Lars Løkke Rasmussen, leader of the Moderates party (Moderaterne), has offered staff members a severance agreement that includes a non-disclosure and loyalty clause. This has led to confusion regarding whether employees are permitted to speak out about issues of sexism and bullying within the party. The employees’ union, Djøf, has clarified that Rasmussen cannot prevent staff from discussing their working conditions.

Problems within the Moderates party first emerged on August 30, when a report by B.T., a Danish media outlet, revealed allegations of bullying, sexism, and a toxic culture from current and former employees. The following day, party secretary Kirsten Munch Andersen rejected the criticism in an interview on TV 2 News, which was met with backlash from current and former employees, who referred to her statements as lies.

Criticism intensified when Member of Parliament Jeppe Søe, in a leaked email, labeled the party as “a sexist clown bus” and demanded an internal investigation. Another MP, Karin Liltorp, supported the call for an inquiry, mentioning that she had heard rumors of a poor working environment.

Following a period of silence, B.T. published internal messages from the Moderates on September 1, urging members not to comment on specific issues. Two days later, on September 2, the party held a nine-hour crisis meeting where Rasmussen announced the hiring of an industrial psychologist and the establishment of a whistleblower system.

On September 5, Jeppe Søe resigned from the party, and the next day, the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) visited the party’s headquarters. Following this visit, Rasmussen denied any allegations of sexism or sexual harassment within the party, a claim that was swiftly contradicted by experts.

On September 10, A4 Media reported that the Moderates no longer had a legally mandated health and safety representative, as Chief Financial Officer Niels Helsted, previously designated for the role, was no longer eligible to serve in that capacity under the law.

Negotiations between party leadership and staff reached a climax on September 17, when employees…

(Note: The original article is incomplete at this point.)