Venstre council member calls for leadership change after poor election result

A local council member from Denmark’s Venstre party has publicly called for the removal of party leader Troels Lund Poulsen and deputy leader Stephanie Lose, citing a lack of connection to the party’s core policies.

Niels Martin Vind, a Venstre representative in Fredericia’s city council, argued in a letter to Jyllands-Posten that the current leadership no longer embodies the party’s values, despite acknowledging their past contributions as ministers. Instead, he proposed Morten Dahlin as a replacement, stating, “I can sense Morten Dahlin, and I’m convinced the rest of Denmark will too.”

Vind declined to elaborate further in an interview with DR, writing in a text message: “I have nothing more to add. Unfortunately, the first seven-eighths of my letter—focused on policy—are overshadowed by the final few lines.” He added that internal party disagreements should not be aired publicly.

However, his criticism was swiftly rejected by Fredericia’s Venstre branch. Søren Schou, the local party chair, confirmed that the city’s six Venstre council members unanimously support the current leadership. “We fully and unreservedly back Troels Lund Poulsen and Stephanie Lose,” Schou stated, while acknowledging the need for post-election reflection.

Schou emphasized that Venstre should avoid another internal leadership struggle, referencing past divisions that led to party splits. “We don’t need a new fight over who should lead Venstre,” he said, noting that the letter had already drawn significant attention from members and media.

Morten Dahlin, the candidate proposed by Vind, dismissed the idea of a leadership change. “This is an irrelevant discussion. I fully support our current leader and deputy,” he told DR.

The call for change follows Venstre’s weak performance in the recent general election, where the party secured just 10% of the vote.