In Herning, Mona Juul was elected as the new leader of The Conservative People’s Party at an extraordinary national council meeting on Sunday, following the tragic event where the former leader Søren Pape Poulsen died of a brain hemorrhage on March 2nd. Mona Juul, who was first elected to the Danish Parliament in 2019, has had a rapid political career, but now takes over the leadership position under somber circumstances. In an interview with Ritzau, Mona Juul expressed that becoming a politician, let alone a leader, was not a childhood dream for her. “It’s not something I’ve dreamed of since I was a child. I entered politics five years ago,” she says, adding that she sees it as her task to take responsibility and lead the party forward in a difficult time.
When asked if the leadership position could become a dream job, Juul responds: “It’s fantastic to be the leader of The Conservatives, but it’s not something I’ve dreamt about. Now that I’m here, I dream of doing it fantastically.” Mona Juul, who previously worked in the private sector, has made her mark in business and climate policy. She emphasizes that, for the most part, the politics will remain unchanged under her leadership, but she is open to the possibility of new focal points emerging in the future. “Søren was fantastic, but I am best at just being myself,” she says, adding that it is not a goal in itself to be prominent in certain areas, but to make policies that address society’s problems.
The question of who The Conservatives will nominate as their candidate for Prime Minister in the next general election remains open, according to Mona Juul. “Time will tell. We have the same stance now as we did before Søren Pape passed away,” she says. Mona Juul’s election as leader and her future political direction will be crucial in determining how The Conservatives position themselves in Danish politics in the years to come.