Danish ‘cowboy’ poses nude in a bid to become next PM

A screengrab from the Facebook page of Danish prime minister wannabe John Erik Wagner shows one of his posters. SOCIAL MEDIA GRAB

As the Danish general elections on June 18 draws near, a former municipal garbage man has been intensifying his efforts to be elected as Denmark’s next prime minister—by posing nude in his campaign posters.

In a report by the Guardian, 51-year-old John Erik Wagner of Copenhagen said posing with nothing but a cowboy hat and a gun holster was his way of making an impression and attracting voters, after two failed election bids in the past.

“I’ve been trying to get elected for 10 years now, and this is my third election, so I thought I’d try something different,” Wagner said. “Other candidates’ posters are boring – just like passport photos – so I wanted mine to surprise people.”

Wagner said he has been receiving a lot of attention and positive feedback not only in Denmark, but also in other countries like China, Italy, and Spain.

“It helps to look good if you want to be in government and people say I have a nice body, so I thought, ‘This is me, here I am.’ I wanted to get my name out there,” he added.

But Wagner said he’s bigger than his stunt, as he has also been pushing for free dentist trips and the introduction of basic income in Denmark by making people work six months on and six months off every year.

“I know what it is like to be out of work,” he said. “I’m a clothes designer by trade but I don’t have any work right now. So I want a job. I want to go into government to get work. And help other people who don’t have work.”

Wagner said he was feeling positive about the outcome of the general elections, but added that he might consider going back to being a garbage man if he doesn’t get elected.

The Danish general elections will determine the composition of the country’s 179-strong parliament, in a battle between the “red block” Social Democrats led by Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Scmidt and the “blue block” Venstre of opposition leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen. YG