Kolding mayor surprised by budget agreement as local council member switches to Venstre party

On Monday, Kolding Mayor Knud Erik Langhoff was taken by surprise when a budget agreement was reached. A notable change followed as local council member Freddy Christensen left the Conservative Party to join the Venstre party, which participated in the budget negotiations.

“I could no longer align myself with the Conservative project,” Christensen stated, expressing his dissatisfaction with the direction of both the national party and local politics in Kolding, where he felt his agenda was not being represented.

The budget agreement was announced by Venstre, the Danish People’s Party, Socialist People’s Party, and the Social Democrats, which led Christensen to express disappointment at being outmaneuvered by the other parties.

However, Christensen clarified that his decision to switch parties was made long before the budget deal. “The decision was made well in advance, and I had an agreement with Venstre to announce it,” he said. He was unaware that the four parties would declare their budget on Monday, leading to his genuine disappointment that evening. “I would have appreciated a hint about their plans,” he admitted.

Mayor Langhoff expressed regret over Christensen’s departure and suggested that he should forfeit his mandate, allowing it to go to a Conservative substitute. “He holds votes from other Conservative candidates, and it would have been proper for him to return the mandate,” Langhoff remarked.

Christensen disagreed, arguing that voters elected him personally, emphasizing, “I was clearly chosen to represent my views and policies in the Kolding City Council.” He assured that joining Venstre would not alter his political stance.