Jacob Christensen

I usually despair over DR’s lack of reliability and information in its podcast updates, but this time Deutschlandfunk’s podcasts have been hit by a strange bug dating all programmes from 1 January 1970.

No, it’s not a joke.

The Dutch newspaper De Pers has conducted a poll about which kinds of people would be acceptable as prime ministers to the Dutch.

When asked, 93% thought a woman could be PM, 78% were ok with a homosexual while 75% could accept a PM with an African background (the actual wording is zwart, which strictly speaking means black and probably means “someone from the former Dutch colonies” in this context).

You could of cause turn the perspective and argue that 22% would not accept a homosexual and 25% not an African.

Religion turned out to be more contentious. Only 53% would accept a Jew as PM in the country of Anne Frank against 33% accepting a hard-line Christian and 27% a Muslim.

If John McCain was Dutch, he needn’t make the effort. Only 19% would accept someone older than 70 as PM.

Of cause the question, “could a heterosexual man be Prime Minister of the Netherlands?” was not asked. And Queen Beatrix just turned 70 some days ago.

Things are getting a bit complicated in Danish politics.

First Pia Christmas-M�ller left the Conservatives and the government lost its majority. Then Gitte Seeberg left Ny Alliance. Now Malou Aamund has left Ny Alliance and joined the Liberals which means that the government again has a majority with the Danish People’s Party. The DPP is celebrating.

Back in 1968, the newly formed Left Socialists managed to lose half of their parliamentary group – but that was during a 3,5 year term. The now defunct Progress Party and the Danish People’s Party have always had defections or exclusions between elections but Ny Alliance looks like the fastest sinking ship in Danish politics.

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