Several Danish politicians are facing a flood of hateful and offensive comments on social media as the local elections draw closer. A new analysis shows that nearly one in twelve comments on politicians’ Facebook pages include language classified as personal attacks.
Wave of Hate Hits Political Candidates
A new study from Denmark’s investigative Gravercenter and data research firm Analyse & Tal has revealed extensive verbal abuse in the online comment sections of Danish politicians. The research covered more than 211,000 comments posted during the past month on the public Facebook pages of over 2,100 local candidates across the country’s 98 municipalities.
The findings show that 7.8 percent of the analyzed comments contained some form of insulting language directed at politicians. Two political figures received the largest share of abusive remarks, showing how polarized digital conversations have become before the upcoming local elections.
Targeting of Individual Politicians
According to the analysis, Sikandar Siddique from the party Frie Grønne faced the highest proportion of hateful messages. In fact, more than one out of five comments on his posts during the previous month were labeled linguistic attacks. On one of his Facebook posts from October 12, over a third of all comments were categorized as offensive.
Siddique described the experience as an overwhelming tide of racist content directed at him personally. He added that many young women from minority backgrounds have told him they avoid online debates or political engagement altogether because of the hostility they witness toward public figures.
At the same time, Mikkel Bjørn from the Danish People’s Party (DF) was among those who received a similarly high number of negative comments. Despite being on the opposite side of the political spectrum, he reported that he largely ignores the abuse and continues to post actively on social media.
Defining a “Linguistic Attack”
The research team defined a linguistic attack as any statement that stigmatizes, insults, or threatens a person or group based on characteristics like race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or political belief. It also includes dehumanizing or harassing comments, calls for harm, and exclusionary speech.
However, criticism of ideas, political decisions, or actions that remains factual and respectful was not counted as an attack. This definition allowed the study to focus strictly on targeted personal insults rather than policy disagreements.
Parties Struggle with Moderation
Smaller parties such as Frie Grønne and the Danish People’s Party say they lack the staff and resources to manage online comment sections. Both Siddique and Bjørn emphasized that while they attempt to moderate their pages, keeping up with the volume of activity is nearly impossible.
That said, communications advisor and social media analyst Troels Johannesen argued that limited moderation may also be part of a deliberate strategy. He stressed that politicians sometimes benefit from strong online reactions because they generate higher visibility and engagement.
According to Johannesen, fringe or smaller parties often need bold statements to attract attention, but such tactics can easily intensify public anger. As a result, politicians who use provocative language may “get back what they give.” Still, he warned that rising hostility online discourages many potential candidates from entering politics, particularly women and minority voices.
Political Dialogue Under Pressure
The tone of public debate on social platforms has long been under scrutiny in Denmark. The current analysis adds new evidence that online hostility has increased significantly during election seasons. Many experts argue that this environment harms public trust and civic participation.
Politicians themselves carry some responsibility for setting the tone of discussions, Johannesen noted, adding that elected officials should ensure conversations on their pages remain civil. He believes that when leaders tolerate or even encourage inflammatory language, it fuels polarization and pushes political discourse further off track.
Democratic Challenges Ahead
The situation highlights broader democratic challenges. If online hate continues to drive citizens away from public discussion or discourage qualified candidates from running for office, it could weaken representative democracy. The study’s authors say more awareness, better moderation tools, and clear standards for online engagement are needed before the next election cycle.
For Denmark, known for its high political participation and strong democratic values, the growing intensity of digital harassment poses a serious test. Whether through governmental initiatives, platform rules, or voluntary codes of conduct, the need to rebuild trust in online spaces has become more pressing as each election approaches.
Sources and References
Politikere rammes af “tsunami af affald” i kommentarspor – TV 2
