Denmark: mink scandal catches up with government
A clear verdict has been reached by the parliamentary commission: the Covid-19 mass mink cull in Denmark lacked a legal basis. Senior officials and members of government now stand accused of serious omissions, and one of the parties that support Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's social democratic minority government is now calling for new elections this autumn at the latest.
The PM is the problem
For Jyllands-Posten responsibility clearly lies with Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen:
“It is absolutely outrageous that so many civil servants in the most trusted positions in the country are risking disciplinary proceedings. It underlines the seriousness of the mink scandal. No stone must be left unturned. But when it comes to the relationship between the ministers and the civil service, it is not a very bold thesis that the problem Mette Frederiksen claims to want to solve will solve itself once she is gone.”
Trust in Danish democracy compromised
Berlingske writes:
“The demand for early elections or a vote of no confidence against the Social Democratic government is naturally annoying for Mette Frederiksen. It considerably reduces the otherwise sovereign freedom of the prime minister when it comes to setting an election date. ... Nevertheless, the government is going about its business relatively undisturbed. ... Even the ten civil servants who according to the Mink Commission can be held responsible for the affair are continuing their work for the time being. These is a dark time for trust in Danish democracy.”