SF corrects mayor: Demand for large prayer day is not final

Would the Social Democrats (SF) support Mette Frederiksen as prime minister without a promise to reinstate *Store Bededag* (Great Prayer Day) as a public holiday?

That has been the big question since SF yesterday announced that the party would demand the abolished public holiday be reinstated. However, party leader Pia Olsen Dyhr made it clear that this was not an ultimatum.

Today, SF member Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen, who holds multiple leadership roles in the party, struck a different tone in *P1 Debat*.

She stated that SF would not support Mette Frederiksen unless *Store Bededag* was reinstated.

*"It’s crucial for us,"* Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen said.

So, you won’t support Mette Frederiksen?

*"I can’t see that happening."*

Can you rule that out?

*"Yes,"* came the response from the SF member.

But now SF is backtracking. Because the demand isn’t an ultimatum, as Signe Munk, SF’s political spokesperson, explains.

Read also: SF spokesperson: We cannot support Mette Frederiksen without *Store Bededag* (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/reels/sf-ordfoerer-vi-kan-ikke-pege-paa-mette-frederiksen-uden-store-bededag)

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*"A completely honest mistake"*

*"There was a mistake. SF’s position is that we believe it was completely wrong for the Social Democrats-Venstre (SVM) government to take a public holiday away from the Danish people,"* Signe Munk says.

*"That’s why we’ve now stated that we want *Store Bededag* reinstated. But it’s not an ultimatum, as made clear in *P1 Debat*. It is, however, an important demand for SF,"* she adds.

What does it mean that it’s an important demand?

*"We clearly and unequivocally state what SF’s policy is: That it was wrong to remove *Store Bededag*, and that we want it back. We will fight hard for it if a red majority and a red government emerge after the election,"* Signe Munk explains.

Earlier today, Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen (SF) said in *P1 Debat* that SF would not support Mette Frederiksen (S) as prime minister unless *Store Bededag* was reinstated as a public holiday.

Isn’t it a bit unclear when you now say it’s only an important demand and not an ultimatum?

*"We believe *Store Bededag* should be reinstated. We will fight for it if a red government comes to power, and it’s an important demand for us. But it’s not an ultimatum,"* Signe Munk says.

Why did it then sound like an ultimatum from SF earlier today?

*"I think it was a completely honest mistake."*

So, a vote for you isn’t a guarantee that Danes will get *Store Bededag* back?

*"If SF gets 90 seats and thus a full majority in the Folketing after the election, we will be able to reinstate it. But the world isn’t that simple—we won’t necessarily get 90 seats. The more seats we get, the harder we can fight for it,"* Signe Munk says.

So SF is sticking to the idea that it’s not an ultimatum?

*"We will fight to get *Store Bededag* reinstated if we form a red government. It’s an important demand for us, but not an ultimatum. And it won’t become one."*

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.