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Danish lawmaker Anders Vistisen went viral last month after asking Donald Trump to ‘f*** off’. The remarks came soon after the newly appointed US President made persistent demands to ‘buy’ Greenland from Denmark — despite assertions from everybody involved that the autonomous territory was not for sale. But this was not the first time that Vistisen had made waves through his fiery statements.
“Mr Trump, Greenland is not for sale. F*** off,” he said bluntly during a meeting of the European parliament.
The hard-right lawmaker was later told off for using using profane language while discussing the new US administration. The 27-nation EU has been walking a fine line between guarding its interests and avoiding the ire of the mercurial US leader — a conciliatory stance that has frustrated advocates of a firmer approach.
You’re fired! That’s what the Danish far-right MEP told Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a debate in April, saying he would sack 10,000 EU civil servants if he became Commission chief. His real contest was to keep his own job, which he just about managed, having received ringing video endorsements from the likes of Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen.
Three female lawmakers had sought an immediate investigation last year after Vistisen and two other MEPs “gave statements that we believe constitute hate speech”. A letter submitted by the trio and viewed by Politico claimed their colleagues had breached Parliament rules on offensive language during a debate on the ratification of the 2011 Istanbul convention against gender-based violence. Vistisen had blamed the influence of Islam for violence against women in his country — appearing to accuse Muslims of “many examples of murder and rape”. No disciplinary action was taken in response to the complaint.
Controversy arose ahead of the European election in June 2024 — with Czech and Belgian authorities busting a major influence network. They claimed that the group had been spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda in Europe — with politicians including MEPs being paid for involvement. Vistisen had claimed that he was not offered money, or paid for his engagement.
(With inputs from agencies)
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