An internal conflict within the Venstre party in Langeland has led to four out of five members of the municipal council leaving the party. The reason for the mass exodus is an incident that took place during a harbor festival in Bagenkop on July 14th last year, where the newly elected mayoral candidate, Ulrik Kølle Hansen, allegedly behaved threateningly towards a female guard. According to reports from TV 2 Fyn, it was Ulrik Kølle Hansen’s behavior that evening that was the last straw for the now former Venstre members Jesper Skovhus, Karina Jørgensen, Brian Dalsgaard, and Peder Hansen. They have all chosen to continue as independents in the municipal council. The incident escalated when Ulrik Kølle Hansen’s son and a friend caused a disturbance at the party, and the female guard asked them to calm down. Ulrik Kølle Hansen intervened and directed coarse and threatening behavior towards the guard and her colleagues. In September, a reconciliation meeting was held between the female guard and Ulrik Kølle Hansen, but it does not seem to have healed the rift within the party. Ulrik Kølle Hansen has not wanted to comment further on the matter, but a crisis meeting is scheduled in Venstre on May 7th to address the situation. Louise Bechmann, chairman of Venstre in Langeland, stated that she was not aware that the incident influenced the four members’ decision to leave the party. The former Venstre members have not wanted to elaborate on their reasons publicly but have expressed that they could not see themselves participating in the upcoming election campaign under the current circumstances. Ulrik Kølle Hansen, who was chosen as the mayoral candidate over Peder Hansen, has expressed surprise at the break and emphasized the importance of respecting democratic elections. This internal strife in Venstre in Langeland illustrates the challenges parties can face internally and how personal conflicts can have far-reaching consequences for local politics.

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