A bid by the governing Socialist People’s Party member of parliament \u00d6zlem Cekic to prove poverty in Denmark, has spectacularly backfired. A claimed poverty stricken 20-year old single mother \u2018Carina\u2019 on social benefits, presented by Cekic on a TV stakeout against Liberal Alliance member Joachim B. Olsen, turns out to earn more than a cool DKK 15,000 a month after tax, but said that she finds it \u2018embarrassing\u2019 to ask her family for help, report media.<\/p>\n
Following a chorus of derision, \u00d6zlem Cekic, retracted her claim of ‘Carina’s poverty. But Cekic has created problems for herself, her party and Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who are already struggling in the polls, according to analysts quoted in seven59.dk and Berlingske.<\/p>\n
\u00bbA lot of people who go to work, pay tax, and help to support their fellow citizens have had enough. They\u2019re not prepared to work hard every day while listening to someone such as \u00d6zlem Cekic spinning lies about poverty,\u00ab warns one of them, Thomas Larsen, on B.dk.<\/p>\n
Minister of Social Affairs Karen H\u00e6kkerup went on the offensive Tuesday night in an attempt to stop the fall-out from the gaffe. Social benefit recipients should contribute more to society, she said in a surprising turn.<\/p>\n
\u00bbMany Danes need to seriously re-address their own value system and again take a pride in managing in their own lives\u00ab she said. \u00bbWe have to stop considering society as a \u2018smorgasbord\u2019 that we don\u2019t need to contribute to, and that\u2019s a debate I\u2019d like to see high on the social welfare agenda\u00ab.<\/p>\n
The Red\/Green Alliance\u2019s Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen reacted angrily to the Minister’s attack on welfare, saying it\u2019s \u2018shameful\u2019 for anyone to claim that the poor and unemployed consider society to be a \u2018smorgasbord\u2019.<\/p>\n
uni-avis@adm.ku.dk<\/p>\n