Posted on May 23, 2017

Danish Party Snubs Merkel and Calls for Trump-Style Fence to be Built on German Border

Lizzie Stromie, Express, May 22, 2017

Danish-German Border

Danish-German Border (Credit Image: © Benjamin Nolte/DPA via ZUMA Press)

Anders Vistisen, the group chairperson with the Danish People’s Party (DF) in the EU Parliament, argued the measure was needed to regain complete control over the Scandinavian country’s borders.

The MEP said the party had drawn inspiration from Hungary’s border measures, as he added it should be copied in Denmark.

Mr Vistisen said: “We in DF are very excited about what we experienced in Hungary. The model is identical to the one we propose to be introduced between Denmark and Germany.

“If the Germans have a problem with it, then the Germans will just have to get control of their own borders.”

DDP is not currently in government, despite being Denmark’s second-biggest party, holding 37 of parliament’s 179 seats, but Mr Vistisen insisted his party is the only one willing to do what is necessary to protect Denmark’s borders.

The proposal was criticised by Morten Løkkegaard, EU Parliament representative with Denmark’s governing Liberal (Venstre) Party, as he branded it “absurd”.

He told Politiken: “If you want to barricade Denmark with bricks and fences, you can take inspiration [from Hungary], but the Liberal party does not support that.

“It makes no sense to throw a three-metre fence up in the middle of Europe.”

The call for a fence to be built on the German border comes as the EU, earlier this month, ordered European countries who have implemented internal border checks to phase them out within the next six months.

Denmark’s PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen said last week the country would not adhere to Brussels’s demand as the levels of migration to Europe “is still far too high”.

He added: “We will continue border controls unless the EU miraculously finds ways to regain control of its outer frontiers.”

Meanwhile immigration minister Inger Stojberg has repeatedly warned the bloc Denmark’s border controls would remain until the bloc regains control over its external borders.