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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 an independent candidate in Aarhus County in each parliamentary election, until September 1994 when he was very unexpectedly elected to the Folketing with 23,253 personal votes, thereby winning a constituency seat (a locally based seat in parliament).[1][2]

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  • Less sex in school staff rooms (withdrawn during the campaign – he said it had been brought to his attention that sex in the staff room was a long-established privilege for teachers and as such could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 Renaissance furniture in IKEA
  • 8 hours of spare time, 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of sleep (a parody of a popular slogan of the eight-hour day movement: "Eight hours' labour, Eight hours' recreation, Eight hours' rest")
  • 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.[3]

While the party had been intended as a joke, he found himself often having the deciding vote in a hung parliament,[4] and took his duties seriously until the parliamentary election in March 1998. He then announced his retirement from politics.

Election results

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Map showing the share of votes Haugaard achieved in each municipality at the 1994 election.
Jacob Haugaard's election results
Year Votes Ref.
1979 797
0.22% 		[5]
1981 558
0.16% 		[6]
1984 676
0.18% 		[7]
1987 2,275
0.59% 		[8]
1988 3,221
0.83% 		[9]
1990 8,717
2.27% 		[10]
1994 23,253
5.80% 		[11]

Quotes

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  • "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

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  1. ^ "Jacob Haugaard". Copenhagen Post. 3 March 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  2. ^ Kaare R. Skou, Dansk politik A-Å /Lindhardt og Ringhof, 2010), ISBN 978-8711411322, p. 456. available at Google Books (in Danish).
  3. ^ Jacob Haaugaard, Det ærede medlem: Hofnarren! - en rigtig Århus-historie om Jacob Haugaards vej til Folketinget - og om livet der (Daniel, 1999), ISBN 978-8798731306 (in Danish).
  4. ^ "En politisk vittighed" (in Danish). Aarhusportalen. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  5. ^ Skak-Nielsen, N. V. (11 April 1980). "Folketingsvalget den 23. Oktober 1979". dst.dk. Statistiske Meddelelser. p. 118 and 208.
  6. ^ Skak-Nielsen, N. V. (24 August 1982). "Folketingsvalget den 8. december 1981". dst.dk. Statistiske Meddelelser. p. 120 and 205.
  7. ^ Skak-Nielsen, N. V. (27 September 1984). "Folketingsvalget den 10. januar 1984". dst.dk. Statistiske Meddelelser. p. 120 and 207.
  8. ^ Jensen, Poul (22 July 1988). "Folketingsvalget den 8. September 1987". dst.dk. Statistiske Meddelelser. p. 108 and 197.
  9. ^ Zeuthen, Hans E. (1 August 1988). "Folketingsvalget den 10. maj 1988". dst.dk. Statistiske Meddelelser. p. 22 and 86.
  10. ^ "Folketingsvalget den 12. december 1990" (PDF). im.dk. 13 January 1996. p. 59 and 176.
  11. ^ "Folketingsvalget den 21. september 1994" (PDF). im.dk. 22 January 1996. p. 77 and 154.

See also

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