A year ago, Monika Rubin, the prominent spokesperson for the Moderates (Moderaterne) political party, expressed pride in the party’s handling of inappropriate behavior. However, the situation was markedly different on Saturday when it proved difficult to obtain a comment from Rubin regarding a new case involving serious allegations against the party. According to the newspaper B.T., the case includes accusations of bullying, sexual harassment, and a “sick” culture within the party, as stated by Member of Parliament Jeppe Søe.
Rubin has decided to distance herself from the matter, as the new allegations pertain to the party’s secretariat. “Personnel issues in the secretariat are under our party secretary,” Rubin stated in a text message to B.T., referring to party secretary Kirsten Munch Andersen. On Friday, B.T. revealed that reports had been made to the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) concerning bullying and sexism within the ranks of the Moderates. In several instances, senior members of the party have been mentioned for either ignoring complaints or being directly involved in the issues.
Previously, two party members have left the Moderates following negative media coverage, including Member of Parliament Mike Fonseca, who was reported to the police after the revelation of his relationship with a 15-year-old girl. In a 2023 incident, Jon Stephensen, then the party’s culture spokesperson, sent an inappropriate text message to a 19-year-old party colleague, resulting in Stephensen taking unpaid leave. Following that incident, Rubin made a statement on LinkedIn, emphasizing the party’s serious approach to unwanted sexual attention.
The party’s well-being spokesperson, Rasmus Lund-Nielsen, also declined to comment on the current situation, stating he was unaware of the culture within the secretariat, as he does not work there daily. Meanwhile, party secretary Kirsten Munch Andersen reported on Friday that she was not aware of the reports made to the Working Environment Authority but stressed her availability for both the authority and employees. She also highlighted the party’s ‘code of conduct,’ which she expects all members to adhere to. Andersen expressed her readiness to implement further measures to improve the work environment if necessary.
Communications manager Ulla Østergaard was also confronted with the criticism that B.T. published on Friday.