Danish Children and Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye faces sharp criticism posted on Instagram and TikTok by Danmarks Socialdemokratiske Ungdom (DSU), Tesfaye directly addressed 8th to 10th graders eligible for the recent school election. He stated clearly that “social Democrats and DSU support shorter school days” and urged them to vote accordingly. This promise, the party’s official education proposal released February 4 made no mention of reducing school hours for older students, only reaffirming past reductions for younger children. Critics from Alternativet and Dansk Folkeparti accuse Tesfaye of misleading young voters. Christina Olumeko called it “voter deception,” stressing it’s especially troubling because many students were participating in democracy for the first time. Morten Messerschmidt went further, labeling the act “blatant lying” and “democratically alarming.” Tesfaye declined interviews but cited previous government actions allowing municipalities to shorten school days. Yet he didn’t confirm any active plan to implement such changes nationally for older students. Meanwhile, DSU leader Katrine Evelyn Jensen defended him, saying he’s long championed shorter school days and that the policy may still come if Social Democrats regain full governing power. About 70,000 students across 95 of Denmark’s 98 municipalities took part in the non-binding school election, where Social Democrats won 23% of votes, a jump from 16% in 2024.
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