Danmark Democrats expel member over solar farm vote while backing similar project in Viborg

Danmark Democrats expelled a party member on Thursday after he voted in favor of a 40-hectare solar farm in Thisted Municipality, yet all four of the party’s Viborg city councilors backed an even larger 62-hectare solar project in February, *DR* reports.

The expelled member, Lars Westergaard, was removed from the party after defying its opposition to large-scale renewable energy installations—dubbed “iron fields” (*jernmarker*)—during a Wednesday council meeting. But in Viborg, the party’s local representatives approved a solar development near Kvorning earlier this year, despite identical policy objections.

Andreas Søndergaard, editor-in-chief of *Viborg Stifts Folkeblad*, called the discrepancy “double standards,” noting that the party’s stated red line on renewable projects appears to shift by municipality.

Danmark Democrats’ political spokesperson, Susie Jessen, defended the Viborg vote, arguing it involved an existing project tied to coalition negotiations. “Our members in Viborg secured concessions to block other projects in exchange,” she said, adding that the Thisted case was different because “alarm bells were ringing” over the party’s potential to halt the plan entirely.

The Viborg project had previously been struck down by the Planning Complaints Board in late 2025 and early 2026 for insufficient grounding, forcing a revote. Danmark Democrats justified their renewed support as a one-time exception.

The party’s stance has already triggered internal conflict. In November, councilor Lone Langballe (DF) lost her deputy chairmanship in Viborg’s Elderly and Activities Committee after opposing the same solar project, citing violations of the coalition agreement. The post was later filled by a Danmark Democrats member.