Danmarksdemokraterne leader rejects Soviet-era comparison after expelling member over vote

Danmarksdemokraterne has expelled a local councillor for defying party policy, with leader Inger Støjberg dismissing his claim that the move reflected “Soviet-era” control, national broadcaster DR reports.

Lars Westergaard was removed from the party Thursday after voting in favour of a 40-hectare solar farm project in Thisted Municipality, despite local opposition. Westergaard accused the party leadership of heavy-handed tactics, comparing the expulsion to “Soviet times”—a charge Støjberg rejected outright.

“Absolutely not. In fact, quite the opposite,” Støjberg told DR. “I don’t believe they were known for having in-depth discussions beforehand.”

She confirmed that party officials had explicitly warned Westergaard against supporting the project before the vote. “We will fight iron fields [solar farms] with everything we’ve got,” Støjberg said, adding that Westergaard’s decision to back the plan despite “massive local resistance” was unacceptable.

The expulsion comes as another Danmarksdemokraterne faction in Viborg approved a separate solar project, a move Støjberg defended as strategically distinct. In Viborg, she argued, the party had negotiated to block a larger development in exchange for limited concessions—a trade-off she called “good political craftsmanship.” By contrast, Westergaard’s vote in Thisted directly contradicted both party policy and local sentiment.

Westergaard had claimed his “yes” vote could secure greater influence for the party in Thisted, but Støjberg dismissed this rationale. “It’s not about political leverage—it’s about listening to the people who have to live with these solar fields,” she said.

The split vote in Thisted—where Westergaard’s fellow Danmarksdemokraterne councillor Dorrit Kjærgaard opposed the project—demonstrated the party’s consistent stance, Støjberg insisted. Critics, including Viborg Stifts Folkeblad editor Andreas Søndergaard, have labelled the distinction “double standards,” while Westergaard himself called it “cronyism.”

Støjberg stood by the expulsion, stating: “This is not the right path.”