems Danes are nevertheless more preoccupied with the monarchy succession and a world cup qualifier between Denmark and Sweden.

-Ask me, I have reached my high-point of listening to the candidates although my vote is as yet not finally decided.

-Ms. Louise Feilberg from Venstre gave me a beer at the Start-Festival, and I have to thank her for that, although my vote is worth much more than a beer!

-In Copenhagen a campaigner from Folkebevægelsen from EU approached me, and said that they encompassed the entire political spectrum: "our leading candidate is from Enhedslisten and our second is from Radikale" (two very different parties ideologically). I asked what they agree on then, and he replied "they don't like the EU."
-Inconsistency?

-Ms. Margrethe Auken may have been stressed from the campaigning, but she seemed to lose her cool in a recent TV debate.

-Polls are coming with all their smart predictions: Ms. Hanne Dahl from Junibevægelsen is to be out, while Ms. Mette Abildgaard from Konservative is set to surprise.

-At the same time the eager Ms. Sofie Carsten Nielsen from Radikale seems to have gotten herself into a difficult path: as polls predict that the Radikale will not get enough votes - it seems likely that any vote for her may end up with their allies of SF or the Social Democrats. Thus, potential voters have a strong reason not to vote for them, reinforcing their poor elections.
-The polls may be their doom.

-Song of the week I would like to hear a candidate sing: Dan Jørgensen, "Oops I did it again" (Britney Spears)

-Candidate I would like to have a beer of the week with: Kasper Elbjørn from Venstre

Constitutional change

In Denmark there is a referendum on the inheritance rights in the Danish monarchy on the same day of the European Parliament elections. The referendum is a constitutional change about giving females the same rights as males in the succession of the throne (as it is now, the first-born male is the one to inherit the throne) and has been rather uncontroversial until lately. It is likely that the government included the referendum in the ballot so that many people who would otherwise not have shown up at EP elections, may want to give their vote in support of the monarchy.
However, the constitutional change is now running into opposition: a number of known Danes are expressing reservations and support for the law is dwindling.
It is not that it will come out a "no"; but the constitutional change requires that 40% of all eligible voters support the motion, and this is looking increasingly doubtful with a turnout that is still expected to be low. A number of people have called for a blank vote, and leading politicians, such as Uffe Ellemann-Jensen and Marianne Jelved have insinuated that they might vote "no".
The refenrendum is being sold as a question of equality between the sexes, and "bring the monarchy into the 21st century."
Still, many people complain that in fact it is not about modernising the monarchy, which would require many more relevant changes than this. Also, the issue of equality sounds hollow in a country where women are still left behind in salaries and access to jobs. Finally, some people are annoyed that the government didn't use the opportunity to promote a wider change of the Danish constitution whose modernization in the face of a changing Danish society and globalization is much more required than a populist change to a law on monarchy.
I am voting blank, and I think the motion will not pass.

Who I will vote for in the EP elections

I have made a shortlist of the Danish candidates I find worthy of voting for in the EP elections. I have already made my selection of whom I will vote for, and it is one among the candidates below. I have given everyone the benefit of the doubt, and have selected someone from each party; and I am happy to say that I have found competent and good people in each party, so there should be a someone for everyone to choose from.

Before I reveal the simplified list I must underline that it is my personal list. I have tried to combine what I have heard them say in the news (TV, radio); what I have read about them (newspapers and internet); meeting I have been at where they have been present; as well as my general subjective impression of the candidate (some people may criticize this, but I do believe that as in any political fight of the 21st century, it is crucial how you present yourself).
I may be wrong in what I write, but it is my impression, and if anyone wants to ask me more, I would be happy to say more.

Candidates	Main issues	Advantages	Disadvantages
Margethe Auken (SF)	To fight climate change through Green jobs and sustainable energy. Minimum work standards in the EU. The fight against cross-border crime, including white-collar crime and prostitution (she advocates for Denmark leaving the judicial exception).	Knows the Parliament where she has been one of the best Danish MEP over five years. Extremely intelligent and balanced.	SF has focused entirely on their two top candidates, and they have drowned that there are actually others. They all seem to follow a strict party line As an MEP Ms. Auken has had a difficulty being heard in Danish press. From being anti-EU she is now very pro-EU.
Klaus Larsen-Jensen (S)	Social welfare and jobs. Alternative energy, education and equality. Control of capital markets.	Has been president of the Folketings’ Europaudvalg, and may thus be in a good position to build a stronger relationship between EP and Folketing	Has not participated enough in the debate; too anonymous in the campaign. Much of what he has written in the media has been about quite abstract subjects, and nothing concrete.
Einer Lyduch (S)	A social Europe based on rights, jobs and sustainable energy.	Quite knowledgeable on the EU and its international role	Too unknown; has hardly been profiled in the debate, and his knowledge seems too limited to EU international role, and less so on some of the more soft issues of the EU
Sofie Carsten Nielsen (RV)	Asylum and immigration; health (patient-rights); gender equality (maternity leave)	Radikale might not get in, and it would be a loss if there are none. She has been very active in the debate and very concrete and knowledgeable.	Her campaign has at times seemed desperate for attention and she has at times seemed stressed and almost hysterical, making one wonder whether she is up to the stress of the EP.
Johannes Lebech (RV)	Environment and climate, consumer rights and health	He has been a good MEP for five years, and sits in the environmental council. He has excellent experience and has seemed committed.	He has been notably absent from the campaign, perhaps to get focus on their only likely MEP Sofie Carsten Nielsen, and he may thus have given up beforehand.
Kasper Elbjørn (V)	Energy independence (including sustainable energy), strengthening the internal market, institutional reform and democracy in the EU	Young and dynamic, with a very interesting blog where he seems quite knowledgeable and focused, and doesn’t always follow the party line	Young candidates are a forgotten breed in Venstre. Kasper Elbjørn may be positioning himself in the party for the Folketing
Louise Feilberg (V)	A liberal Europe; climate change; stop human trafficking; consumer policy	Dynamic and committed, and knows a lot about the specific subjects she works with.	As young, she has little chance in spite of her dynamism. May also be setting herself up for a future in Venstre.
Peter Hjortkjær Jørgensen (LA)	Health, education, climate, the financial crisis (global solutions)	Basically the only worthwhile candidate in Liberal Alliance	Totally unknown and in the shadow of B. Dickow has had almost no profiling in the debate.
Ditte Staun (FEU)	Cooperation without a union; defend democracy and fight bureaucracy; fight EU trade-walls; health, environment and animal rights	Ideologically a liberal and quite well-argued about her stance against the EU	She often seems out of touch with political realities, and risks just being an eternal nay-sayer.
Hanne Dahl (JB)	Patient-rights; IT-security; water protection; democracy and transparency in the EU	Very intelligent and in-depth knowledge of all her issues and after a couple of years in the EP, knows the system well. Have moved from being anti-EU to EU-sceptic. Junibevægelsen has had a positive influence in the EP under Jens Peter Bonde and Hanne Dahl.	She appears arrogant in the discussions and her great level of detailed knowledge makes her sound uninteresting for some voters. Junibevægelsen will have a difficult election from being seen as inconsistent.
Anna Rosbach (DF)	Yes to cooperation between EU states in areas of environment, criminality, transport, research & education. No to the EU Constitution and to Brussels-made legislation	Appears to have a generally positive approach to the EU and is more a sceptic than an EU opponent. Many years of EU experience does that she knows the system	I could imagine that she has little appeal in her own party because of her generally positive approach and good way of discussing. Seems weak in the discussion of some of the more substantive issues.
Christian Wedell-Neergaard (K)	Peace & security; freedom & justice; climate & environment	Extremely knowledgeable of agricultural policy, and a sound and positive ideologically conservative approach- differently from many leading Conservatives, he is not a populist.	May not get elected due to his sound arguments. Comes out somewhat boring

There have been other candidates that I have been close to putting on this list: Emilie Turunen, Peter Norsk and Mette Abildgaard, but for different reasons I did not include them in the end.
Also, when voting some considerations need to be made on some party alliances and the party lists: for instance if you vote for either SF, Radikale or Socialdemokratiet, you risk that your vote goes to any of the parties in the alliance. And in some party lists you risk that your personal vote is given to someone you hadn't wanted to vote for (it is something not all parties are very good at answering, so I am not sure which ones do this).

In any case, the most important thing is to go out and vote, even if you turn in a blan vote!