A candidate from the Danish political party Venstre has been removed from the party’s website but still has the possibility of ending up in the EU Parliament. Alexandra Sasha still appears on the ballot despite her decision to withdraw as a candidate, as the deadline for withdrawal has passed. If she receives enough votes in Sunday’s EU election, she can secure a seat in the parliament. Election researcher Kasper Møller Hansen from the University of Copenhagen confirms that Sasha can choose to accept the seat, even though she has announced her withdrawal from politics. This previously happened in the 2019 election, when Karsten Hønge from the Socialist People’s Party resigned, and the seat was then taken over by Kira Marie Peter-Hansen.
Even though Alexandra Sasha has chosen to withdraw, she can still receive enough votes to be elected. She also has the option to decline the seat, which would make her a substitute, and the next in line would take her place. Sasha is not bound to Venstre if she enters parliament and can choose to become an independent or join another party. According to a report in Jyllands-Posten, Sasha was rejected as a candidate by her own district in Bispebjerg around the turn of the year, due to alleged Russian connections. Venstre’s chairman, Troels Lund Poulsen, confirmed that discussions were held with Sasha before the election campaign, but did not provide further details.
She is not the only candidate with alleged Russian connections, as Irina Bjørnø from The Alternative party has also been criticized for similar reasons. Bjørnø also remains on the ballot despite her withdrawal. The election results and personal votes will determine whether Alexandra Sasha ends up with a seat in the EU Parliament or remains a substitute.