Original subtitles

A general election will be held on 8th November.

- I'll sleep at the office. - You'll sleep at home.

You and Pia get on so well.

I haven't told anyone.

Can you help Birgitte tomorrow?

You have precancerous cells.

I need medicine that can keep me on my feet 15 or 16 hours a day.

Millions or billions? It's not a minor detail.

A senior politician breaks down on air, it's great television!

It's been a long day.

"Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back.

"And choose the path that leads to wisdom."

Can we patch this up at all? Look!

BIRGITTE NYBORG IN FREE-FALL

Page after page!

I know things look bleak.

Of course they're being hard on her. She's a party chairman.

She's a former PM. They show no mercy when she's less persuasive.

We must tell a new story.

The story is that she lost it.

Good morning.

There is something I want to talk to you about.

Just the leadership. Could the rest of you leave the room for a minute?

I've had surgery for precancerous tissue in one breast.

I'm having radiation therapy, with ten days to go,

until hopefully they discharge me.

I hope you understand why I have not told anyone.

But yesterday tells me it's no use pretending it hasn't affected me.

You've all had to struggle with the results, especially Katrine.

I'll have to pace myself a bit.

I promise I won't take on more than I can manage.

What about the papers and TV?

I was thinking of keeping it within this closed circle.

- I doubt if we can keep it secret. - You'll get loads of sympathy.

We'll miss out on that if you keep it secret.

I don't intend to go for the sympathy vote.

It would serve as a good explanation for last night.

I know, but I'd really rather keep it between us.

I'm not dead, am I?

Episode 28 - When the Facts Change...

Something wrong?

- When did you get home last night? - 2:00 or 3:00am.

4:00am.

You had a shower and buried your shorts at the bottom of the basket.

I'd been at work all day.

- Did you sleep with someone? - No, Karoline. No.

Have you, Torben?

No, I mean, I... I...

Damn it... it just happened.

- Just a one-night stand. - Who is she?

An assistant.

You don't know her.

I'm sorry, it was a mistake. I've got to go.

- You can't go now! - We'll discuss it tonight.

OK, I just love the front page of Berlingske...

Bravo!

- What's going on? - We're front page news!

Our ratings are going through the roof. It'll raise the bar for politics on TV.

- Or lower it to floor level. - Tales of Destiny, Torben.

We will show them triumph, we'll show them fall.

We'll show them rise again. That's how we'll win this election.

See you, Alex.

We've been rumbled. Karoline knows.

She asked directly...

I said it was just once and I don't know who it was.

You don't have to say anything. But...

Hi! It'd be nice to know what we do next.

The party presentation videos.

Even Birgitte Nyborg can have an off day. That's all there is to it.

She isn't the only member of the party, you know.

Jon Berthelsen is proposing a tax reform...

THE EKSPRES KNOWS BIRGITTE IS ILL

It's out.

The Ekspres has left a message. I haven't called back.

We've one chance to tell the story ourselves.

Use one medium: TV. TV2 do emotions best.

And they're a good choice, what with my past job at TV1.

It'll be brief, matter-of-fact and unsentimental.

For the next 24 hours, you're going to be talking about your illness.

It's the biggest personal story of the whole election.

We'll shoot it here. You're at work. You're not ill.

You are professional.

- Who will you give it to? - Dorte Brix.

She is Denmark's darling. And she honours agreements.

No questions about her family.

- Have you got everything you need? - Yes.

- Hi. - Hi.

Jon, Sejrø and Agnete are reviewing previous ideas on the economy.

We'll need to appear extra responsible now.

- Everything must be fully funded. - I'll manage.

- OK? - Of course.

- Ready? - Yes.

- Thank you for giving us this time. - Of course.

Breast cancer is very serious. It must've been a shock?

I must stress that I got off lightly.

Thousands of Danish women get it a year, many far worse than me.

Have you a message for them?

I now really appreciate...

KAROLINE: HAVE CALLED 8 TIMES.

The treatment guarantees that my government enacted.

The papers have been hard on your performance last night...

Why do the New Democrats choose TV2 for this and not us?

Get your acts together!

I'm feeling fine. I'm receiving treatment.

My illness is irrelevant in term of the election,

from now on it's all politics.

- Hi! - Hi, Mum!

Hi, darling!

- Have you missed me? - No.

Who sent all these flowers?

All kinds of fools who care for you. Fools like me.

Jeremy messaged me on Facebook, asking you to call him back.

OK, super, I'll call him in a moment.

Laura, I need a word with mum.

I'll look after the kids all you need.

I'm mainly worried about Magnus.

He's afraid of losing you.

Tell him he's not going to. He'll believe it coming from you.

All right. Take care of yourself.

- I want you to... - I'll survive.

- They're beautiful. - Call that boyfriend of yours.

- Yeah... - What is it?

How do I make him understand he needs to keep his distance?

I can't take any more people being worried about me.

I don't have enough hours in the day

to be a mediocre lover, a bit of a mum, and fight an election.

A good thing I'm not your lover!

It's incredibly courageous to go public

and talk so frankly about her illness.

- Is she fishing for votes? - No, it's far too serious for that.

Is it tactics, her announcing her illness at this point in time? Is it spin?

No. Cancer is too serious for that.

I don't believe it was a one-night stand.

It's been going on longer.

On 24th August when you went away on that leadership seminar...

I phoned your secretary and she said it never even took place.

Tell me who she is. Who is she? Who is she, Torben?

Pia.

Your sub-editor. Pia.

Get rid of her.

- I can't, not just like that. - Have her transferred.

- I can't... - You can't work with her all day!

OK, I'll transfer her.

You get a few minutes of introduction. Then we'll run the election videos.

Finally you'll be given 5 to 10 minutes of discussion.

Oh, there you are? Any comments as regards the running order?

Right. Anything else?

It'd be nice if our video could be discussed

at a different level from the usual.

- What level might that be? - That know-all hipster irony.

Applied to everything the Freedom Party stands for.

I expect the video will include wheat fields and Danish flags.

It's so narrow-minded.

You don't exactly represent the masses, Denmark's pin-up newscaster.

Designer shirt, iPad, coffee from town rather than the dispensers here.

Gosh!

You've been saving all that up, eh, Benedikte?

Svend Åge? I understand your video isn't quite ready yet.

We need to review it.

I'm meeting Thorsen and Carsten Bjerre to decide on a joint position.

We must have something to put on the negotiating table.

- Got anything for me? - Yes. Education.

Not closing small schools? How do we fund it?

It'll pay for itself.

The costs of keeping small schools open are nothing

compared to the revenue it generates locally.

And we are insisting on keeping special needs classes

rather than forcing kids into normal schooling and calling it "inclusion".

We need a rally in Copenhagen.

To show that we are an independent party.

We should pick a big venue.

That won't be an issue for us.

- Am I late? - No, no, not at all.

We decided to make good use of the time.

We were sorry to hear you were ill. We offer our condol... We're sorry.

- Did you read my proposal. - Yes.

But the joint manifesto has already been settled.

You'll agree to it when you've read it.

OUR DENMARK

- Our Denmark? What's all this? - Our vision for Danish society.

How long have you been working on this?

- We're not even mentioned. - Not till you've read it.

But it's not open to negotiation.

The Greens and the Labour Party have always been close.

So obviously overall opposition policy should arise from that fellowship.

We see the New Democrats as an important part of the new government.

At the press conference tomorrow we must present a united front.

United? When you have decided on all the policy issues in advance

under a title my people will find hard enough to swallow as it is?

- New Denmark is fine! - No.

The New Democrats have to make our mark before we can approve anything.

Birgitte, we know you're having a very hard time.

Your performance on TV the other night has left its traces.

We feel it will be best for everyone,

if you take the back seat.

- Is Dan around? - He's just gone for lunch.

Karoline knows it's you. I mean, she knows it's us two.

She can't stand us working so closely together...

Stop, stop, stop. Why do I need to know all this?

So you'll understand...

my decision to transfer you to the documentary unit.

- The documentary unit? - Temporarily, of course.

What the hell am I meant to do there?

Sorry, but I can't go home unless I transfer you.

I don't know what to say.

You don't have to say anything.

- Not a word about education. - It's a socialist manifesto.

- Søren, what do you think? - The worst thing is that it won't work.

The labour market commissions I sat on analysed all these measures.

They simply aren't effective enough.

Can you be more specific?

For example, the millionaire tax.

There's no real revenue in it.

And it's a damaging signal to anyone wanting to start a business.

- I agree. - Can we change anything?

- Put in our education proposals? - Thorsen says take it or leave it.

I doubt if I can vote for this.

It'd be media suicide to break ranks with the opposition.

This will be suicide anyway.

But with this presidential election idea we have to back someone.

We should consider backing Hesselboe.

And appear to be an appendix to the Moderates? We'd no longer be a party.

By backing Thorsen, we still have a reason for existence.

Tomorrow, we'll say we agree with the joint project.

And then try to get as many of our own views into it as possible.

And that sound bite?

There he is!

You're very late...

There is an election on.

I'll write it in and we'll see you tomorrow.

The video's finished.

You've dolled yourself up, I see.

I've just been to a rally at this posh boarding school.

Benedikte, may I ask you a question. This won't go any further, all right?

How much do you play on your appearance?

About as much as you, I should think.

Yes? I can't spend any more time on that right now.

That's good. Bye.

Let's look at the video.

Wheat fields. I knew it.

Just for you. All of it.

- You're very insistent, aren't you? - And you are very dishy.

Be nice to me in the studio.

Or I'm afraid I might dry up.

Just a moment, just a moment.

It's simply old-fashioned.

Anyway, I've put out a feeler to the Liberals

and they know some of us want to be in the government after the election.

He simply must not be allowed to gather all his old supporters.

Yes, it will be nasty, but Saltum uses the same methods.

- What are you doing? - Ask Torben.

Have you transferred Pia?

- Documentary needs help. - But at election time?

It sometimes helps to put pressure on new people like Lise.

Pia has all the important programmes. You can't shove them all onto Lise.

- Tom will be helping. - Tom?

"I've been on web content ever since my heart attack" Tom?

If you remove our best director, we'll have to talk to the bosses.

Pia, Pia, Pia.

You're not going to documentaries.

We can't do without you.

Sorry.

- Nice to see you. - Same to you.

Hans Christian.

Today the opposition presents its joint manifesto, Our Denmark.

Our vision for a Denmark

based on welfare, fair distribution of resources, and solidarity.

First of all, Carsten Bjerre and I will go over the programme point by point.

A Denmark with solidarity, a future-proof Denmark.

Our Denmark. Thank you.

Were all the policies drawn up by the Greens and the Labour Party?

And agreed with the New Democrats.

- Can Birgitte confirm that? - Naturally.

So you support the millionaire tax you have hitherto opposed?

Cooperation requires compromise.

But as a party,

we have independent measures on other areas such as education...

Today we are gathered here

to present the opposition's joint vision and not each party's own.

Are there any New Democrat fingerprints on any of this manifesto?

Birgitte Nyborg has had enough on her plate recently.

We fully sympathise.

The party has signed up under the opposition flag

and declared its unequivocal support for me as its leader.

And can Birgitte Nyborg confirm that?

Yes.

We must put our own policies across.

Which nobody wants to hear about.

But the battle is not lost. Is it, Nete?

No.

We started with Nescafe and a white board and we've got this far.

Perhaps we should book a smaller venue for the rally.

- Or it could be embarrassing. - I'll see to it.

But if we are going to break through in the media,

we will have to make use of all the press contacts we've got.

I'll call TV1, of course. Erik, you...

Well, I know the editor of Radio 1, Zealand, an old school chum.

And the papers, Jon, you have a friend who works for Politiken?

And Nete?

I'll come up with someone.

We'll brief them that we're announcing new measures tomorrow.

Hi, Bjørn! Great to talk to you. No, it's about a paper...

Hi, Hanne, I've a good story for you.

Torben's extremely disappointed that you gave Birgitte's illness to TV2.

Yes, but now you're getting this. An education reform.

We want to bring back village schools.

- Just mail us the proposal. - I'd like to set up an interview.

Nete and maybe Birgitte. But only to talk politics.

We're concentrating on Our Denmark

as the top story.

Our Denmark has nothing on education. We do.

You're a tiny party.

We prefer to talk to the big ones.

OK. See you.

It's just not right!

Chill, Nete. Let's try a bit of optimism.

We can't all find an exciting new media job

if this thing goes down the tubes, can we?

No, I'm sorry. Truly, I am sorry.

On 8th November, you will decide whether to preserve Denmark.

It is still your Denmark. It is still up to you.

Svend Åge Saltum, is it always summer and billowing wheat fields?

The Freedom party focuses on what's fine and beautiful about Denmark.

Those are the values we cherish and we protect.

But when will your party join the government?

Make the decisions?

Under my leadership the Freedom Party has grown

while we have backed Hesselboe's governments.

We have set the trend in every single political area.

What does the younger wing of the party say?

Daddy knows best?

We've always spoken frankly...

But could the Freedom Party help to form a government?

Where did that come from?

I can't exclude the possibility at some stage.

That's what politics is about.

Isn't it a problem when the chairman doesn't want to be in government,

but the deputy chair really wants to?

Benedikte Nedergaard is entitled to her opinions.

But it's the chairman who decides the party line.

- Three stay on Saltum. - And that's Svend Åge Saltum.

Just so we know.

Yes, the Freedom Party is still one big happy family.

Thanks for joining us.

Ulrik, where did that come from?

Hey, what are you playing at?

What have you heard? Who have you talked to?

Very good question.

Did you eavesdrop on my phone call?

That is unconscionable.

As unconscionable as snogging me so I'd go gently on you?

You are a dickhead.

Who does his job.

Jon.

Now?

- Good morning, Birgitte. - Fresh polls?

They're not very good.

We're being punished for being a small party and for selling out.

At least the press is now mauling the Freedom Party.

The Moderates are presenting a proposal on Education.

It costs more money to shut small schools than to keep them open.

What about local communities?

They lose their economic basis whenever a small school closes.

We will stop cutbacks in the name of "inclusion", too.

The Moderates want to keep special needs classes

with teachers who are experts in the area.

They've stolen our proposal.

It's certainly a coincidence.

- How could this have happened? - I don't understand it.

I know the Moderates have always been very progressive in this area.

It was our proposal almost word for word.

Anyhow. All the more important for us to distance ourselves from Kruse.

Can you get me onto a debate with him, preferably on live TV?

Then I can shove our views in his face.

Brilliant. Thanks.

TV1 will put Birgitte and Kruse on tonight.

They think we dropped our education idea

because it was too close to the Moderates'.

- "Is there room for both parties"? - Perfect!

We must emphasise areas where we are farthest from the Moderates.

Stay away from integration. It's a loser.

- Yes. - I agree. Then there's... Energy?

Kruse has tied himself to the government's lack of vision there.

Wind power. We have an idea for a research centre.

Kruse has always written off wind power as too costly.

The electorate is having difficulty

telling the New Democrats and the Moderates apart.

Birgitte Nyborg, do you understand the voters

who can't choose between you?

Kruse says the Moderates will back Hesselboe.

And...?

When I was the Moderates chairman, we had an ambitious green profile.

Kruse follows Hesselboe's line, which is hardly ambitious.

Kruse, don't you have any environmental ambitions?

Of course I have.

The Moderates want more wind energy.

We will suggest that much of our power

should come from sustainable sources.

You have consistently voted against wind power as too costly.

We want to reduce those costs.

We will set up a research centre for wind power.

It will set the standard and make investing in wind power attractive.

Thank you. I expect we'll be hearing more.

But in terms of energy, perhaps the two parties are not far apart.

Get this off me.

Somebody's leaking our material.

People are in and out of our offices all the time.

The latest papers were only available to the party leadership.

- It could be us two. - Erik or Jon. Nete. Ravn. Nadja.

Nadja is hardly ever there. Ravn hasn't got full access.

- Sejrø. - Never. It's inconceivable.

Disloyalty is the only thing I absolutely cannot tolerate.

I must question all of them.

You can't. You are party chair.

They mustn't feel you suspected them.

I'll do it.

You may need help from somebody with nothing at stake.

Polls show the electorate is punishing Birgitte Nyborg and her party

for their practically invisible role as part of the opposition,

following the opposition's big press conference yesterday.

Good morning.

If we begin to doubt each other, the party will be devoured from within.

Bent, sit down. The walls have ears.

Information is flowing from our innermost circles to the Moderates.

We must find the culprit.

It must be Jon, Erik or Nete.

Kruse will speak before Birgitte in the panel debate tonight.

We will brief the three on what Birgitte's going to stress.

But each briefing will be different.

We'll see which briefing Kruse draws on.

Brief them on their specialties. It'll arouse least suspicion.

Good idea. Nete, integration, Jon, the tax moratorium and Erik, justice.

Make sure they're all assembled here before I go on TV.

The little hall has been booked. We'll have to use the big one.

- Can't we cancel? - It would look bad in the papers.

- We must paper the house. - There's another matter.

I haven't had a wink of sleep. I've been thinking.

Those of us who founded this party

staked everything, and it mustn't go to waste.

Unless we do something drastic, we will founder.

But I believe I have figured out what to do.

I want to share this with you before anyone else sees it.

- It could kill us at a stroke. - Better that than to dwindle away.

Of course I have to inform everyone who matters.

If this leaks, we're dead.

We'll use two presenters tonight, Ulrik and Hanne.

After the panel debate, Ulrik and I will sum up.

- Use the teleprompter. - What a cushy job!

- What? - You just have to read aloud!

- And think of the salary! - I'm green with envy.

Pia, I thought you'd been transferred.

Pardon me, but it's because Torben has had a little affair with Pia.

I have repeatedly asked for them not to work together but it hasn't helped.

Karo, can we talk about it in my office?

I can't transfer her.

The others tore my head off. I had to take her back.

I'd like the front door key.

- Why? - You can sleep here.

Without your family butting in.

Torben, give me the key.

Give me the key, Torben.

- What about the kids? - You've never shown an interest.

Why begin now?

So we're going to launch a proposal on justice tonight.

The age of criminal responsibility should be changed back to 15.

Of course. 14-year-olds are still children.

- Precisely. - Is something going on?

No, that's all.

- I've talked to Erik and Nete. - I've talked to Jon.

Not exactly pleasant.

I know.

We'll all meet here tonight.

How do we know the culprit will go straight to Kruse?

We don't.

I'm really pleased you're here.

It's a great help to the party.

Want to come out for a smoke?

- I've given up, unfortunately. - Sensible.

I thought you might need it. We've had no clues yet.

- Just give me a signal. - I will.

Birgitte will be joining us shortly.

I've asked the campaign staff to go outside.

We have to address an extremely dangerous situation.

Somebody has begun informing the Moderates about our thinking.

It's destroying our campaign.

The mole must be one of the people in this room.

All our internal political discussions are getting to Kruse.

Our slogans are being snatched.

Rallies are being sabotaged.

We all have friends among the Moderates.

We share many views.

- We're way beyond coincidence. - One of us, you say?

Birgitte has also made a vital decision on our political line.

You have to be informed before we announce it.

But we can't begin to discuss it until we've agreed some ground rules.

So you're telling us to keep our traps shut.

Please give me your mobile phones.

Come off it!

Do not leave this room until the party leader debate is over.

- How nice to feel like a grown-up! - I'm not giving up my phone.

I'm sorry. It's the only way we can prevent a leak.

Do you agree?

Thanks.

Good evening.

Let me start by saying... that we have a viable party.

Professional communications.

Competent candidates.

Sustainable views. People who can promote them.

Yet it is as if all this is of no real use.

We're stuck.

So I hope you'll support me in what I intend to do next.

At stake is why we are here but also our survival as a party.

Ulrik, can I stand beside Lindenkrone?

Come with me, Carsten. You've got a lovely spot.

Ladies and gentlemen, take your places.

Week two of the election campaign and the tension is growing.

Who is the next prime minister of Denmark?

Hans Christian Thorsen or Lars Hesselboe?

The reds are catching up with the blues but Hesselboe is still solid.

But he will be challenged on tonight's programme.

Please spare me the ordeal of spending my entire evening

rejecting any talk of a chairmanship contest in the Freedom Party.

Thank you. Jakob Kruse?

How do the Moderates intend to set the agenda?

By distancing yourself from the New Democrats?

The Moderates will do as we've always done.

We will do what our voters have asked us to do.

One major reason for the foundation of the New Democrats

was to make us look as if we're against integration.

It's a trifle tiring.

Let's dispel such misunderstandings right away.

The Moderates are preparing several measures in the integration area...

This is too far out.

We'll get back to that.

I'd like to put the ball in your court, Birgitte Nyborg.

Why should we have the New Democrats,

when the Moderates are open to negotiation on integration?

As a vote for the Moderates is a vote for Lars Hesselboe,

we are definitely needed.

Of course you might also ask

if a vote for the New Democrats is just a vote for Thorsen.

The opposition has counted on us

without giving us any influence.

As a party, we can't live with that, so we hereby disassociate ourselves

from the bloc politics we've seen so far.

Stay with her.

The New Democrats are no longer part of the united opposition.

We are no longer backing Thorsen for PM.

Who are you going to back?

- Nobody. - Yourselves?

We will cooperate with whoever can help us promote our policies.

People won't know who they're voting for if they vote for you.

A vote for the New Democrats is a vote for the New Democrats.

- Keep asking her. - You can't not back someone!

You bet I can! Last week you let me keep things complicated.

This week you must let me keep things simple.

The New Democrats will pursue New Democrat policies, not other people's.

Lars Hesselboe?

How interesting to learn that Nyborg no longer backs Thorsen...

Were you afraid we'd lose?

- How dare you, Nete? - Bent!

Nete, sit down.

Birgitte wants to talk to you before you go.

She's on her way.

- You'll do the intro there... - And we'll turn to three.

A word? That was one cool programme.

Nyborg's bid to go-it-alone will be front page news again.

- We liked it too. - One other thing...

- We're about to go on air. - I hear your wife dropped by.

Your little affair is affecting your work. Way beyond what I can countenance.

- Alex, I can explain... - No need.

- Five seconds. - Just sort your shit out.

And give us a fantastic programme.

Action!

Good evening and welcome to Your Vote.

We've got lots of analysis for you.

We'll also look at how the parties stand as we enter week three.

Welcome, Torben, our political editor.

Thank you, Torben.

You have always been my hero. Do you know that?

I'm your greatest fan.

At that press conference with Thorsen,

you were compliant.

You did as you were told. You were weak.

You were not Birgitte.

You'd lost your touch.

Was it you who contacted Kruse?

I always did like him.

He phoned me after the press conference.

A hand reaching out before the ship goes down?

What did he offer you? That you could return to the party?

A cabinet post in time? Eh?

I want to make a difference.

Who for, Nete?

I'm afraid it's mainly for you personally.

In politics, the things that really matter

are the ones that take time. I hope you will see that one day.

You are through with this party.

I thought you'd quit?

- Facts change. - Aren't you starving?

In that room is a candidate who's no longer part of the party.

So I'll be spending the next few hours cancelling agreements.

We have an event tomorrow in a hall that's far too large.

We haven't got enough bums on seats.

And it's my fault, so...

You need to eat.

Come on.

And now anything could happen.

- Cue out. - Thank you for joining us.

- Thank you, Torben. - Thank you, Ulrik.

Were you trying to make a fool of me?

Torben, are you OK?

I'm sorry... I can't...

Birgitte Nyborg's withdrawal of backing for Thorsen

is front page news today...

Birgitte Nyborg has made the right move...

This morning's poll shows that voters have confidence in Birgitte Nyborg.

- Birgitte... - Thanks.

It was completely the right move. To leave the opposition.

To go it alone.

We are alone but stronger than ever before.

- Have you seen the papers? - Katrine, did we get the little hall?

- The Moderates still have it. - No need to worry about that now.

Yesterday's suit? Sleeping at the office now?

- Yes. - Ambitious.