Deputy mayor of Viborg ousted for going against agreement

VIBORG: Lone Langballe (DF), who was appointed deputy chair of the Elderly and Activities Committee at the Viborg constitution, has now been stripped of her position again.

At a meeting on Tuesday, a majority of the committee decided that a new deputy chair should be elected, according to the minutes.

The reason is that at a city council meeting last week, Lone Langballe was the only one to vote against three points that dealt with renewable energy planning. In doing so, she also voted against the constitution agreement that she herself had helped to conclude, the majority believed.

Planning has begun

The largest of the cases concerns the planned Tjele - Vinge Energy Park. In May last year, the city council adopted a local plan that included an energy cluster, solar cell plants and wind turbines.

Later, renewable energy became a big issue in the election campaign, and after the election, all parties in the city council agreed on a constitutional agreement, which scaled back the plans for renewable energy.

"The city council will for the time being stop planning for additional renewable energy plants beyond what the city council has already adopted local plans for. However, the planning of EnergiparkTjele that has begun will be maintained, with the exception of solar cell plants," the agreement said.

An agreement is a agreement

At the city council meeting last week, the city council was to vote on continued planning for wind turbines and an energy cluster in Energipark Tjeje - Vinge, but not solar cells. In addition, a vote was to be taken on further planning for two other renewable energy projects.

Torsten Nielsen (DD) explained that his three party members voted in favor, even though the party is against renewable energy plants, because entering into a constituent agreement is part of that.

- We have to say that when you enter into an agreement in the city council, that is the governing tool we have. (...) Everyone has received a little, everyone has given a little. You can't have the best and avoid some of the worst, he said.

Lone Langballe (DF), on the other hand, explained that she had expected that the matter could be discussed further despite what was in the constitutional agreement.

- In the clear light of hindsight, I shouldn't have agreed when the expectation was that I would say yes to everything, despite the fact that I ran for office to fight energy parks, she said, adding that if it caused the majority to strip her of her posts, there was nothing to be done about it.

No thanks to the post

On Tuesday, there was a meeting in the Elderly and Activities Committee, and here Helle Sommer (DD) was elected as deputy chairwoman instead of Lone Langballe. In addition to Langballe herself, Sofie Ringgaard Schøning (K) also voted against.

She tells Viborg Folkeblad that she herself was offered the position, but that she thought it was wrong to take it from Lone Langballe and therefore said no, thank you.

- I can't remember anyone being stripped of a position because they haven't kept their agreement in the constitution (...) there's a lot more to it than just this case, she tells the newspaper.