Politik ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik )
*Facebook posts can have political consequences:* Several parties want to summon woman for a meeting
Liberal Alliance believes that a woman who is about to receive citizenship is praising Hamas. She herself denies the accusations.
Alex Vanopslagh at the opening of the Danish Parliament. (Photo: © Thomas Traasdahl, Ritzau Scanpix) 38 minutes ago
Several parties are now ready to summon a woman for a meeting in the Danish Parliament's Naturalisation Committee before she can obtain Danish citizenship.
It is a series of posts on the woman's Facebook that have led Liberal Alliance to demand in Politiken ( https://politiken.dk/danmark/politik/art11016136/Kvinde-st%C3%A5r-til-dansk-statsborgerskab-men-nu-har-LA-udf%C3%B8rt-detektivarbejde ) that the woman must attend a special meeting with the Naturalisation Committee before she can receive her citizenship.
Liberal Alliance believes that the woman praises Hamas and former Hamas leaders in a number of posts from 2024, and therefore wants to summon her for a meeting where she can explain why she shared the posts.
Several parties now support this.
- Basically, I believe that the information that has been presented is enough for her to be removed from the bill. But if anyone thinks the basis is too sparse, then I would be happy to be the driving force behind holding a meeting, says Mikkel Bjørn, the Danish People's Party's spokesperson for citizenship and chairman of the Naturalisation Committee.
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Social Democratic reversal meets criticism
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The granting of citizenship has been on hold since the election, while a working group ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/en-bombe-under-udlaendingepolitikken-regeringen-vil-give-flere-nye-statsborgerskaber ) investigates whether it is possible to introduce a screening process to screen applicants for anti-democratic attitudes.
However, at the beginning of October, the government changed course and will now reintroduce a bill from before the election that would allow around 2,000 people to become Danish citizens. The government emphasises, however, that it must be checked whether the applicants on the bill still meet the requirements for citizenship.
This has led to harsh criticism from the blue parties that the government now wants to grant citizenship to the approximately 2,000 applicants and not wait for the working group.
During the opening debate in the Danish Parliament last week, the Social Democrats' political spokesperson, Rasmus Stoklund, urged the parties to draw attention if they found anyone they believed should not be on the bill – which Liberal Alliance has now done.
Rasmus Stoklund at the podium during the opening of the Danish Parliament. (Photo: © Thomas Traasdahl, Ritzau Scanpix)
Denmark Democrats and the Conservatives, like the Danish People's Party, support summoning the woman for a meeting.
- Of course we must investigate this, and I fully support summoning her for a meeting. I think it is too strange that it is the parties' organisations that have to dig this up. We should not grant more citizenships until the screening model for anti-democratic attitudes is ready, says Ulrik Knudsen, citizenship spokesperson for the Denmark Democrats.
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The woman: I am happy to come to a meeting and explain myself
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DR has reached out to the woman, but she has not responded to the inquiries. In Politiken, she denies supporting Hamas ( https://politiken.dk/danmark/politik/art11016136/Kvinde-st%C3%A5r-til-dansk-statsborgerskab-men-nu-har-LA-udf%C3%B8rt-detektivarbejde ).
- I do not support anyone who kills anyone. Because I do not like anyone killing anyone, whether they are Israeli, Russian, or anything else, she tells the newspaper.
The woman further says that she is willing to attend a meeting and explain herself.
Katrine Evelyn Jensen, the Social Democrats' citizenship spokesperson, however, does not believe that the woman should be summoned for a meeting right now.
- The people who were on the bill will be checked again. We need to check whether they still meet the requirements – therefore it is potentially a waste of the committee's time to hold this meeting before the bill is reintroduced, when we do not know if the woman is still on the bill.
- I do not know the specific case well enough to decide whether a meeting should be called. LA must present it in the committee, and then we will take it from there, she says.
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'You may believe, think, and say what you want'
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Liberal Alliance confirms to DR that they intend to raise the matter in the committee.
However, they should not expect support from the Red-Green Alliance's citizenship spokesperson, Peder Hvelplund.
- I find it disheartening to see yet another proposal that attempts to undermine the liberal rule of law. You may believe, think, and say what you want, and even though I in no way sympathise with the views expressed in the woman's posts, I defend the right to hold those views, says the spokesperson.
This would not be the first time the Naturalisation Committee has summoned a citizen for a meeting. In 2024, the committee, on Mikkel Bjørn's initiative, summoned three citizens for 'attitude interviews' ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/tre-historiske-sindelagssamtaler-har-skabt-roere-i-folketinget-saadan-gik-det-sig-i ) prior to granting citizenship. Back then, the prospect of meetings also divided opinions.
All three ended up receiving Danish citizenship. Summoning citizens for meetings requires a majority in the committee.
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