The Speaker of the Danish Parliament, Søren Gade (V), withdrew from several debates at the Folkemødet because "the focus was exclusively on me and the Port of Esbjerg". Søren Gade wrote this in a lengthy post on Facebook on Wednesday, defending his decision to be chairman of the board of directors of the Port of Esbjerg.
- I had been looking forward to the Folkemødet on Bornholm - to meeting people, listening and taking part in the important conversations. That is why it hurt when I had to withdraw from several debates because the focus was exclusively on me and the Port of Esbjerg.
- I did not want to ruin the debates for others. It was not an easy decision, but I did not want to stand in the way of other people's voices, Gade writes in the post.
Søren Gade does not elaborate on how the focus on the Port of Esbjerg was expressed during last week's democracy festival. But both TV 2 and Ekstra Bladet have described how they tried to get an interview with Søren Gade on Thursday at the Folkemødet about the dual role of the Speaker of the Folketing, which has been under scrutiny for a long time.
Cancelled all events
On Friday at the Folkemødet, Søren Gade canceled all of his events for private reasons. The administration of the Folketing informed Ekstra Bladet, which had attended an event where Gade was supposed to have participated.
Among other things, the media wanted an answer to why Søren Gade "lied to the Folketing".
In May, it emerged that Søren Gade had provided incorrect information to the Folketing.
Back in December 2022, Søren Gade explained to the Committee on the Rules of Procedure that he had resigned from an unpaid position as chairman of the board of directors of the company Tecleaf. It was wrong.
This followed the fact that TV 2 had for a long period focused on Søren Gade's role as both Speaker of the Danish Parliament and paid Harbour Chairman.
Criticized for double role
Gade has been criticized for the fact that the two chairman roles may cast doubt on his competence, as the Port of Esbjerg is in the running to become the place where billion-dollar warships will be built. He has for a long time not wanted to be interviewed about the matter, with the exception of two interviews with JydskeVestkysten and TV Midtvest.
- I have recently been the subject of criticism. I have considered countless times whether I should remain silent or speak up. Now I choose the latter. Not to defend myself with big gestures, but to tell my side of the story, writes Gade in the Facebook post on Wednesday.
He further writes that it is "important for me to state that as chairman of the Port of Esbjerg, one neither has nor will have influence on decisions about where warships are built," writes Søren Gade in the post.
Gade points out that he "does not violate any laws" and has "respect that people may disagree with my decision".
- It is a position that I have fought for, invested myself in and am proud of. Just as I am proud of and committed to my duty as chairman of the Folketing, writes Gade.
In May, a majority in the Folketing's Rules of Procedure Committee reaffirmed that Søren Gade can continue to be chairman of the Folketing and chairman of the board of directors of the Port of Esbjerg.
/ritzau/
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