Danish People's Party

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For other parties named Danish People's Party, see Danish People's Party (Disambiguation)

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The Danish People's Party (Danish: Dansk Folkeparti) is a populist, nationalist and conservative political party in Denmark. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, it took 24 seats out of 179 (an increase of 2 seats), on 13.3% of the vote, making it the third largest party in Denmark. As of 2006, the party is the third-most popular party in Denmark, following the Social Democrats.

Its chairwoman is Pia Kjærsgaard. In the European Parliament its single MEP (Mogens Camre) sits as a member of the Union for a Europe of Nations grouping.

1 History
2 Politics
3 Controversy
4 Quotes
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

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History

The party was founded on October 6, 1995, after Pia Kjærsgaard, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, Poul Nødgaard and Ole Donner left the Progress Party. The party made its electoral debut in the 1998 Danish parliamentary election winning 13 seats. Later, in a dramatic election in 2001 they won 22 seats. They became the third largest party in the parliament and supported the Conservative-Liberal coalition government, headed by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in exchange for the implementation of some of their key demands such as strong anti-immigration policies.

In 2006, the party's popularity rose dramatically in opinion polls following the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, at the expense of Social Democrats

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Politics

The party's main politics are:

an anti-immigration platform, and it opposes a multiethnic society
it seeks to improve conditions for the elderly
it opposes a reduction of Denmark's sovereignty by the EU
lower taxation
opposition to forceful government behavior

The cooperation with the Conservative-Liberal coalition government resulted in the implementation of some of their key demands, such as strong anti-immigration policies resulting in what has been described as Europe's strictest immigration laws. The new government enacted rules that forbade Danish citizens bringing a foreign spouse into the country unless both partners were aged 24 or over, passed a solvency test showing the Dane had not claimed social security for 12 months and had to lodge a bond of 55,241 kroner (about 9300 USD). [1] These new rules had the effect that while about 8,151 family reunification permits were granted in 2002, the number had fallen to 3,525 by 2005. [2] Some social benefits for refugees were also cut by 30% to 40% during their first seven years in the country.

The changes to Denmarks immigration laws, have drawn some criticism from the Swedish government, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner. In a response to the criticism from the Swedish government Pia Kjaersgaard said: "If they want to turn Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmoe into a Scandinavian Beirut, with clan wars, honour killings and gang rapes, let them do it. We can always put a barrier on the Oeresund Bridge." [3]

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Controversy

The party has been part of controversy, especially because of their critical position towards arguments against (Muslim) immigration and immigrants.[4][5][6] Among others from the party, the party leader, Pia Kjærsgaard, has been accused of racism several times.[7] In 2003, Pia Kjærsgaard lost a libel suit in the Danish Supreme Court against a political opponent who had characterized her viewpoints as racist.[8]

Enhedslisten opened a homepage in 2002 called magtenspris.dk (lit. the price of power). It summarises how members of Danish People's Party in municipality councils have voted, revealing some cut-backs on welfare.

A party spokesman, Søren Krarup, has said that “Muslim immigration is a way for Muslims to conquer us, just as they have done 1,400 years past.” According to Le Monde of December 11, 2005, an imam requested the censure of a Danish People’s Party deputy who, speaking in Parliament, drew a comparison between Muslim women who wear headscarves and bikers who sport swastikas. (from UN report E/CN.4/2006/17)

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Quotes

"All the countries in the west are infiltrated by the Muslims - some of them speak to us nicely, while they wait to become enough to kill us" (Mogens Camre, 2001)
"It has been mentioned that 9/11 became the cause for a 'clash of civilizations'. I don't agree. A clash of civilizations would require two civilizations, and that is not the case. There is only one civilization, and that is ours" (Pia Kjærsgaard, 2001)
"He wanted to gloat over his colleagues. He wanted to credit himself as a pakistani. With his egocentric, contrary and self-promoting demonstration right in front of the queen, he became able to blow his nose in the country, that gave him birth right and a membership of the parliament. He really hates Denmark" (Søren Espersen, 2004, about Kamal Qureshi who wore a shervani at a party with the queen).

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