The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) expects the government to receive “fierce criticism” for the mass killing of 15-17 million minks during the pandemic.
The question is how much criticism the Prime Minister himself receives when the Commission presents its report on the illegal decision.
Since last spring, the Mink Commission has investigated the tours in what has been described as one of the biggest political scandals in modern times in Denmark. Fearing to become a “new Wuhan” – the world’s new source of infection for the coronavirus – 15-17 million minks were massacred in the country in the autumn of 2020.
This is because a mutated variant of the virus, which has spread to humans, had been detected in some mink herds in the country. However, there was no support in the law to kill even healthy animals.
Criticism of the Prime Minister?
On Thursday, the Commission will submit its final report to the Folketing. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) tells Berlingske that she expects the Commission to come up with “fierce criticism” of the government, reports the news agency Ritzau.
That the Social Democratic government will receive harsh criticism for its handling of the issue is to be expected, but it is unclear how high in the hierarchy the criticism strikes.
– The big question is to what extent the criticism is directed primarily at the Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, says Rune Stubager, professor of political science at Aarhus University.
The only political victim that the case has demanded so far is the then Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mogens Jensen (S), who resigned shortly after the scandal became public. Last week, the newspaper Weekendavisen – which has read key parts of a draft report – reported that the Ministry of the Environment and Food will be criticized the most.
Indirect target
But the Prime Minister’s Office – roughly the Prime Minister’s staff – is also expected to receive criticism, and if it is directed at the head of the ministry, Barbara Bertelsen, Mette Frederiksen is also indirectly a target, Rune Stubager emphasizes.
– If Bertelsen is withdrawn, it will be more difficult to argue that the Prime Minister is not involved, says the professor of political science.
The Mink Commission’s report is not a judgment, but what happens next is up to the Folketing.
Frederiksen tells Berlingske that she believes that there is no basis for bringing her before the Supreme Court for handling the issue. Opposition parties such as the Danish People’s Party and the Conservatives believe, however, that lawyers should review the report and assess whether the Prime Minister has done something that could form the basis for such an indictment, reports Danmarks Radio.
“A motion of censure”
Ultimately, a majority in parliament is required to bring a Supreme Court lawsuit against the Prime Minister or any other person, which currently means that one of the Social Democrats’ support parties must support such an initiative.
– If the support parties also vote for a Supreme Court against the Prime Minister, it is to be equated with a declaration of no confidence against her. Then I think she will announce a new election, says Rune Stubager.
In such a situation, the government could say that mass killing was necessary to protect the population and that it was clear from the outset of the pandemic that mistakes could be made.
– The Prime Minister can try to make the election a referendum on the handling of the corona pandemic, says Rune Stubager.
Facts
The tours in the Danish mink scandal
The first corona fall on a Danish mink farm was discovered in June 2020 and infection was found later that year on hundreds of farms.
A mutation of the coronavirus was found among infected minks in the autumn of 2020. The mutated variant had also been spread to humans.
On 4 November 2020, the Social Democrat government announced that a decision had been made that all the minks in the country – infected and healthy – would be killed.
On November 8, the newspaper Berlingske revealed that there was no legal basis for killing the healthy minks. The day before, the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mogens Jensen (S) must have found out that the decision was illegal.
The country’s mink breeders did not receive the information until 10 November.
On 18 November, Mogens Jensen (S), who was also Minister for Gender Equality, Fisheries and Nordic Cooperation, resigned.
A report has shown that ministries and authorities were previously aware that the decision had no legal basis.
On November 25 last year, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) apologized for the government’s handling of the mink issue.
In the spring of 2021, a mink commission was appointed by the Folketing with the aim of clarifying the case. Over a million documents and emails have been collected and over 70 interrogations have been held with, for example, ministers and officials. Among other things, the Prime Minister has been questioned.
The Commission will present its final report on 30 June.
In January 2021, it was decided that the country’s mink breeders will receive compensation that is estimated to amount to the equivalent of SEK 25 billion.
Source: Ritzau
Read more