Ulla Sørensen, the councilor whose party switch made Venstre’s Anders Møllegård mayor of Middelfart, says he has not broken the agreement behind the 2025 mayoral coup, despite accusations from the parties that backed him.
The dispute over the mayor’s office in Middelfart continues, and the parties behind the deal accuse Møllegård of walking away from commitments he signed. DR reports that Sørensen, who led the negotiations, now publicly defends him.
Sørensen left the Social Democrats for Venstre after the 2025 local election. Her move tipped the majority in the city council and secured the mayor’s chain for Møllegård. It ended a century of Social Democratic leadership in the municipality, according to DR.
The majority rested on an unusual alliance of Enhedslisten, Danmarksdemokraterne, Alternativet and Liberal Alliance. That alliance is now under strain, DR reports, as the partner parties say several points in the deal have not been honored.
Dispute over the municipal director
Central to the conflict is the position of municipal director. DR reports that it has obtained the signed document, in which the four alliance parties and the mayor agreed that the municipal director should be replaced as quickly as possible. According to DR, the document names Steen Vinderslev, and the replacement has not taken place.
The same document also commits the mayor to meeting the alliance parties in person at least once a month. Per DR’s reporting, those meetings were to cover the agenda of the Economic Committee before it convened.
Møllegård rejects the accusation. He argues that the signed paper was only preliminary, and that the formal constituting agreement is the final and binding document. As reported by TV 2 Fyn, that agreement was signed by all eight parties represented in the city council.
Asked by DR whether the earlier document was binding, Sørensen said that was the understanding the negotiators worked from. She also said she expected a new municipal director to take over after the election.
Even so, she told DR she does not believe the mayor has run from the agreement. She said he has tried what he could and wanted a broad constitution for the benefit of the municipality.
Sørensen also pointed to the workload facing a first-time mayor. According to her account to DR, Møllegård had never worked in a municipal administration before taking office. Learning how the organization functions has required considerable effort, she said.
The Middelfart mayor power grab drew national attention in 2025 and formed part of a wider pattern in which Venstre gained mayors across the country. DR reports that dissatisfaction among the alliance parties is still growing.
