In a recent interview, Danish politician Jon Stephensen disclosed that he was approached by high-ranking members of the Moderaterne party in August 2023, who offered him 1.3 million kroner to resign from his parliamentary mandate. Stephensen refused the offer, stating that he believed such a deal would be detrimental to him personally, as it was his mandate at stake. The offer purportedly came during a period when he was on paid leave from the Folketing after facing several scandals.

Stephensen's rejection of the deal has put the Moderaterne party in a challenging position, as he later was expelled from the party and currently serves as an independent member of the Folketing. Had he accepted the offer and resigned, Moderaterne would have had the opportunity to replace him with a substitute member. The ongoing situation raises questions about the political ethics within Danish parties and the implications of financial offers aiming to influence elected officials.

As this story develops, DR Nyheder has attempted to obtain comments from Moderaterne regarding the allegations, but the party has declined to publicly address Stephensen's account. Meanwhile, cultural minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt was also questioned about the matter on P1 Morgen, suggesting that this controversy may have broader ramifications for the party's public image and accountability regarding political maneuvers.