Speakers would resign if they were in his shoes. Søren Gade's double role sparks renewed criticism.

Good morning and welcome to the political morning post.

On Wednesday awaits another tough day for climate minister Lars Aagaard, when he will again have to defend the inadequate orientation of the Folketing in the case of the significant delays and cost overruns in the expansion of the power grid.

Aagaard had to defend himself, as is known earlier in the month, in a meeting for three hours against the opposition, which also declared a lack of confidence in the climate minister shortly after the meeting.

And even though the North Atlantic mandates and Jon Stephensen saved Aagaard in the 11th hour, it meant nothing, as the opposition would not let Aagaard off the hook. Despite not having a majority, the opposition would have a vote of no confidence against the minister in the Folketing's chamber, it was said.

"Now we are sending an urgent question to be sent, so we can have a question and answer session in the Folketing's chamber with the following vote of no confidence," said Liberal Alliance's Steffen Larsen to DR, and the question and answer session that Aagaard is waiting for today.

"What consequences will the minister take on the basis of the inadequate orientation of the Folketing in the case of the cost overruns and delays in Energinet's construction projects?" reads the main question, which Aagaard will have to answer when he goes into the hot seat in the Folketing today.

The vote of no confidence will, however, only take place on Thursday, according to the Folketing's website.

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Daily harbor master

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The criticism of Søren Gades double role on the question of whether ships of war should be built in Esbjerg Harbor, is now growing in strength.

In addition to his role as Speaker of the Folketing, Søren Gade is also chairman of Esbjerg Harbor.

In this context, TV 2 could earlier in the month describe (https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2025-04-08-soeren-gades-dobbeltrolle-bekymrer-det-ser-ikke-godt-ud) that several parties in the Folketing now have questions about Gades double role, which can become problematic when it comes to the competition between several Danish harbors for the right to produce new warships for the Defense.

"The Speaker of the Folketing should function as a trustee for all members of the Folketing. It must not be a post that is used to promote special interests and in that way cast doubt on the office," said the Unity List's Peder Hvelplund on April 10 about Gades double role and was backed up by Alternative.

But now the criticism has spread to the center.

On Tuesday, both the Danish People's Party's defense spokesman Alex Ahrendtsen and the Democrats' ditto Lise Bech told TV 2 that they would both withdraw as chairman of Esbjerg Harbor if they were in Gades shoes.

The Defense Agreement Committee is deciding in these months which harbor will build the next generation of Danish warships in connection with the new fleet plan.

"Esbjerg Harbor has submitted a bid for the new fleet plan, and there is a problem with the double role that he (Søren Gade, ed.) puts himself in. It may become necessary to exclude Esbjerg, because there are things that are mixed together. I wonder why," it sounds from Lise Bech, who also wonders why "he himself thinks it is in order."

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Today's "strongly" cut deal

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And in connection with the new fleet plan, it was also yesterday, Tuesday, that defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen (V) together with a broad defense agreement presented Denmark's new fleet plan.

It contains (https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/danmark-skal-have-krigsskibe-men-detaljer-udestaar) both 26 smaller ships for about four billion kroner and 21 for the marine home guard, four environmental ships and a ship for monitoring undersea cables.

But the plan does not take action on the purchase of new warships.

The decision has been postponed to later in the year, and it is not even described in the agreement whether the coming ships will be built in Denmark - although it is stated that it is a political ambition that it happens.

"It is a strongly cut fleet plan that is presented, in relation to the first expectations (https://www.berlingske.dk/indland/svimlende-regning-for-ny-dansk-flaade-op-til-100-milliarder-viser) of investments for up to 100 million kroner, where nearly half should be held in the current agreement period," says Andreas Lindqvist (https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/berlingskes-forsvarsjournalist-flaadeplan-er-beskaaret-og-udtryk-for-et) and continues:

"When the fleet plan is not getting bigger, it is probably first and foremost because the treasury in the Ministry of Defense is running out again despite the three-digit million kroner that the Folketing has granted for the rearmament. With the so-called acceleration fund, the government bought itself some respite - but large warships still do not fit in."

As mentioned, it is still not decided where the large warships will be built, but it means nothing, as one cannot find political positions for this.

Both the Danish People's Party, the Socialists and the Danish People's Party will, however, try to ensure that the task of rearming the Danish fleet falls to Danish harbors and shipyards.

"They should be built first and foremost in Denmark to the benefit of Denmark, supply security and our close allies," says the defense spokesman for the Socialists (https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/partier-vil-forpligte-regeringen-til-at-bygge-krigsskibe-i-danmark) in this context.

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Today's sweetheart

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Finally, we must also round off today's debate on the automatically increasing pension age.

An issue that Mette Frederiksen already warned about in August 2024 in Berlingske (https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/mette-frederiksen-i-opsigtsvaekkende-interview-kommer-med-afgoerende) , where she said that "the automatic increase, which the pension age is now increasing, we do not believe (Social Democrats, ed.) anymore."

Therefore, Mette Frederiksen dropped a bomb into Danish politics with the statement that "the jewel in the crown" of the public economy, namely the Welfare Agreement from 2006, should be renegotiated and relaxed, it sounded.

The next time the pension age should increase as a result of the agreement, it would therefore also be the last time that the Social Democrats would vote yes after the current agreement.

Yesterday, the Folketing therefore took a break in the debate on raising the pension age in Denmark to 70 years for people born after January 1, 1971. An issue that the Social Democrats support, but also an issue that has created pandemonium both to the left and to the right for S.

"Today the government is voting to raise the pension age. We in the Danish People's Party vote against. We do so to keep Mette Frederiksen on her promises," wrote DF leader Morten Messerschmidt (https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/df-med-opsigtsvaekkende-melding-stemmer-nej-til-at-haeve-pensionsalderen) yesterday afternoon on the social media X.

Also SF's Karsten Hønge wondered on Tuesday why the Social Democrats want to spend "one last night with their sweetheart":

"It's as if they know they are sinning. As if they know they are doing something wrong, while they promise that they will only do it once," it sounded in an attack from Hønge on the Folketing's rostrum.

Since Frederiksen dropped her pension bomb, both the government parties and the opposition have tried to pressure the prime minister to present a concrete plan. Just a little has it helped, and after yesterday's debate, the conclusion is also clear from Berlingske's political commentator, Bent Winther:

"The bottom line, the result of seven months of debate on pension age, is very clear: No one has had their wishes fulfilled to the slightest extent. There has not been called for negotiations on the future of pensions, no commissions have been set up, there is no clarification of the large accounts. The issue has been postponed until the fall, "writes the political commentator in an analysis (https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/listen-af-krav-til-mette-frederiksen-var-lang-intet-har-hun-givet-dem) and continues:

"And the great Social Democratic plan for regulating the pension age in the future? Yes, it is presented for the first time in a coming election campaign. Mette Frederiksen has despite all attempts to bend the rules for the question of future pension age."

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Today's short

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*1.* Party leader Alex Vanopslagh (LA) becomes a father for the second time in Easter. In this connection, Vanopslagh takes paternity leave from the Folketing from tomorrow Thursday and until 1 July. On his social media, it sounds from LA leader:

"Nana and I have been blessed with a little miracle, as our little Arthur came into the world. And not least on the last Easter Sunday, which gives us the promise of life and light over death and darkness," writes Vanopslagh.

Tuesday, the Folketing approved Lisa Perkins (LA) as a substitute for Vanopslagh in the slightly over two months where he will be away from the Folketing. LA's political spokesperson, Sólbjørg Jakobsen, will take care of a number of Vanopslagh's tasks while he is away.

*2.* Trine Bramsen receives criticism from both the Danish People's Party and the Conservative People's Party for, in an interview, claiming that politicians on Christiansborg have "neglected to understand the Danish family life." Ifølge Mette Thiesen (DF) and Birgitte Bergman (K) have both parties propped up and propped up with political proposals on the family area - the government parties listen only:

"The debate on family life has been going on for many years, but the Social Democrats have opposed all the proposals that we other parties have come up with," says Mette Thiesen and Bergman follows up:

"There is no doubt that we would like to see them in action. We have proposed a lot of politics, but where are you (ed.)?" asks her.

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Today's schedule

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*13.00: Meeting in the hall with debate on confidence in the climate minister and the ministers' question time*

Today there is a meeting in the Folketing's chamber, where ministers answer questions sent to them in the ministers' question time. The meeting begins with a urgent question to climate, energy and supply minister Lars Aagaard (M) about the consequences of the inadequate orientation of the Folketing in the case of Energinet's construction projects.

*13.00: Open meeting on unlawful retention in the welfare system*

The Employment Committee has employment minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen (S) in a meeting. The Employment Committee has asked the minister to report on her position on cases where a citizen is unlawfully retained in the welfare system for over a decade.

*16.30: Debate on cyberwar with the minister for social security and preparedness*

As part of Research's Day, IT University and Dagbladet Information hold a debate on the gray zone and Denmark's digital preparedness. Among the speakers are minister for social security and preparedness Torsten Schack Pedersen (V), military analyst at the Defense Academy Anders Puck Nielsen and professor and head of ITU's Center for Information Security and Trust Carsten Schürmann.

That was all for today. Thank you for reading!

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