In a recently emerged controversy surrounding a planned debate in the EU Parliament, both DR and TV 2 have confirmed that they had no plans to broadcast the event where certain right-wing groups have not been invited. This decision was made by The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which has not included the groups Identity and Democracy (ID) and European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the debate. DR’s head of foreign news, Niels Kvale, has expressed that DR does not support the exclusion of the two groups and has made EBU aware of their stance. “We do not wish to broadcast the debate, but we also believe that the rules established do not make sense as they exclude two of the larger groups in the EU Parliament,” Kvale said in a written statement. TV 2 has similarly confirmed that they had no plans to cover the debate. News chief Jacob Kwon explained that TV 2 was not involved in the decision-making process and will not broadcast the debate as they have no interest in it. “It is under the auspices of EBU, and TV 2 has not been involved or consulted,” he stated.
The controversy has sparked attention, especially among members of the excluded groups. Anders Vistisen from the Danish People’s Party, who is a member of the ECR group in the EU Parliament, has criticized EBU’s decision as “deeply problematic” and “undemocratic.” He points out that up to one in four European voters will not be represented in the debate. This situation raises questions about the role and responsibility of the media in covering political events, especially in the lead-up to important elections such as the upcoming EP election. The debate on the media’s independence and objectivity continues to be a central discussion in the democratic society.