Danmarksdemokraterne proposes 12 billion kroner plan to revitalise rural Denmark

The far-right party Danmarksdemokraterne has unveiled a 12 billion kroner (€1.6 billion) plan to boost rural areas, partly funded by cuts to foreign aid, DR reports.

Party leader Inger Støjberg presented the proposal in Brønderslev, North Jutland, on Tuesday, stating that Denmark “is breaking apart” and that her party is the only one committed to ensuring people can “live, work, and study across the entire country.”

The plan includes 6 billion kroner in one-time funding to lower fuel taxes in 2026, with the remaining 6 billion allocated annually for rural development. Key measures include:

• 1.5 billion kroner to abolish road tolls for trucks
• 1 billion kroner to eliminate flight taxes
• Funds to preserve rural schools and ease home purchases in the countryside
• A mandatory “rural impact assessment” for all new legislation

To finance the initiative, the party proposes cutting 6.5 billion kroner from foreign aid—a move also suggested by the centre-right Venstre party—and reducing the foreign service budget by 1 billion kroner. The foreign service, which covers diplomacy, had a 2025 budget of 2.7 billion kroner.

Støjberg criticised the current government’s spending on diplomacy, saying, “Far too much money is being spent in the Foreign Ministry’s domain,” and accused Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of “opening an embassy every time he sees an African country.”

The party did not specify how many diplomatic posts or embassies would close under the plan but insisted there was “plenty to cut.” The 6 billion kroner for fuel tax reductions would come from scrapping a planned rail bridge over Vejle Fjord.

Political spokesperson Susie Jessen said the party would ensure all policies are evaluated for their impact on rural-urban balance, adding that government ministries “could learn something” from this approach.