INAPPROPRIATE: Nordjyske confesses in its editorial on 18 March 2024 that Nordjyske is in favor of a motorway in the Egholm line.
The entire leadership college. It is “North Jutland’s attitude”.
This explains why the citizens feel that the coverage of the citizens’ views on grounds that argue against a motorway in the Egholm line have been treated so step-motherly throughout the last decade.
It also explains why the citizens feel that the proponents of the alignment are never challenged on their empty spin postulates – the latest example we got with the article “The Minister of Transport answers”.
But the worst part is the interpretation of democracy that the board of directors in North Jutland conveys in the article.
North Jutland overlooks that it is democracy’s noblest task to find solutions that the majority are in favor of and the fewest are against. It is not democratic for a small majority to bully the large minorities. It never has been. This is why the constitution contains minority guarantees and the legislation requires citizen involvement.
It is therefore also not democratic when the legislation’s requirement for citizen consultation is reduced to a parallel and unimportant process, because only the representatives in the small majority are listened to – and the rest are ignored.
It is not democratic to implement decisions that may lead to expropriation when there is no authority for this. Authorities must have clear authority when intervening in citizens’ legal affairs. Especially when it comes to property rights. The Roads Directorate’s process since the closure of the counties until 2016 lacked authority. Chapter 2a of the Road Act was first adopted on 8/6-2016, just before MKV-2021. There was no authority for the Road Directorate’s process in 2011. There was also no authority for the parties in the 2014 traffic settlement to place the route in the Egholm line and opt out of the others.
It is not democratic to fail to implement EU protection legislation, which gives the environment as well as citizens rights in the process. For several decades, the government has failed to implement the SME Directive, the EIA Directive, the Habitat Directive – the Bird Protection Directive – the water framework directive in the area of the Roads Act. It is a persistent and deliberate disregard of Denmark’s obligations towards the EU and towards us citizens. It is in no way democratic.
A democracy must be based on rules that apply to everyone equally and the rules must have the necessary guarantees of legal certainty both regarding process and minorities. A majority must make an effort to listen and create space for dialogue and compromise.
A newspaper that receives media support must protect democracy – and not disregard it.
And above all, do not disdain and mock the citizens who do not share the board of directors’ point of view about the correct location of a new motorway.
2024-03-18 18:04:24
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