Two parties in Folketinget’s presidium say no agreement was ever made to attach a priest to the Danish parliament, contradicting an official press release issued in June 2026.
DR reported on August 25, 2026 that both SF and Liberal Alliance reject the claim that a deal was struck before the summer break. Both parties hold seats in Folketingets Præsidium, the body described in June as unanimous in its approval.
Liberal Alliance’s member of the presidium, Lars-Christian Brask, told DR that the parties only agreed to continue talks with the bishop and the dean. According to Brask, no final agreement could be made because the form and format of the arrangement were still unknown.
Brask said he feels he was the victim of a coup, or alternatively that he made a mistake, but he leans toward the first explanation. He pointed to Folketinget’s press release and to Church Minister Ida Auken’s public celebration as presenting the matter as fully settled. Liberal Alliance now says it rejects any priest model, regardless of what is proposed.
SF’s presidium member, Karsten Hønge, told DR that what took place was not an agreement. Per Hønge, the presidium merely registered that the Bishop of Copenhagen would make priests available for the devotions held by a small group at Christiansborg, and for members seeking conversations. He added that he does not believe the church should hold any special position in parliament.
What the June press release said
The press release from Folketinget, published on June 30, 2026, carried the headline stating that Folketinget would have a priest attached in the new parliamentary year. The same release stated that the practical details would be discussed after the summer break.
Politiken reported on the same date that the presidium had decided to accept the offer from the Bishop of Copenhagen. Berlingske reported on August 25, 2026 that the case had taken a new turn because two presidium parties now dispute that the decision was unanimous.
The decision drew political reactions during the summer. TV 2 reported on July 6, 2026 that two Social Democrats left the party after the decision on a priest at Christiansborg. DR’s own coverage in early July 2026 described the issue as a political storm following Auken’s Facebook video welcoming the outcome.
Folketinget’s Speaker, Søren Gade, declined an interview but responded to DR in writing. As stated by Gade, the presidium agreed in June to continue discussions after the summer about attaching a priest paid for by the Folkekirke, and he has no comments for now out of respect for that agreement.
Ida Auken has not commented on the latest development.
The central dispute is whether June’s decision was a binding agreement or only a decision to keep talking. The wording of the official release and the accounts given by SF and Liberal Alliance remain in direct conflict.
