15 years ago, Villy Søvndal, who was then the leader of the Socialist People’s Party (SF), embarrassed himself with his poor English when he wanted to express his concern about climate change. But now he is getting his revenge. Although the phrase ‘the ice is melting at the poles’ – pronounced in bad English with a thick Danish accent – has often been ridiculed, the SF politician has now chosen to make the phrase the center of his campaign for the EU election. The words about the ice melting in the world’s polar regions were spoken at the climate conference COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009. And now they are making a comeback, including on Villy Søvndal’s election posters.
According to communication expert Anna Thygesen, it is ‘not entirely unsmart’ of Søvndal. “He is using a good old trick, which works especially well here in Denmark. He uses self-irony by making fun of his own mistakes, and people like that. There is something strong in taking ownership of your own mistakes,” she told B.T. By using the 15-year-old and widely known phrase, Villy Søvndal also reminds voters of the time when he and the Socialist People’s Party were very popular and experienced opinion polls of up to 17 to 18 percent.
“He is trying to draw people into this ‘comfort zone’ from back when he was enormously popular. In this way, I think he appeals to slightly older SF voters as well as former Social Democratic voters who remember him from his heyday in Danish politics,” says Anna Thygesen, adding: “The agenda is also still relevant, and many buy into the idea that if we are going to do something about climate change, it has to happen within the framework of the EU. So I think he will be elected with this campaign.”
Villy Søvndal was the leader of the Socialist People’s Party from 2005 to 2012. Additionally, he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2013. For the upcoming EU election, he is number three on the SF list. The election for the European Parliament will take place on June 9. Saturday, May 18 is the first day when political parties are allowed to put up election posters.