‘Cash for seats’ drama and Danish incentive for African students

Did the Moderate party try to buy seats in parliament from ex-members?

Foreign Minister (and ex-PM) Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s Moderate party has had a hefty slice of bad press this week amid accusations that it offered two disgraced former MPs cash sums to give up their seats in parliament.

The two MPs, Mike Fonseca and Jon Stephensen, were both forced out of the Moderate party by personal scandals and are now independents.

Stephensen was the subject of reports of inappropriate behaviour towards female colleagues, while Fonseca was heavily criticised for dating a 15-year-old girl. 

The latter MP maintained that his relationship is above board. Incredibly, it’s not against the law in Denmark for an adult to date a 15-year-old.

Regardless of the circumstances of both men finding themselves outside of the party, Løkke refused on Friday to comment on the reports that the Moderates wanted to pay them off in order to keep their mandates.

Elected members of parliament are entitled to switch parties or become independent during the term for which they were elected. They can also resign as MPs, in which case the party they belong to when they step down can appoint a replacement.

At a press briefing on Friday, Løkke was asked how much he would be willing to pay for a seat in parliament but dismissed the question, saying it was not relevant to Denmark’s new development policy strategy, which was the topic of the briefing.

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The question followed reports by newspaper Berlingske and revelations in a new book entitled Nu skal det handle om nogen which allege that Stephensen was offered a million kroner to resign from parliament and hand his mandate back to the Moderates.

The claim is attributed to anonymous sources, as well as former party board member Carsten Damgaard Møller, who says in the book (according to Berlingske) that he made the suggestion “half in jest”.

That came after confirmation that the Moderates offered Fonseca 370,000 kroner to give up his seat after being expelled from the party in 2023 because his relationship violated its code of conduct.

Audio recordings made by Fonseca at a meeting attended by Løkke confirmed the offer.

The issue could escalate into a significant scandal for the Moderates, with all eight opposition parties demanding an investigation.

“It is important to investigate whether this may have constituted an attempt to violate the spirit of the Constitution,” the parties said in a letter to parliament’s Speaker’s council, which was obtained by the Ritzau news wire on Thursday.

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Government’s Africa strategy offers incentive for international students

Denmark wants more African students to choose the Nordic country for their education in an effort to boost Danish soft power on the African continent, according to a new government strategy.

Specifically, the government wants around 230 African international students to come to Denmark every year for the next eight years. The plan is part of the government’s broader Africa Strategy, which was first presented last year.

By experiencing Danish culture and university life, African students can become soft power advocates for Denmark, the government’s thinking goes.

“Africa has enormous potential, which we can help unlock through education. By 2050, a third of the world’s youth will live in Africa, and the continent’s geopolitical importance is growing rapidly,” Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund said.

African students will be eligible for scholarships covering education and living expenses in Denmark under the plan, which will be managed by the Danida Fellowship Centre, a self-governing institution under the Foreign Ministry.

We’ll be sure to follow up on this announcement by reporting more specific plans for the scholarship programme once they are released by the ministry, including details of how applications will be submitted.