The government is open to extending the parental leave - but not until Mette Frederiksen is out of office.

The tension has been palpable ahead of the opening debate in the Folketing.

While the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen (S), continues to refuse to comment on the SMS scandal and has "no comments" on the new information, the opposition's hopes of gathering a majority outside the government, which does not want to bury the case, have been fueled.

During the opening debate on Thursday, the SF party announced that it does not support the Liberal Alliance's proposal to expedite the handling of a bill that would change the minister responsibility law, so that the parental leave period does not come into effect until a minister leaves their post. As it is now, the legal responsibility falls on the parent after five years.

"We think there is a need to extend the parental leave period," said SF's legal representative, Karina Lorentzen.

In her view, this issue is about the right-wing not accepting the result of a commission and wanting a rematch, said SF's legal representative Karina Lorentzen (SF).

However, SF supports changing the parental leave period for ministers in future cases. The party also plans to submit a similar decision later in the month.

"We think there is a need to extend the parental leave period," said Karina Lorentzen.

Christian Rabjerg Madsen (S) spoke during the opening debate in the Folketing on Christiansborg on Thursday, October 9, 2025. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix)

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S: 'We take it in stride and calmly'

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And that is also what Social Democracy is open to, it sounds from the party's political spokesperson.

"When we talk about extending the leave period in general, we would like to discuss it with the parties, and I think it is sensible that we take it in stride and calmly," said Christian Rabjerg Madsen.

These discussions are also ready for Venstre to participate in.

"But it requires that it is not done in haste, and we get it discussed thoroughly, so it becomes a decent bill," said Venstre's political spokesperson, Jan E. Jørgensen.

SMS messages filled the air during the mink crisis four years ago, when it emerged that, among others, Mette Frederiksen had set her mobile phone to automatically delete messages.

At the time, the then S-government informed the Folketing that all methods had been tested in relation to re-creating the SMS messages.

This should clarify what ministers and civil servants wrote to each other before the decision in November 2020 to airlift all mink in Denmark under covid-19. A decision that at the time was not legally justified.

Enhedslisten's Peder Hvelplund (EL) will take up the SMS case in the Folketing's Oversight Committee. (Photo: © Ida Marie Odgaard, Ritzau Scanpix)

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Enhedslisten: 'We would have liked to see it happen faster'

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Enhedslisten's group leader is disappointed that SF is not in favor of expedited handling. But it is still a small step in the right direction if the government parties are willing to look at extending the leave period in the future, it sounds.

"It's good that we get it done in the end. I would have just liked to see it happen faster," said Peder Hvelplund (EL).

However, Enhedslisten has not given up on getting to the bottom of the case. Peder Hvelplund, who himself sits on the Oversight Committee, will propose setting up a review commission, which can uncover the course and communication between FE, PET and ministries, and internally in FE, about the possibility of being able to recover the deleted SMS's.

"It's about the Folketing's ability to control the government, and that we can have confidence that the information we receive from the government is accurate," said Peder Hvelplund.

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