Kaj Erik Boesen keeps newspaper clippings pinned to his bulletin board in Allinge. The 83-year-old follows local politics closely on the rocky Baltic island of Bornholm. He feels angry about what he sees.
Several local politicians have switched parties or become independents over the past four years. Boesen calls this 'daylight robbery' of voters' trust.
He personally voted for one politician in the 2021 municipal election. That politician later jumped to another party. Seven of Bornholm's 23 council members have changed affiliation during this term.
Bornholm now ranks among Danish municipalities with the highest rate of party switching. More than 300 local politicians nationwide have changed parties mid-term.
'This is a serious breach,' Boesen says. 'They're stealing the cross I put on the ballot with good intentions.' He wrote to local newspapers urging voters to reject party hoppers.
Boesen considers his vote sacred. 'It's your membership card to democracy,' he explains.
The seven politicians who changed affiliation include:
- Søren Schow: Left to independent, started own local list
- Heidi Burgedahl: Left to independent, changed local list
- Jonna Nielsen: Social Democrats to independent, changed local list
- Kirstine Van Sabben: Bornholm List to independent to Moderates
- Linda Kofoed Persson: Danish People's Party to Conservatives
- Torben Kofod Ager: Danish People's Party to Conservatives
- Zille Thilde Vangsaa: Bornholm List to Danish People's Party (left council)
Torben Kofod Ager defends his 2023 party switch. He says he could no longer support his former party's rhetoric and values.
'The 'Go Home' campaign hit my personal integrity deeply,' Ager explains. 'I couldn't represent something I couldn't defend.'
He understands if his 104 personal voters feel betrayed. But he insists his political priorities remain unchanged.
Jonna Nielsen left the Social Democrats in 2023 after years of membership. Internal party conflicts prompted her to become independent.
'I was angry about reorganization plans,' Nielsen says. She received 234 personal votes and wanted to continue serving Bornholm's welfare.
Boesen rejects these explanations. He believes politicians should resign if they cannot support their party.
'If a candidate has problems with their party, they should say so before people vote for them,' he argues.
When Bornholm votes in the November municipal election, Boesen has made his decision clear. 'The only thing I can do is not give them my vote.'
Local politics often involves personal connections and trust. When elected representatives switch teams mid-game, they risk breaking that fundamental bond with voters who supported them.