In a remarkable exchange on the social media platform X, Venstre’s (The Left, in Danish politics) Torsten Schack Pedersen has attracted attention with a sharp comment aimed at De Konservative’s (The Conservatives, in Danish politics) Rasmus Jarlov, who has been on sick leave since January. The comment, made during a discussion about elderly policy, read: “Your father looks fresh,” to which Jarlov responded: “He’s not on sick leave either.” This exchange has led to a wave of criticism from political colleagues, accusing Schack Pedersen of being at an “indescribably low level.” Mette Abildgaard from The Conservatives described it as “sad,” while Liberal Alliance’s Sólbjørg Jakobsen urged to “restrain oneself.” Denmark’s Democrats’ Susie Jessen also criticized the comment as “too low.” Rasmus Jarlov himself reacted briefly with a “Wow” on X. He has been on sick leave since the beginning of the year, but it was announced from the rostrum of the Folketing (Danish parliament) on Friday that he will return to work at Christiansborg from Monday. Torsten Schack Pedersen has not been available for comment all Friday, and neither has the party’s group leader, Lars Christian Lilleholt, wished to further comment on the matter. This episode raises questions about the tone and etiquette on social media among politicians, and how personal attacks can affect the political climate and cooperation across party lines.

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