Frederiksberg’s Conservative party is strongly opposing a proposal by Social Democratic Mayor Michael Vindfeldt to allow Filipino au pairs to extend their stay in Denmark by training as social and health assistants. The Conservatives argue that this initiative misuses the au pair scheme and fails to address existing issues within the municipality’s elderly care system.

Alexandra Dessoy, a Conservative councilor, believes the mayor’s focus is misplaced. She suggests that the municipality should first address its high sick leave rates among social and health workers before considering bringing in foreign labor. Dessoy highlights a CEPOS study showing that Frederiksberg employees had significantly more sick days than the national average in 2024.

Laura Lindahl, the Conservatives’ group chairman, expresses concerns that the proposal treats au pairs as cheap labor rather than facilitating cultural exchange. She also states she can no longer defend the au pair scheme, believing it often exploits vulnerable individuals. Lindahl suggests that those needing domestic help should pay fair wages instead of relying on the au pair system.

Sine Heltberg, the Social Democrats’ chairman of the Elderly and Care Committee, defends the proposal and urges the Conservatives to offer constructive solutions to the municipality’s staffing challenges in elderly care. She points out that the Conservatives recently supported initiatives to address high sick leave rates, making their current criticism seem contradictory.