Cartoons critical Danish Top politicians accused of unpatriotic activity By Right Wing Populist Pia Kjaersgaard

In her weekly newsletter right wing populist Pia Kjaersgaard accuses two former minister of the opposition parties the Social democrats and Social Liberals, Svend Auken and Helveg Petersen, of unpatriotic activity and treason because they have criticized the publication of the Mohammed cartoons. As she puts it, by appealing to a certain restraint in the way freedom os speech is applied, they fall on their knees for the muslims and betray Western norms and values.

In Pia Kjaersgaard's opinion the cartoons crisis is no longer about the 12 cartoons. It is rather about whether we in the West are able to stick to our values - or whether we'll succumb to religious dogma defined by islam.

Pia Kjaersgaard has had a lot of success with her hard core line in the cartoons issue. In opinion polls her party has advanced considerably so that her party, in case of a general election today, might get over 17 per cent of votes.

Her party will soon be rubbing shoulders with the Social Democrats who have lost votes, so they now stand at about 21-22 per cent. A general election today would give a very comfortable majority to the governing coalition of Liberals, conservatives and the Danish People's Party. The latter is not in government position, but they are expected to be invited into the liberal-conservative government by prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen after the next election.

What we're witnessing is a complete remake of the parliamentary patterns in the Danish parliament. Some years ago it was practically impossible to form a government without the Social Democrats in a leading role. Today the Social Democrats is one among a number of political parties.

Denmark has drifted markedly to the right during the Mohammed crisis.