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Portrait of young male Danish tourist with dreadlocks wearing a shirt in the streets outdoors.
Danish Liberal Alliance proposes stricter citizenship rules, aiming to ‘profile’ applicants to ensure democratic values. Controversial new plan raises eyebrows over possible ‘thought control.
The right-leaning Danish political party, Liberal Alliance (LA), has a new litmus test in mind for citizenship hopefuls: prove your values or lose your passport dreams! The party’s leader, Alex Vanopslagh, is shaking things up by pushing a policy that’s more than a little eyebrow-raising. Vanopslagh wants to see only those with “fundamental democratic values” earn the right to be called Danish.
Vanopslagh laid it bare to Berlingske newspaper, saying that candidates for Danish citizenship need to believe in Denmark’s core democratic principles. But it doesn’t stop at just a civic test – no, LA has suggested using police intelligence services, PET, to “profile” applicants to sniff out anti-democratic mindsets. This new policy would apply to all new applicants supposedly.
The party’s influence isn’t just talk; it’s already a part of the government’s citizenship pact, giving it more pull on these matters than any other opposition group. LA is looking at drafting an “expert group” to lay down the criteria and come up with a workable system to enforce this profiling approach. Critics have dubbed it “thought control,” and Vanopslagh himself admitted it treads the line. But he stands firm, claiming, that if they can weed out threats to free society, it’s worth exploring.
Ministry cautious as ‘values test’ kicks up dust
Kaare Dybvad, Denmark’s Minister for Immigration and Integration, isn’t entirely sold on LA’s tough new stance, cautioning that the ministry must adhere to constitutional standards. But with LA polling at a solid 14.4% in the latest surveys, Vanopslagh might just have the backing he needs to turn these lofty ideals into law.
A Europe-wide trend?
LA’s bold approach is echoing across Europe, with countries like Sweden, Estonia, and Germany toying with similar ideas. Swedish authorities are tightening ID checks, looking at revoking permits for bad actors, and Estonia is blocking foreigners with criminal records from claiming citizenship.
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