The Minister of Culture has been in the spotlight since she ended up in a war of words during “Debatten”. Former Minister of Culture Uffe Elbæk believes the criticism is unfounded.
There has been plenty to keep Culture Minister Zenia Stampe (R) busy in recent days. (Photo: © Henning Bagger, Ritzau Scanpix) 6 minutes ago.
It would be an understatement to say that tempers flared when Culture Minister Zenia Stampe (R) recently debated artificial intelligence with, among others, entrepreneur Martin Thorborg on the DR program “Debatten”.
Since then, criticism has rained down ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/aarets-vildeste-udtalelse-siger-ivaerksaetter-efter-kulturministers-linkedin-opslag ) on Zenia Stampe for her debating style.
Zenia Stampe herself, however, is quite satisfied with her performance. She wrote on Facebook on Saturday that she was relieved after watching her appearance on “Debatten” again:
- It was not at all like the thousands of angry people have written about me in the past few days.
- I don’t swear. I don’t speak rudely. And I don’t actually interrupt Martin Thorborg even once, but I try to continue speaking when it’s my turn.
From political quarters, however, the Conservative Party and the Danish People’s Party have respectively stated that Zenia Stampe displayed “radical condescension” ( https://www.facebook.com/BirgitteBergmanPolitiker/?locale=da_DK ) and “undignified behavior” ( https://www.facebook.com/mette.thiesen/posts/zenia-stampe-viser-alt-hvad-der-er-galt-med-de-radikale%EF%B8%8Fjeg-m%C3%A5-indr%C3%B8mme-at-jeg-b/1667243354762214/ ).
On P1 Morgen, one of Zenia Stampe’s predecessors as culture minister chose to defend her.
Uffe Elbæk, who founded the Alternative party with a desire for good conversation and a new political culture, believes that Zenia Stampe “stays within the mark”:
- She is deeply committed as a politician. She has always been, and that’s what you get – even when she becomes culture minister.
Uffe Elbæk sees no problems with Zenia Stampe’s appearance on “Debatten”. (Photo: © Henning Bagger, Ritzau Scanpix)
Elbæk believes the criticism of Zenia Stampe is “gendered”:
- She is a female culture minister who stands up for an agenda concerning our relationship with AI, i.e., the technology agenda, and she fights for it. Then you can have your preferences and think she interrupts too much, speaks too loudly, and what about her body language.
- I feel like saying: Give me a break.
It’s gendered, you say. What do you mean by that?
- It’s an assumption, of course, but that was the feeling I also had after seeing the reactions on social media, that it almost seems as if there has been a pent-up irritation towards Zenia Stampe.
- Some of the phrases I’ve seen on social media are that she is hysterical and that she is shrill.
Uffe Elbæk also disagrees with critics that a culture minister should show particular politeness in debates:
- Some people think that, and I don’t necessarily agree. I think that as a minister you should find your own style. I had my style, and Zenia Stampe has hers.
- What I take my hat off to Zenia (Stampe, ed.) for is that she is so committed as a politician. If you want committed politicians, you have to accept that this can happen, says Uffe Elbæk on P1 Morgen.
It has not been possible to obtain a comment from Culture Minister Zenia Stampe (R).
Listen to the full interview with Uffe Elbæk on P1 Morgen.
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