Danmarksdemokraterne expels councillor for backing solar energy project
Friday 29th May 2026 on 10:45 in
Denmark
A local councillor in Thisted has been expelled from the right-wing Danmarksdemokraterne party after defying its leadership by voting in favour of a solar farm, comparing the party’s internal discipline to “Soviet-era” control.
Lars Westergaard, now an independent member of Thisted municipal council, told *DR Nyheder* he had anticipated a “50 percent chance” of expulsion after casting the decisive vote for the 180-metre wind turbine and 40-hectare solar panel project on Wednesday. The move secured approval for a development expected to generate significant revenue for the economically struggling Thy region.
“Of course it’s affected my sleep, but I’m fine,” Westergaard said. “It’s simply so top-down. It almost reminds me of Soviet times.”
Party leader Inger Støjberg confirmed the expulsion in a written statement to *DR*, citing a breach of “clear red lines,” including opposition to “iron markings”—a reference to land-use restrictions tied to energy infrastructure. “When you stand for Danmarksdemokraterne, credibility is everything,” Støjberg wrote.
Westergaard dismissed the justification, noting that the party had previously tolerated similar votes by councillors in Viborg, where four members backed a solar project to secure a governing coalition. “Double standards,” he said, calling it “comradely favouritism.” He accused the party of hypocrisy: “They claim everything should be decentralised from Copenhagen, but within the party, it’s the opposite—total centralisation.”
A former Venstre member, Westergaard joined Danmarksdemokraterne last year, citing opposition to Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen’s premiership and a personal connection to Støjberg. He now plans to align with another political group, arguing that “there’s more influence in numbers” but insisting his local conservative colleagues respect his record. “I didn’t get elected as some country bumpkin,” he said.
The party has not responded to *DR*’s request for comment on Westergaard’s criticism.