The decision to kill all the mink was made on the evening of November 3rd. It happened at a meeting of the government’s coordination committee, where a number of top ministers sit.
At that time, the relevant specialist office in the Ministry of the Environment and Food was convinced that there was no basis in the Animal Husbandry Act for the authorities to require it.
On the morning of 4 November, the specialist office in the ministry will form an overview of how the decision will be presented at a press conference later in the day.
It is in this connection that Paolo Drostby writes an email to a group of his colleagues.
He asks a press officer to get an overview of the need for the press conference later in the day. He further writes:
– Is M (the Minister, ed.) With? Overall, we have an interest in not taking responsibility for the decision – stm and sum should be at the forefront in relation to justification, press and other legal authority.
STM and SUM are often used as abbreviations for the Ministry of State and the Ministry of Health.
The email from Paolo Drostby came out during an interrogation of one of his then agents, Anders Kroman Liin.
Asked if he succeeded in getting others than Mogens Jensen to be responsible for the decision at the press conference, Anders Kroman Liin stated dryly:
– It must be concluded that Mogens Jensen was present at the press conference and had quite significant speaking time.
Shortly afterwards, the commission’s chairman, Michael Kistrup, asked if the conclusion was that “it was your beer that overturned.”
– It was Mogens Jensen who smoked, yes, said Anders Kroman Liin.
At noon on 5 November, it was clear not only in the Ministry of the Environment and Food, but also in the Ministry of Justice that there was no legal basis for requiring all mink to be killed.
According to the government’s own statement, it will be a few days before first Mogens Jensen and then Mette Frederiksen are informed of the lack of legal authority.
On 18 November, Mogens Jensen resigned as Minister. Legislation has since been passed banning the keeping of mink until the end of 2021. A majority in the Folketing will extend this until the end of 2022.
Source: The Nordic Page