What is valgflæsk?
Literally, it means ‘election meat’: valg is "election" and flæsk "meat" or "roasted meat".
Although valgflæsk could possibly be used to describe a tasty roast dinner consumed on election night, its actual usage is mainly by politicians who are attempting to dismiss the policies of their opponents as empty campaign promises. Here is an example from Danish public service broadcaster DR's coverage of the general election back in 2019.
In short, valgflæsk is a claim or promise made by a politician in relation to an election which is criticised for its perceived lack of realism or sincerity.
Why do I need to know valgflæsk?
Although it’s worth knowing how to use it yourself, it’s even more useful to know what a politician means when they say valgflæsk.
The word arguably appears most often when parties are discussing rival policies and and manifestos, for example during general and local election campaigns.
With the general election approaching on March 24th, it's likely you'll hear politicians from different parties throw the word at each other during television debates, on social media or elsewhere.
The closest English expression to valgflæsk is probably "hot air", rendered in Danish as varm luft. But "hot air" can be used in a non-political context in both English and Danish, whereas valgflæsk is purely political.
Nevertheless, don’t be surprised if you also hear varm luft used to criticise political foes: De siger, at de vil arbejde for bæredygtig transport – det er simpelthen en omgang varm luft ("They are saying they will work for sustainable transport – that is quite simply a load of hot air").
Examples
Ministerens udtalelser om skattelettelser ikke er andet end valgflæsk.
The minister’s assurances of tax breaks are nothing but empty promises for the election.
Oppositionen påstår at den er villig til at lytte til os, når det gælder ældreområdet, men jeg synes, det lugter lidt af valgflæsk.
The opposition claims it is willing to listen to our policies on senior citizens, but I think this is a clear sign of election bluffing.
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