Christian Friis Bach, a current member of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) representing the Radical Left (Radikale Venstre), is reportedly on the verge of switching to the Liberal Party (Venstre), according to several media outlets including Børsen, B.T., and Avisen Danmark. Attempts to reach Christian Friis Bach for a comment have been unsuccessful; he has chosen to remain silent and has only mentioned that he is still on summer vacation.
Lars Christian Lilleholt, the Liberal Party’s group leader, has also declined to comment on the rumors regarding the potential party switch when approached by B.T. According to Avisen Danmark, an official announcement regarding the transition is anticipated soon.
Should Christian Friis Bach make the switch, the Liberal Party’s representation in the Folketinget would increase to 23 seats, elevating the total number of seats held by the current SVM government (a coalition consisting of the Social Democrats, the Liberal Party, and the Moderates) to 87. Conversely, this would reduce the Radical Left’s representation to just 6 seats in the parliament.
Christian Friis Bach has a long-standing career in Danish politics, having represented the Radical Left since 2008. He also served as Minister for Development Aid in Helle Thorning Schmidt’s administration from 2011 to 2013. He resigned from his ministerial position following a controversy involving the state-supported climate organization Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), where it was revealed that then-Liberal Party leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who was the chair of the board, had spent significant amounts of the organization’s funds on luxury travel and accommodations.
In addition to his political career, Christian Friis Bach has held positions as the International Director of the Church of Denmark’s Emergency Aid (Folkekirkens Nødhjælp) from 2005 to 2010 and as Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council (Dansk Flygtningehjælp) from 2017 to 2019.
Ritzau, a Danish news agency, continues to seek an official comment from Christian Friis Bach.