Danmarksdemokrater expel member for solar farm vote while others face no consequences

A Danmarksdemokrater council member in Thisted was expelled for voting in favor of a solar energy project, while party colleagues in other municipalities backed similar initiatives without repercussions, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Lars Westergaard lost his party membership last week after casting the decisive vote to advance a solar farm in Røjkær, Thy—despite the party’s staunch opposition to such “iron fields.” Yet in Hjørring, Sorø, and Viborg, Danmarksdemokrater councilors approved solar projects this year without facing expulsion.

Westergaard called the inconsistency “proof there’s no strategy in the party leadership.” In Sorø, a Danmarksdemokrater member voted for a 7.5-hectare solar project the same evening Westergaard was ousted. Susanne Borggaard of Nye Borgerlige, the sole opponent in Sorø, questioned the party’s stance: “They claim to oppose solar parks but vote differently in practice.”

Hjørring saw two far larger projects—79 and 70 hectares—move forward in March with support from two Danmarksdemokrater councilors. Erik Høgh-Sørensen of the local Vendelbo-listen called the mixed signals “unclear and unacceptable,” noting it undermined the party’s core election pledge to combat solar farms.

Party climate spokesperson Mads Fuglede defended the disparity, stating local support determines their position. “Massive local opposition is a red line,” he said, citing approval in Sorø’s public consultation versus Thisted’s rejection. Fuglede dismissed confusion over the party’s stance, insisting their criteria are “very precise.”

The Hjørring projects remain under review, leaving open the possibility of later opposition.