Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Union of Conscientiously Work Shy Elements

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The Union of Conscientiously Work-Shy Elements (Danish: Sammenslutning af Bevidst Arbejdssky Elementer) was an unusually successful frivolous political party in Denmark. It was founded in Aarhus in 1979 by a comedian, Jacob Haugaard (born 1952), and a few friends. Haugaard stood as a candidate in Aarhus in each parliamentary election, until in September 1994 he was very unexpectedly elected to the Folketing with 23,253 personal votes, thereby winning a "kredsmandat" (one locally based seat in parliament).

He made the following promises in the 1994 election:

  • Tail winds on all cycle paths
  • Better weather
  • Better Christmas presents
  • Less sex in school staff rooms (withdrawn during the campaign - he said it had been brought to his attention that sex in the staff room was a long-established privilege for teachers and as such could not be abolished)
  • More whales in the fjord of Randers
  • The right to impotency
  • More pieces of Renaissance furniture in IKEA
  • 8 hours of spare time, 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of sleep
  • Nutella in army field rations
  • The placing of a public toilet in the park in Aarhus where he spent his state party funding on serving beer and sausages to his voters after each election.
  • More bread for the ducks in parks

    • The last three promises were actually fulfilled during his term in office.

    While the party had been intended as a joke, he found himself often having the deciding vote in a hung parliament, and took his duties seriously until the parliamentary election in March 1998. He then announced his retirement from politics.

    Quotes

  • "If work is so healthy, then why not give it to the sick?"
  • "Work? We can't be bothered. That's what we have the Germans for." (from a song)

    • References

    Union of Conscientiously Work-Shy Elements Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA