Danish Beauty

During and just after the Easter in Denmark one of the Socialdemocrats young and promising politicians damaged his career seriously. How?

He slept with a 15-year old girl. After appearing as a guest lecturer at the Socialdemocrats youth organization's easter course, he attended the following party with all the young, eager Socialdemocrats. Oh, the allure of youth. Jeppe Kofoed himself is 34-year old, and even though he hasn't reached the midlife crisis Lester Burnham, the Kevin Spacey character of the film American Beauty, he fell victim to the same need for youth. And obviously he didn't have the character or the luck of Lester, who at the last moment, when he realizes the girl is still a kid, can't go through with it.

On Danish blogs some people are discussing to what degree his action should cost him. He has done nothing illegal as such. Some people find it worse than driving under influence. To me, this just show how taboo sex still is. Even in Denmark. And how much childhood still is romanticized as innocent. Yes, she was 15, and yes, he should not have done it - let alone for his own self-respect. But come on, to say it is worse than drunk people driving and perhaps killing people?

So far he has himself resigned from all political offices he held, and is said to consider even withdrawing from parliament. This before it became a news story. He has talked with the girl and her family to apologize. This either shows he has some character, or just that he is a clever politician, as it may be the only way to save the remains of his political career.

I became disillusioned with politics at a very young age. Stopped believing in any kind of ideology. Or party. To me it all boils down to character, and especially the non-narcissistic kind, which is sadly rare in politics, as it has become so much about the game and the power.

Maybe Jeppe Kofoed has character and a weakness in it, or maybe he has no character at all, and is just an inflated ego, who likes the adoration of young girls. This is what I would like to know, but the newspapers don't inform me.

For those who can read the exotic language, here is a link to one of the articles of the Danish newspaper Politiken.