Inger Støjberg’s claim about massive solar farm plans in Viborg turns out to be overstated by roughly 7,000 handball courts, raising fresh questions about her campaign’s use of facts during the local election season.
Fact Checks Keep Piling Up
For the third time in just three weeks, a new video from Inger Støjberg has undergone fact-checking that calls her statements into question. This time, the leader of the Denmark Democrats alleged that Viborg’s mayor, Ulrik Wilbek from the Liberal Party (Venstre), wanted to cover the municipality with solar parks equivalent to 28,700 handball courts.
The claim, made during a heated phase of the municipal election campaign, follows two earlier missteps. In previous videos, Støjberg incorrectly claimed there were no Saturday bus routes from a North Jutland town and spoke about school closures while standing in front of a school that was not on any closure list.
The Reality Behind the Numbers
Viborg Municipality confirmed that Wilbek’s city council did approve a large number of solar farm projects two years ago. However, if all those projects had been realized, they would indeed have equaled the 28,700 handball courts Støjberg mentioned. The key detail missing is that many of those projects have since been reduced or canceled.
The actual figure today is far smaller. The municipality now expects about 1,732 hectares of land to be potentially used for solar installations, which translates to roughly 21,650 handball courts, or around 7,000 fewer than Støjberg claimed. According to municipal data, this is about one percent of the local land area.
That amount includes not only built facilities but also those still under review and subject to change. The municipality also notes that roads, vegetation, and environmental buffers will reduce the total surface area covered by solar panels even further.
Local Politics and Party Lines
Interestingly, the council’s decision in 2023 was not just a Venstre initiative. Almost the entire city council supported the move, including Torsten Nielsen, who is now the Denmark Democrats’ local lead candidate. Støjberg has since explained that Nielsen was still a member of the Conservative People’s Party at the time and left partly because he believed the plan had “gone too far.”
Her campaign calls the projects “iron fields,” arguing that large-scale renewable facilities do not belong on productive farmland. According to Støjberg, solar panels should be placed on rooftops and wind turbines offshore instead.
The mayor, Ulrik Wilbek—himself a former national handball coach—has not responded in detail to Støjberg’s latest accusations as he prepares to step down and not seek re-election.
Defending Her Message
Despite being presented with updated numbers, Støjberg continues to insist her message is accurate. She argues that the original plan remains significant and symbolic of how Venstre governs, using Viborg as an example of what she calls excessive central decision-making.
The Denmark Democrats are running on a campaign that strongly opposes new large land-based solar farms, positioning themselves as a voice for local communities that want to protect agriculture and rural landscapes. It’s a recurring theme in their rhetoric, which resonates with voters skeptical of climate infrastructure in their backyards.
National Context
Her criticism also fits into broader Danish political debates about green transition and land use. The government has set ambitious targets for renewable energy generation across the country. Some of these plans include large solar installations that, critics argue, take up too much farmland. On the other hand, supporters of the projects say Denmark needs such large-scale facilities to meet its climate goals and to achieve energy independence.
This debate links to increasing national interest in expanding renewable energy, much like the strategic push toward a new defense era that reflects Denmark’s desire for security and self-reliance in multiple sectors.
Small Projects, Big Reactions
In practice, Viborg now has only two solar farms in operation—one near Stoholm covering about 67 hectares and another near Kvosted with around 106 hectares. Together, they make up less than 200 hectares, roughly equal to 14 handball courts.
That contrast between limited on-the-ground results and inflated political claims has triggered yet another round of debate about misinformation in campaign videos. With local elections set for November 18, it remains to be seen whether repeated fact-checks will affect Støjberg’s credibility among her base.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Danish government eyes long-range weapons, new defense era
TV2: Støjberg raser mod jernmarker, men skyder forbi med 7000 håndboldbaner
