Borgen, screenwriter of the hit series, says the main theme in the show’s latest season – the darker side of holding power – draws inspiration from Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen, who has been criticized for centralizing authority. The topic becomes relevant in the upcoming election in which the Danes will pass judgment on Fredriksen’s leadership during three chaotic years stricken by a pandemic, war and economic turmoil.
Adam Price, a screenwriter and popular TV chef in Denmark, has won international acclaim for Borgen, which returns this year for its fourth season, depicting the experiences of veteran parliamentarian Birgit Nyborg, played by Sidse Babette Knudsen. has gone.
The show, particularly popular among Britons with an affinity for the Nordic noir genre, has often amazed Danes at its ability to foreshadow political developments in Denmark, including the election of the country’s first female prime minister.
“We have a base for Borgen… Can you stay in power and still be true to yourself?” Price told Reuters during an interview in Copenhagen. In the fourth season, which aired in February, Nyborg evolved into a darker character focused on clinging to power, drawing parallels with Fredriksen, who has authority centralized around his office.
“Naturally, we are also inspired by elements in the character of our current prime minister,” Price said, adding that Nyborg’s character was also influenced by many other current and former political personalities.
Critics say Frederiksen’s top-down leadership was partly to blame for a hasty and illegal order to eliminate all mink in the country during the coronavirus pandemic, a scandal that could cost him a second term in office. Could damage the chances of returning.
He said whether Birgit Nyborg would return for a fifth season was not dependent on price, but a potential new series could take her to Brussels and the EU power center.
“I’m sure a lot of people in the UK would enjoy it, especially if we weren’t very friendly towards Brussels,” Price said.