In a remarkable turn in the political campaign for the upcoming European Parliament elections, two of Denmark’s largest parties, the Moderates (Moderaterne) and the Danish Democrats (Danmarksdemokraterne), have chosen to put up election posters featuring their party leaders, Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Inger Støjberg, even though neither of them are candidates for the election. This step has been taken in hopes of attracting voters through the more recognizable faces. The posters were spotted in the city center of Aalborg early Saturday morning, where it was allowed to hang posters from 12:00. The pictures of Løkke and Støjberg are placed in prominent positions, where they either appear alone or together with the party’s actual candidates.
According to communication expert Anna Thygesen, this move is a sign that parties are struggling to profile their lesser-known candidates. “It is a clear indication that the parties feel they need to strengthen recognition and attract attention through their most prominent members,” explains Thygesen. In the case of the Moderates, Lars Løkke Rasmussen is the central face on the posters, while the Danish Democrats have chosen to include Inger Støjberg on all their posters. This strategy could potentially increase visibility and recognition, but it also raises questions about whether it could create confusion about who is actually running for election.
The election for the European Parliament, which is scheduled for June 9th, is shaping up to be an interesting affair with these unorthodox strategies. It will be interesting to see how voters react to this maneuver, and whether it will have the desired effect on the ballot boxes.