The Speaker of the Danish Parliament, Søren Gade, has given the Danish Parliament incorrect information about his board work. Back in December 2022, Søren Gade explained to the Danish Parliament's Committee on Rules of Procedure that he had resigned from his position as chairman of the board of the company Tecleaf. This was incorrect.
- However, I must inform you that I have continued to serve, writes Søren Gade in a letter to the committee published on Tuesday evening.
The development comes after a long period of criticism of Søren Gade's role as chairman of the board of the Port of Esbjerg, while he is also chairman of the Danish Parliament. Here, the dual chairman has been criticized for the fact that the two roles can cast doubt on Søren Gade's competence.
Specifically, the Port of Esbjerg is at a potentially important time, when Denmark's major armament and shipbuilding can benefit the port. In his defense, Søren Gade has repeatedly emphasized that he had been approved for the dual role by the Folketing's Committee on Rules of Procedure.
Now, however, the letter adds a new chapter to the case - because the committee has not approved this role. Søren Gade gave the committee directly incorrect information on December 16, 2022, because the company was in liquidation, it now says.
- This must be seen in the light of the fact that the company is in liquidation, and that I attach importance to being involved until the company is completely liquidated, in order to answer to everyone's questions, writes Søren Gade.
- I can also inform you that the position is and has been unpaid.
Gade: Dormant company
Tecleaf is a solar cell company that Søren Gade, according to business registers, helped found 13 years ago, and of which he currently owns a share.
Søren Gade's board position in the company has been described in the media once before, even though he has not disclosed this to the Folketing. This happened in connection with an article in the Althing in 2024, which focused on the politicians of the Folketing who had not registered their business interests in a register.
Here, Søren Gade explained that the company is dormant and without turnover, that he owns 25 percent of it, and that this ownership stake does not exceed 75,000 kroner.
- That is the limit for when a company interest must be reported to the professional register, Søren Gade replied to the Althing at the time.
In the letter to the Committee on the Rules of Procedure, Søren Gade further explains that he has also not reported on his participation in advisory boards for the European Leadership Network and The Lone Strøyberg Scholarship, respectively.
- I can state in this connection that these are only bodies that provide non-binding advice, and that there has been very limited meeting activity. That was the reason why I did not inform about it, he writes.
Søren Gade has no further comments on Ritzau.
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