A majority in the Climate, Energy and Utilities Committee will express no confidence in Climate Minister Lars Aagaard (M) after a case regarding information that has been withheld from the Folketing. This follows a consultation on Wednesday, where the minister was to explain that the Folketing had not been informed of delays in the rollout of the electricity grid. However, there is a majority in the Folketing that the minister can continue in his post, but trust has been broken according to the opposition, which believes that the minister should resign.
- We no longer have confidence in the minister, says climate spokesperson Leila Stockmarr from the Unity Party.
She expects that an emergency meeting of the committee will be called, where a report of no confidence must be adopted before it becomes official. Several opposition politicians are very dissatisfied with the fact that the minister, in their view, has withheld important knowledge about the delayed electricity grid ahead of political negotiations in 2024.
But some of the tension had subsided in advance when three North Atlantic mandates and independent Jon Stephensen refused to dismiss the minister on Tuesday in front of Ritzau on the basis of the case. This has caused a stir and criticism, as the North Atlantic mandates have a tradition of not interfering in Danish domestic politics, even though this has happened before in high-tension cases.
Now that there is a majority in the Folketing for the minister to continue, the no-confidence may end up not having any formal significance, even though it will have a major influence on future negotiations between the climate minister and the rapporteurs. Climate rapporteur Dina Raabjerg (K) denies that the opposition looks disillusioned.
- I don't think the opposition does. We have a majority in the committee that expresses no confidence in the minister. We will hand that over to the government, and then the government must decide what to do with the minister.
- It will probably not be easier to sit in negotiations with Lars Aagaard when he is sitting with a majority that has expressed no confidence in him, she says.
Climate spokesman Torsten Gejl from the Alternative wants the government to ask Lars Aagaard to resign.
- All parties that will negotiate climate policy in the Ministry of Climate have said that they do not trust him, he says.
It is unknown whether the matter about the minister's future will end with a vote in the Folketingsalen.
jel /ritzau/
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