Denmark Lags Behind in Gender Balance in the EU Parliament and the Danish Parliament
When it comes to gender balance in political institutions, Denmark lags behind both EU countries and its Nordic neighbors. Since the first direct EU election in 1979, the percentage of women in the EU Parliament has increased from 16 percent to 41 percent in 2019. However, the development among Danish members is different. In the last two EU elections in 2014 and 2019, only 5 out of 13 and 14 Danish members respectively were women, and in the upcoming election on June 9, only 4 out of 11 frontrunners are women.
Roger Buch, research lecturer and director of the Denmark Media and Journalism School, emphasizes that Denmark, despite its focus on gender equality, is below par compared to the Nordic countries. In the last election, the Nordic neighbors achieved a majority of women, while Denmark only reached 36 percent. According to Buch, this is a political question whether this is problematic. He highlights that women can bring a different knowledge and life experience, enriching the political decision-making processes. Moreover, it is about representation and identification, as women may find it harder to see themselves in a political world dominated by men. The same goes for age, ethnic background, and education.
Parties like the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) and the Alternative (Alternativet), which have gender equality as a key issue, have chosen men as front-runners for the upcoming EU election. However, Rosa Lund, democracy spokesperson for the Red-Green Alliance, points out that the party has an equal gender balance in the Danish Parliament and among their political spokespersons. She emphasizes that the selection of front-runners is a democratic process, and in this case, Per Clausen has been chosen. Franciska Rosenkilde, political leader of the Alternative, mentions that the party has a rule that the number two on the list should be of the opposite gender of the front-runner, and emphasizes front-runner Jan Kristoffersen’s focus on gender equality and minority representation.
In the Danish Parliament, there is a trend towards electing more women. In the 2022 election, 43.3 percent of those elected were women, which is the highest percentage ever. However, this figure is still lower than in Sweden and Norway.