Denmark's Defense Minister Under Scrutiny

Carl Holst, the current Defense Minister of Denmark and a member of the ruling Venstre Party, is under scrutiny for duties that he assigned to personal staff while serving as Chairman of the Region of Southern Denmark, a position he held from January 2007 until he was appointed Defense Minister in June 2015.  According to the Danish magazine Ekstra Bladet, Holst’s then-personal assistant, Christian Ingemann Nielsen, campaigned for Holst at Danish taxpayers’ expense. These claims come as the result of a letter allegedly signed by Holst that was leaked to Ekstra Bladet. The letter describes Ingemann Nielsen as his “personal assistant” – a post that, in Denmark, implies campaigning activities, although the specific extent of these activities remains unclear. Still, Holst has denied the accusations and refused to provide an official comment to Danish media.

The supposed leak is gaining special attention due to Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s July statement that he would not tolerate any government leaks to the media. Previously, Rasmussen had criticized former Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt’s government for regularly providing certain reporters with the names of future governmental appointees prior to formal confirmation ceremonies.   

In contrast, Rasmussen had claimed that his government would represent a new era in Danish security. However, the Holst letter is the most influential of several recent leaks to the media, and many Danes are beginning to question the integrity of Lars Løkke’s promise.