Minister received gift of five free tickets to gymnastics show: Now he returns them

**Minister received gift of five free tickets to gymnastics show: Now he is returning them**

The gift to the Minister for Nature and Animal Welfare could be worth up to DKK 2,700.

Christian Rabjerg received five tickets to a show with Flying Superkids. 10 minutes ago.

Minister for Nature and Animal Welfare Christian Rabjerg Madsen (Social Democrats) initially said yes when he was offered a handful of tickets to the gymnastics show Flying Superkids.

The gift of the gymnastics show tickets appears on Christian Rabjerg Madsen's register of gifts he has received in his capacity as minister.

Otherwise, the gifts on the list are mostly books and flowers, which he received when he was appointed as the new minister in early June.

Therefore, the five tickets stand out.

Tickets to the well-known gymnastics show, which has traveled the world and impressed thousands of spectators for almost 60 years, are not cheap.

On the show's website, it appears that tickets are available in price ranges between DKK 145 and 540. The gift thus potentially has a value of up to DKK 2,700 for the Social Democratic minister.

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Professor called tickets to Roskilde Festival illegal

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In connection with the Roskilde Festival, there was a debate about whether politicians could accept a day pass to the festival. The Roskilde Festival offered the ticket in connection with a professional program.

Sten Bønsing, a professor of administrative law at Aalborg University, called the scheme outright illegal in that context.

"In my assessment, it violates the rules that apply to receiving gifts and other benefits."

"I think it falls under the general definition of corruption," he told DR.

DR News has asked Christian Rabjerg Madsen a series of questions to hear if he believes a gift of that size can be accepted within the administrative rules.

We have also asked him why a minister who earns DKK 1.6 million a year cannot pay for tickets to Flying Superkids himself.

This has caused Christian Rabjerg to change course:

"To avoid any doubt about the matter, I have decided to decline the invitation from Flying Superkids."

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Expects no reciprocal service

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It is not stated who the five tickets are for, but in 2024 Christian Rabjerg Madsen went on paternity leave from the Folketinget (the Danish Parliament) with his third child.

Frederik Waage, a professor of constitutional and administrative law at the University of Southern Denmark, believes it is wise of Christian Rabjerg Madsen not to accept the tickets after all.

"I can understand him refraining, even though I cannot definitively say it would have been illegal if he had accepted the tickets," says Frederik Waage, adding that it makes no difference if the free tickets also went to the minister's wife and children.

"I don't think it makes a difference, as it can be common in representation for family members to participate," says Frederik Waage.

He adds that free tickets for a minister cannot necessarily be characterized as a gift. It can also be seen as an invitation to an event where there may be a substantive reason for the minister to participate.

"But as things stand now, my advice is that ministers refrain from saying yes to such invitations. Simply because the rules in this area are too unclear. The Folketinget has not wanted to clarify the rules. We lack clear statements from either the Ombudsman or the courts when it comes to which invitations ministers and civil servants may accept," says Frederik Waage.

In a response to DR, Flying Superkids says they invite selected groups to their show and expect no reciprocal service:

"From time to time we invite politicians, the press, celebrities, and other profiles for one reason: To create attention about our mission to get more children and young people to move and engage in club activities. We expect no reciprocal service - neither positive mention, political goodwill, nor any form of payment," writes Klaus Kristensen, press chief for Flying Superkids.

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