While in recent weeks there has been a lot of focus on Søren Gade's side job as paid chairman of the board of directors of the Port of Esbjerg, the main character himself has not wanted to be interviewed. But on Friday, JydskeVestkysten managed to get the speaker of the Folketing to talk.
Søren Gade has been criticized for the fact that the two chairman roles can cast doubt on his competence. Especially when the Port of Esbjerg is in play to be the place where Denmark's new warships worth billions of kroner will be built.
However, the premise for the criticism is "completely wrong", says Søren Gade to JydskeVestkysten, which published an article on Sunday in which Gade was interviewed about the matter on Friday.
- The Port of Esbjerg is the landowner, and the land is leased to 240-250 companies. We have no influence whatsoever on what orders they receive, says Søren Gade to the regional media.
One of the wildest cases
He says that the criticism has caught him by surprise and, according to the regional media, calls the case one of the two or three wildest in his career.
- I don't know if anyone has a horn in my side or what has happened, but it's a straw man, says Søren Gade to JydskeVestkysten.
Gade further calls it a "conceived image" that one can "scam" one's way into "anything in Denmark, fortunately".
On Sunday, Søren Gade is also set to be interviewed by TV Midtvest. Here he explains why he has been silent about the case so far.
- Nothing good will come of it. You (the media, ed.) have a premise where you are to be accused, convicted and executed in the same broadcast. I can't do anything about the narrative you have put forward, and that's why I have stayed away from it until now, Gade tells TV Midtvest.
Ritzau has tried to get an interview with Søren Gade, but the Folketing's press department states that he has no further comments on Sunday.
On Friday, a political majority in the Committee on Rules of Procedure (UFO) reaffirmed that Søren Gade can continue to be chairman of the board of directors of Esbjerg Port, while also being the speaker of the Folketing. The dual role has also been previously approved by the committee.
A different agenda
The meeting on Friday also had a different agenda.
For Søren Gade to explain to the committee members why he had given incorrect information to the Folketing in another case.
Back in December 2022, Søren Gade explained to the Committee on the Rules of Procedure that he had resigned from his position as chairman of the board of directors of the company Tecleaf. The company works with solar cell technology. The position is unpaid. It was wrong. But a majority in UFO continues to trust Søren Gade, who can continue in all his positions.
Tecleaf has not had any activity since 2022 and is in liquidation. According to Søren Gade, this is the reason why he has retained his position as chairman of the board of the company.
Søren Gade has been chairman of the board of the Port of Esbjerg since January 2022. He became chairman of the Folketing in November of the same year.
/ritzau/
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