Denmark’s political revolving door has again drawn criticism from the European Commission, which says the country has made no progress in regulating moves between government positions and lobbying organisations. The warning appears in the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, published on 17 July, and marks the fifth consecutive year in which Denmark has faced EU criticism over the issue.
Denmark’s political revolving door remains unregulated
Danish ministers can leave government and move directly into senior lobbying or interest-group positions without observing a mandatory cooling-off period. Lobbyists and leaders of advocacy organisations can also enter government without a waiting period.
Denmark has no general lobbying register and does not impose comprehensive transparency requirements on organisations seeking to influence public policy. The European Commission has repeatedly argued that this creates risks involving conflicts of interest, privileged access and the use of information acquired while holding public office.
In its latest assessment, the Commission concluded that “no progress” had been made on its recommendation. It also noted that the Danish authorities have no plans to introduce rules covering lobbying, revolving doors or stronger scrutiny of financial declarations submitted by senior office holders.
The report says concerns remain among civil society organisations about the absence of integrity rules for ministers and other senior executive positions. Associations representing the Danish public affairs sector are instead preparing a voluntary lobbying register, but no statutory system is currently planned.
Recent appointments have renewed the debate
Several prominent career changes have brought the relationship between Danish politics and interest groups under closer scrutiny.
Former Minister of Justice (justitsminister) Nick Hækkerup, from the Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet), left the government in 2022 to become director of the Danish Brewers’ Association (Bryggeriforeningen).
Former Conservative business minister Brian Mikkelsen similarly moved from government into a senior position at the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv).
The issue has also emerged in the opposite direction following the formation of Denmark’s new government. Minister for the Environment (miljøminister) Maria Reumert Gjerding, from the Socialist People’s Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti, SF), previously served as president of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening).
Minister for Children, Older People and Housing (børne-, ældre- og boligminister) Jacob Mark, also from SF, held a senior position in the same organisation before joining the government.
SF has rejected suggestions that these appointments give an interest group excessive influence. Party spokesperson Sigurd Agersnap argued that expertise acquired through professional work should not prevent people from entering politics.
“I simply cannot see a problem with people who know about and have worked in a field, in this case the green transition, also working with it politically,” he said.
Denmark combines low corruption with weak lobbying rules
The criticism contrasts with Denmark’s consistently strong performance in international measurements of perceived corruption.
Denmark ranked first in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, receiving a score of 89 out of 100. It was the eighth consecutive year in which Denmark achieved the highest score among the countries assessed.
However, a low level of perceived public-sector corruption does not remove the risks associated with informal access and conflicts of interest. Researchers studying Danish lobbying have argued that regulation may be necessary both to protect public confidence and to safeguard the state’s economic interests.
The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, GRECO, has also criticised Denmark’s approach. In its latest compliance assessment, it said the Danish authorities had taken no steps towards introducing cooling-off periods, restrictions on former ministers’ activities or a system requiring approval before accepting certain positions after leaving office.
Rule of law reforms are slowing across the EU
The criticism of Denmark forms part of the Commission’s broader annual assessment of judicial independence, anti-corruption policies, media freedom and institutional checks and balances.
Across the EU, 47 percent of the recommendations issued in 2025 had been fully or partially implemented after one year. The equivalent figure for recommendations issued in 2024 was 57 percent, indicating that reforms are progressing more slowly.
The report has also gained political importance because of the proposed EU budget for 2028 to 2034. The Commission wants rule of law assessments to play a stronger role in identifying the reforms expected from member states receiving European funding, although it says there would be no automatic link between individual recommendations and the approval of national funding plans.
For Denmark, the Commission’s conclusion remains unchanged: the country’s strong reputation for public integrity has not been matched by formal rules governing the movement of people between political office and organised interests. Unless the government changes its position, the political revolving door is likely to remain a recurring subject in future EU assessments.
