<h6><strong>Ane Barcos</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Danish Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen publicly expressed her disagreement with her Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez,'s statements regarding the protests that disrupted the final stage of the Vuelta a España. Frederiksen emphasized that, while she respects the right to free expression, she believes that "sport should not be destroyed by foreign conflicts."</strong></h4> "My Spanish colleague paid tribute to the protesters yesterday. I don't agree with that," Frederiksen said, referring to the Spanish Prime Minister, who had shown his respect for the protests in solidarity with Gaza, which led to the cancellation of the final stage of the famous cycling competition. The protests, which were an act of solidarity with the situation in the Gaza Strip, forced the Vuelta a España organizers to cancel the final stage, which was scheduled to take place in central Madrid last Sunday. For his part, Pedro Sánchez had previously expressed his "absolute recognition and respect for the athletes" whose participation was interrupted, but also emphasized his "admiration for a people like the Spanish who mobilize for just causes like Palestine." However, Mette Frederiksen did not share that view. The Danish Prime Minister emphasized that sport should not be used as a platform for political demonstrations or conflicts outside the competition itself. “Sport must be above any kind of political interference. It is crucial that we protect these events from any kind of interruption that is alien to their essence,” she declared. “The sport of cycling is breathtaking. It’s a man or a woman alone on a bicycle, facing the mountains or the wind. That’s what makes it so fascinating,” she commented, emphasizing what cycling represents to her. The Prime Minister lamented that an event like the Vuelta a España was disrupted by protests. She considered that this not only affected the development of the sport, but was a manifestation of what she described as the “destruction” of a sporting event that, in her opinion, should remain free from political tensions. “In recent weeks, a cycling race has been destroyed by protesters, and sport has been taken hostage in foreign conflicts,” she added. Despite her stance, Frederiksen clarified that she supports the right to free expression in a democracy, but noted that “the parliament of the streets has nothing to do with the democracy.” She also emphasized that the protesters, by interfering with a sporting event, were “destroying sport and, ultimately, democracy.” Although she clarified that she generally avoids mixing politics and sport, the Danish Prime Minister explained that she felt she had to “make an exception” in this case, reaffirming her stance of support for athletes and those who do not use sport for political purposes. “Instead of paying tribute to the protesters, I want to pay tribute to the athletes and all those who do not destroy anything for others,” she concluded.
