Parties negotiate budget deal in Kolding without Conservative mayor

After the votes were counted in the 2021 municipal election, it appeared that Eva Kjer Hansen, the lead candidate for the Liberal Party and former minister, would likely take over as mayor. However, a coalition formed without the Liberal Party, resulting in Knud Erik Langhoff from the Conservative Party becoming mayor.

Today, it is Knud Erik Langhoff who has been sidelined by other parties in the city council. The Danish People’s Party, the Liberal Party, the Socialist People’s Party (SF), and the Social Democrats have opted to use their seats in the Kolding City Council to negotiate a deal for the municipality’s budget for the upcoming year, without involving the mayor’s party.

One of the sticking points has been the tax cuts proposed by the mayor, which have been difficult for other parties to accept, according to Iben Lehmann Rasmussen, the SF group leader in Kolding. “For us, the coalition agreement has been to keep taxes and fees stable. That aspect has been debated in budget negotiations, and we cannot support it,” she stated.

While the Liberal Party does not oppose lowering municipal taxes, they believe it should not come at the expense of two special schools in the municipality. Jakob Ville, the group leader in Kolding, remarked, “When you signal that there will be cuts to the elderly, schools, and special schools, it does not make sense to use that funding for tax cuts.”

The news that the four parties went behind the Conservative mayor’s back came as a shock to Freddy Christensen, a Conservative City Council member, who expressed disappointment at being excluded. The budget agreement has been reached without the involvement of either the Conservatives or the Radical Left. According to the four group leaders involved, both parties are welcome to join the budget negotiations. Attempts to reach Mayor Knud Erik Langhoff for comment have been unsuccessful.