Former leader of Danish far-right party joins libertarians
Pernille Vermund, the co-founder and former leader of the far-right party Nye Borgerlige, who last week said the party was to be disbanded, has joined the libertarian Liberal Alliance (LA).
LA leader Alex Vanopslagh confirmed Vermund had joined his party in a post on X.
“I reached out to Pernille as long ago as last year, to talk about whether it would be better for conservative Denmark if we joined and concentrated our forces – for example with her joining Liberal Alliance,” Vanopslagh wrote in the post.
Vermund said she had not considered any other party then LA after disbanding Nye Borgerlige.
“Liberal Alliance is the party that is best leading the way to a conservative-liberal society, and Alex Vanopslagh has, in my view, an absolutely phenomenal ability to communicate a conservative agenda that is not just about freedom, but also about taking responsibility for more than oneself,” Vermund told newspaper Berlingske.
She also confirmed she will run as a candidate for LA in the next Danish election. She received over 15,000 personal votes in the South Jutland region in the 2022 election, comfortably enough for election to parliament.
READ ALSO: Far-right Danish party to be dissolved after 5 years in parliament
LA and Nye Borgerlige share libertarian ideals, but the latter party is considerably more hostile towards immigration and supported a referendum on leaving the EU, a fringe policy in Danish politics not shared by LA.
Berlingske asked Vermund if she is now in favour of "Denmark being wholeheartedly engaged in the EU".
“Yes, I wholeheartedly support both the EU and a strong Europe. My position has moved significantly over the years, but that does not mean I adore everything that the EU passes,” she said.
Although Nye Borgerlige no longer has any MPs and its dissolution is to be recommended at an upcoming extraordinary meeting, it may continue in some form with a number of existing members in discussions about its future.
Regardless of this, the party has appeared in freefall since the November 2022 general election, where it gained 3.7 percent of the vote.
In 2023, Vermund resigned as leader to be replaced by Lars Boje Mathiesen, who was subsequently removed from the position and excluded from the party after an apparent conflict over pay demands, leading to Vermund’s later return. The leadership changes resulted in a number of other internal disputes.
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LA leader Alex Vanopslagh confirmed Vermund had joined his party in a post on X.
“I reached out to Pernille as long ago as last year, to talk about whether it would be better for conservative Denmark if we joined and concentrated our forces – for example with her joining Liberal Alliance,” Vanopslagh wrote in the post.
Vermund said she had not considered any other party then LA after disbanding Nye Borgerlige.
“Liberal Alliance is the party that is best leading the way to a conservative-liberal society, and Alex Vanopslagh has, in my view, an absolutely phenomenal ability to communicate a conservative agenda that is not just about freedom, but also about taking responsibility for more than oneself,” Vermund told newspaper Berlingske.
She also confirmed she will run as a candidate for LA in the next Danish election. She received over 15,000 personal votes in the South Jutland region in the 2022 election, comfortably enough for election to parliament.
READ ALSO: Far-right Danish party to be dissolved after 5 years in parliament
LA and Nye Borgerlige share libertarian ideals, but the latter party is considerably more hostile towards immigration and supported a referendum on leaving the EU, a fringe policy in Danish politics not shared by LA.
Berlingske asked Vermund if she is now in favour of "Denmark being wholeheartedly engaged in the EU".
“Yes, I wholeheartedly support both the EU and a strong Europe. My position has moved significantly over the years, but that does not mean I adore everything that the EU passes,” she said.
Although Nye Borgerlige no longer has any MPs and its dissolution is to be recommended at an upcoming extraordinary meeting, it may continue in some form with a number of existing members in discussions about its future.
Regardless of this, the party has appeared in freefall since the November 2022 general election, where it gained 3.7 percent of the vote.
In 2023, Vermund resigned as leader to be replaced by Lars Boje Mathiesen, who was subsequently removed from the position and excluded from the party after an apparent conflict over pay demands, leading to Vermund’s later return. The leadership changes resulted in a number of other internal disputes.
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