Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s latest audiobook release, “The Price of Liberation”, is receiving a cold reception from critics, who criticize the work for being superficial and unengaging. The former Prime Minister and current Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will celebrate his 60th birthday on May 15th, has had a long and influential career in Danish politics, but his latest book project does not seem to live up to his previous successes.
“The Price of Liberation”, narrated to the author Kirsten Jacobsen, is described as “three hours of mansplaining” by Jakob Nielsen, editor-in-chief of Altinget, who only gives the book two out of a possible six A’s. Nielsen points out that the book seems scattered and lacks substance, as Løkke jumps from topic to topic without in-depth analysis or coherence. Casper Dall, political editor at Avisen Danmark, also unfavorably compares Løkke’s newest work to his previous book “The Moment of Liberation”, which was published in 2019 and caused significant political upheaval with the proposal for a possible government between Venstre and the Social Democrats.
Dall believes that while “The Moment of Liberation” was a political bombshell, “The Price of Liberation” comes across more like a collection of firecrackers without much impact or newsworthiness. Løkke, who has been a central figure in Danish politics for almost four decades, has previously served as Denmark’s Prime Minister and as the leader of Venstre. After leaving Venstre in 2019 and later founding the party Moderates (Moderaterne), which gained representation in the Folketing (Danish Parliament) in the 2022 election, he continues to shape the political scene, although his latest literary effort may not significantly contribute to his political legacy.
Reviews of “The Price of Liberation” suggest that even a seasoned politician’s stories can fall flat if they are not communicated with insight and relevance. Løkke’s book is released in conjunction with his 60th birthday and marks another chapter in a long and eventful career, although it may not stand out as the most memorable.