Several European social democratic leaders have committed to never collaborate with the far-right in Europe, but Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has chosen not to sign this declaration. This occurred during a conference in Berlin organized by PES, the Party of European Socialists. The declaration, signed by 48 social democrats from 27 different countries, explicitly distances itself from collaborations with the European party groups ECR and ID, under which the Danish People’s Party is also classified.
According to the Social Democrats, their failure to sign is primarily due to a timing challenge in terms of when they were presented with the document. Lasse Ryberg, the party’s secretary, stated to Politiken that the party’s approach is generally more focused on the content of political cooperation rather than the specific parties involved. This stance reflects a typical Danish approach to international cooperation, where content weighs more heavily than the identities of the parties involved.
The PES declaration emphasizes a strong opposition to racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and commits signatories to defend international law and the rule-based international order, as well as to stand up against Russian aggression. Among the prominent signatories are Stefan Löfven, former Swedish Prime Minister and current chair of PES, as well as leading social democrats from countries such as Spain, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, and Hungary.
This issue raises questions about the political strategy and international cooperation within the Social Democrats, and it remains unclear how this choice will impact Denmark’s position in broader European political dynamics.