With less than two weeks until the European Parliament election, one of the candidates from The Alternative (Alternativet), a Danish political party, has suddenly chosen to withdraw. The party announced this on Monday evening in a press release. It is the Danish-Russian Irina Bjørnø who is no longer among the party’s candidates for the upcoming election. “The media attention surrounding my person and my background must not stand in the way of the sustainable future I believe in, so I have chosen to withdraw as an EP candidate,” said Irina Bjørnø in the press release. Among other media outlets, Ekstra Bladet has been able to describe how Bjørnø is the chairman of an association that receives support from a Russian state-controlled organization that is still on the EU’s sanctions list.
Back in 2022, the media outlet Frihedsbrevet could describe Irina Bjørnø’s connection to the organization Eurasian People’s Assembly, headquartered in Moscow. An expert described to Frihedsbrevet that the organization is Russia’s extended arm in Europe and also “antidemocratic in our understanding of democracy with a focus on personal rights and freedoms.” Bjørnø described herself at the time as an “honorary member” of the organization, which includes a number of individuals connected to the Russian state apparatus.
The Alternative stated in the press release that the party’s executive board has looked into the cases and has been in contact with “a relevant authority regarding the matter, which did not raise concerns.” The executive board then expressed full confidence in Irina and her candidacy. However, Irina Bjørnø still chose to withdraw as a candidate for the party. Bjørnø has been a candidate for The Alternative on several occasions, both locally, for the Danish Parliament, and most recently for the European Parliament election.