Youth Party Scandal: Extremist Chants Rock Copenhagen

Sandra Oparaocha

Writer

March 19, 2026
9:55 am

A youth party festival hosted by Venstres Ungdom in Copenhagen became the scene of a far-right scandal when attendees sang extremist slogans to a techno song, marking the second incident involving controversial music at the organization’s events within a week. Multiple youth party members witnessed the chants, and the organization’s leader has promised to review event policies.

Extremist Chants at Cross-Party Youth Event

The incident occurred on January 29, 2026, during a party at Venstres Ungdom’s Copenhagen venue. Around 200 to 250 young people from multiple youth political organizations attended the gathering. When the Italian techno track “L’Amour Toujours” by Gigi D’Agostino began playing, a group of attendees started chanting “Ausländer raus,” a German phrase meaning “foreigners out.”

Witnesses Describe the Scene

Jesper Dyrhberg, political leader of SF Ungdom, was present at the event. He left the room in protest before the song ended. He described the incident as deeply distasteful and absurd, expressing shock that no one intervened to stop it. Sarah Abildskov, leader of Rød-Grøn Ungdom, sat near the dance floor when the chanting began. She reported seeing a relatively large group enthusiastically singing along.

Video Evidence Confirms the Incident

TV 2 obtained video footage of the event, which multiple independent sources have verified. The recording shows participants jumping in rhythm with their arms over each other’s shoulders while chanting the slogans. According to witnesses, the song played for its full duration, with at least three repetitions of the chorus. One source reported the track was played again later that evening.

Historical Context of the Controversial Song

The use of “L’Amour Toujours” with far-right slogans has become a recurring problem across Europe in recent years. The original 1999 dance track about love has been appropriated by extremist groups to spread xenophobic messages.

German and Austrian Connections

In Germany, the song has been used at rallies for Alternative für Deutschland, a party labeled extremist by German intelligence services. The phrase “Deutschland den Deutschen, Ausländer raus” became widespread at these events. Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned similar incidents in 2023, calling the slogans disgusting and unacceptable. UEFA stopped playing the song after goals at Austrian stadiums in 2024 due to these associations.

Scandinavian Precedents

Sweden experienced a political fallout when David Lång of Sverigedemokraterna resigned from parliament after singing “Ausländer raus” at a campaign event. The incident occurred during an EU election period and sparked widespread condemnation. These European cases demonstrate how a seemingly innocent party song has become a vehicle for spreading extremist ideology among young people.

Response from Venstres Ungdom Leadership

Jens Paaske, chairman of Venstres Ungdom, learned about the incident the same evening it occurred. He stated he was extremely tired of such incidents and irritated that people fail to think about consequences. Paaske emphasized the organization needs to clean up and take precautions to prevent similar occurrences.

Competing Narratives Within the Organization

Josefine Paaske, a Venstre city council member in Køge and parliamentary candidate, was visible in the video but claims she tried to stop participants from singing. She explained that within Venstres Ungdom, the song is traditionally associated with different lyrics honoring a former youth leader, Lasse Bjerne Sørensen. When she heard the extremist slogans instead, she described it as terrible. She insisted no VU members participated in the chanting, to her knowledge.

Policy Changes Under Consideration

The chairman acknowledged that Venstres Ungdom has not maintained adequate control over music played at events. He announced the organization would implement changes to ensure music associated with extreme political views is not played in the future. Furthermore, Paaske suggested the organization is unlikely to host large cross-party festivals going forward. The difficulty in identifying who played the song or who participated in the chanting complicates accountability efforts.

Second Scandal in One Week

This incident represents the second time in March 2026 that controversial music has been linked to Venstres Ungdom events. Just days earlier, TV 2 reported on a separate party at the organization’s Aalborg location.

Nazi-Era Music at Aalborg Event

On March 11, video footage showed the song “Erika,” which has connections to Nazi Germany, playing loudly at the Aalborg venue. A voice was heard shouting “Heil Hitler” on the street shortly after. The proximity of these two incidents raised serious questions about the organizational culture and oversight at youth political gatherings. Research from Aalborg University shows that young people often join political youth organizations primarily for social connections and parties rather than ideological commitment.

Social Dynamics in Youth Politics

Studies of Danish youth political engagement reveal that friendships and social events serve as primary motivators for membership. One interviewee in academic research noted that while people do not join solely for parties, these events create enormous networks. This dynamic may explain why extremist elements can infiltrate what are intended as social gatherings. Active youth members frequently complain there is too little space for genuine youth input in established parties, creating tensions between social recruitment strategies and political substance.

Mixed Reactions from Other Youth Parties

Venstres Ungdom chairman Jens Paaske listed the attending organizations as Danmarks Socialdemokratiske Ungdom, Konservativ Ungdom, Liberal Alliances Ungdom, Rød-Grøn Ungdom, Socialistisk Folkepartis Ungdom, Radikal Ungdom, and Dansk Folkepartis Ungdom. TV 2 contacted all these groups for comment.

Those Who Responded

SF Ungdom, Rød-Grøn Ungdom, and Danmarks Socialdemokratiske Ungdom all condemned the incident. Each organization stated they had no knowledge of their members participating in the extremist chanting. Their swift denunciations suggested concern about being associated with the scandal. However, the responses also highlighted the challenge of maintaining accountability at multi-party events where attendees from various organizations mingle freely.

Silent Parties

Tobias Pagh, national chairman of Liberal Alliances Ungdom, and Jacob Feldborg Andersen, national chairman of Konservativ Ungdom, declined to answer TV 2’s questions. The leadership of Dansk Folkepartis Ungdom did not respond at all. The silence from these organizations leaves unanswered questions about whether their members were involved and how seriously they view the incident. This lack of transparency contrasts with calls for greater youth voice in municipal and national politics.

A Personal Take

I find myself troubled by how easily social gatherings can become vehicles for extremist messaging, particularly in spaces meant to nurture democratic engagement. The Venstres Ungdom incident reveals a vulnerability in youth political culture where the emphasis on parties and networking, while valuable for recruitment, creates opportunities for inappropriate behavior to go unchallenged. Research shows young people join these organizations primarily for social connection, which makes the monitoring of content at events even more critical.

What concerns me most is the silence from several youth party leaders. Democratic responsibility requires transparency, especially when extremist slogans appear at political events. The refusal of some organizations to comment suggests either complicity or a worrying lack of internal accountability mechanisms. Young people deserve better from the institutions meant to prepare them for democratic participation.