The candidate for the European Parliament from Alternativet (The Alternative), Irina Bjørnø, has announced that she is withdrawing her candidacy. This comes after extensive media coverage of her chairmanship in an association connected to a Russian organization. In a press release from Alternativet, it is stated that Bjørnø’s decision was made to prevent the negative attention from harming the party’s focus on a sustainable future. “The media interest in my person and my background should not stand in the way of the sustainable future I believe in, so I have chosen to withdraw as an EP candidate,” says Bjørnø.
Ekstra Bladet has previously reported that Bjørnø is the chair of an association allegedly receiving support from a Russian state-controlled organization on the EU’s sanctions list. According to Alternativet, the association has been inactive since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite the media-driven controversy, Alternativet’s main board has continued to support Bjørnø. After consulting with a relevant authority that did not express concern about the matter, the main board chose to maintain their trust in her. Despite the party’s support, Bjørnø decided to step down.
In the party’s press release, it is stated that she believes that her candidacy, despite the lack of substance in the case, could harm Alternativet.