Jon Stephensen's bombshell allegation that Moderaterne offered him 1.3 million kroner ($185,000) to abandon his Folketinget seat exposes the backroom dealings of Danish political horse-trading. The independent MP's disclosure, triggered by an audio recording obtained by Ekstra Bladet, reveals how Denmark's centrist parties allegedly tried to buy their way out of embarrassing scandals. Source: Statistics Denmark.
Stephensen says Moderaterne representatives approached him in August 2023 while he was on self-paid leave following inappropriate messages to a young woman. The timing was no coincidence. His continued presence in parliament as a loose cannon threatened the stability of Mette Frederiksen's coalition government, which relied on Moderaterne's support.
The audio trap that forced his hand
Stephensen never intended to go public. He kept quiet for over a year, even as journalists hounded him about rumors of attempted mandate purchases. His loyalty to the center government kept him silent, according to DR's reporting on his statements.
That changed when Ekstra Bladet confronted him with the audio recording. Faced with the prospect of the story breaking without his input, Stephensen calculated that controlling the narrative was better than letting the tape speak for itself. "I would rather explain it myself," he told the tabloid, calling the secret recording "completely inappropriate and disgusting."
The timing of his disclosure, just hours before the election was called, suggests Stephensen felt freed from his loyalty obligations once the government fell. For months, he had deflected questions about his mandate being "tried bought," as he put it. The audio evidence made silence impossible.
Denmark's mandate market problem
This isn't Moderaterne's first alleged attempt to purchase parliamentary seats. In 2025, it emerged that party leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen offered Mike Fonseca nearly 400,000 kroner ($57,000) to give up his mandate, just three months after the alleged Stephensen offer, according to Nordjyske's coverage.
The pattern suggests a systematic approach to cleaning house. Moderaterne, desperate to shed scandal-tainted MPs who could damage their centrist brand, apparently viewed cash payments as cheaper than enduring political embarrassment. The 1.3 million kroner offer to Stephensen was more than three times what Fonseca was allegedly offered, reflecting either Stephensen's greater nuisance value or Moderaterne's growing desperation.
Folketinget has no explicit rules against paying MPs to resign, a loophole that parties can exploit. While criminal bribery laws might apply, proving corrupt intent in political contexts remains difficult. The ethical boundaries around mandate trading exist in a gray zone that Danish political culture has never properly addressed.
Expect the new Folketinget to face immediate pressure for explicit rules banning financial inducements to resign, with criminal penalties for violations. Moderaterne's alleged shopping spree for parliamentary exits has exposed a vulnerability in Danish democracy that opposition parties won't let slide.
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