Status: 05.07.2022 5:18 p.m
In the middle of the corona pandemic, the Danish government ordered the killing of 15 million farmed mink – without a legal basis. Prime Minister Frederiksen has now been reprimanded in Parliament – there are no legal consequences.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has received a reprimand from Parliament for the controversial mass killing of farmed mink in the corona pandemic. However, this complaint is only a symbolic act and has no consequences. It was pronounced by your Social Democrats and their allies in Parliament today.
It was decided not to initiate criminal proceedings. Because you saw no basis for an investigation of the case by independent lawyers. The opposition, on the other hand, had called for tougher action and the involvement of the judiciary.
“Grossly misleading” statements – but no intention
A commission of inquiry had accused Frederiksen last week that her statements at the press conference after the decision to kill the mink were “grossly misleading”. However, they did not accuse the head of government of intention.
At the beginning of 2020, the Frederiksen government had decided that more than 15 million farmed mink and thus all mink in the country had to be culled. The animals had been bred for fur production, for which Denmark was one of the world market leaders at the time. Mink farming in Denmark was initially banned until early 2022. The scheme has now been extended by another year.
Legal basis was missing
At a press conference, Frederiksen stated that the reason for the step was that the corona virus had mutated in the animals and there was a risk that this would affect the effectiveness of the corona vaccines then in development.
As it later turned out, however, the necessary legal basis for the mass culling was lacking at the time. This was only created afterwards. The head of government had always defended her actions. She wanted to act quickly and didn’t know the decision to kill was illegal, she said.
The right-wing liberal opposition party Venstre announced that it intends to take up the issue again after the parliamentary elections – the elections in Denmark must take place next June at the latest. In order to push through a legal investigation, however, a middle-class majority would be necessary.