Archive post: »Ewers: When the Christmas tree is decorated with spin and silence« · 2024-12-24

• Claus Ewers — Mentioned in the current archived text
• Peter Hansen — Mentioned in the current archived text
• Thomas Ewers — Mentioned in a historical text version

Source title: Ewers: Når juletræet er pyntet med spin og tavshed

Text version dated 24 Dec 2024

Ewers: Når juletræet er pyntet med spin og tavshed Juledagene i Sønderborg byder traditionelt på hygge og fællesskab – og for visse familier, et strategisk PR-stunt, der skal aflede opmærksomheden fra ubehagelige spørgsmål. I år er det Ewers-familiens tur til at fremstå som byens helte, hjulpet godt på vej af Sønderborgs egen Komiske Ali, Peter Hansen, der som formand for Jysk Fynske Medier sørger for, at kun de "rigtige historier" ser dagens lys. Ewers-familien, med Thomas og Stine i spidsen, præsenteres som Sønderborgs næste store bidrag til fællesskabet.

Men bag idyllen gemmer der sig en historie om tab, tavshed og taktiske manøvrer, der kun de færreste tør stille spørgsmål ved. JV's artikel bringer billeder af børn og juletræer, men nævner ikke de ca. 600 millioner kroner, familien har tabt i deres Kina-eventyr – et tab, der blandt andet ramte statslige fonde og dermed skatteyderne. Hvordan undgik Claus Ewers konkurskarantæne?

Og hvorfor har ingen rejst kritiske spørgsmål om, hvorda.n disse midler overhovedet blev stillet til rådighed? Det bliver ikke bedre af, at Peter Hansen, Sønderborgs svar på Komiske Ali, har gjort det til en kunstform at miskreditere kritikere og ignorere dokumenterede spørgsmål. Når sandheden er for ubelejlig, ændres reglerne.

Et eksempel? Claus Ewers' forsøg på at ændre vedtægterne i en lokal erhvervsklub for at ekskludere en kritiker, der stillede for mange spørgsmål om hans forretningsmetoder. Det er åbenbart lettere at ændre spillereglerne end at forklare, hvor pengene blev af.

Og hvad med de "julegaver", der flyder i form af tavse medier og undvigende politikere? JV's artikel føjer sig til rækken af historier, der fokuserer på facaden, mens de reelle spørgsmål – som hvordan Sønderborgs demokrati kan fungere under mafia-lignende metoder – forbliver ubesvarede. Måske har Claus Ewers, Peter Hansen og deres netværk allerede givet lidt ekstra gode "gaver" til at sikre, at pressen og politikere undgår at grave for dybt.

Hvis Sønderborg skal have troværdighed som en by med ambitioner, kræver det mere end billeder af børn og ringriderfester. Det kræver en presse, der tør stille de svære spørgsmål, og politikere, der ikke bøjer sig for dem med de dybeste lommer. Indtil da må vi nøjes med PR og tavshed – og et juletæppe til at dække over de manglende svar.

Glædelig jul til alle, der tør spørge: Hvor blev gennemsigtigheden og retfærdigheden af? Lad os håbe, at det kommende år bringer mindre spin og mere svar. Sønderborg har fortjent bedre. https://jv.dk/soenderborg/stine-og-thomas-ewers-var-ret-enige-fra-begyndelsen-vi-skal-bo-i-soenderborg

This is an automatic reading translation. The source’s allegations and assessments have not been independently confirmed through translation. Check wording, qualifications and meaning against the preserved Danish original. Some retained numbers may use Danish separators: a dot for thousands and a comma for decimals. Check amounts against the Danish original.

Ewers:
When the Christmas tree is decorated with spin and silence

Christmas days in Sønderborg traditionally offer coziness and community – and for some families, a strategic PR stunt to divert attention from uncomfortable issues. This year it's the Ewers family's turn to appear as the city's heroes, helped along the way by Sønderborg's own Comic Ali, Peter Hansen, who as chairman of Jysk Fynske Medier ensures that only the "right stories" see the light of day. The Ewers family, led by Thomas and Stine, is presented as Sønderborg's next big contribution to the community.

But behind the idyll lies a story of loss, silence and tactical maneuvers that few dare to question. JV's article brings pictures of children and Christmas trees, but does not mention the approx. 600 million DKK, the family has lost in their China adventure – a loss that, among other things, hit state funds and thus the taxpayers. How did Claus Ewers avoid a ban on company management (Danish: konkurskarantæne)?

And why has no one raised critical questions about how these funds were made available in the first place? It doesn't get any better that Peter Hansen, Sønderborg's answer to Komiske Ali, has made it an art form to discredit critics and ignore documented issues. When the truth is too inconvenient, the rules change.

An example? Claus Ewers's attempt to change the bylaws of a local business club to exclude a critic who asked too many questions about his business methods. It is obviously easier to change the rules of the game than to explain where the money went.

And what about the "Christmas presents" that flow in the form of silent media and evasive politicians? JV's article adds to the series of stories that focus on the facade while the real questions – like how Sønderborg's democracy can function under mafia-like methods – remain unanswered. Perhaps Claus Ewers, Peter Hansen and their network have already given some extra good "gifts" to ensure that the press and politicians avoid digging too deep.

If Sønderborg is to have credibility as a city with ambitions, it needs more than pictures of children and ring-riding festivals. It requires a press that dares to ask the difficult questions, and politicians that do not bow to those with the deepest pockets. Until then, we have to make do with PR and silence – and a Christmas blanket to cover the missing answers.

Merry Christmas to all who dare to ask: Where did transparency and justice go? Let's hope the coming year brings less spin and more answers. Sønderborg has deserved better.

Stine and Thomas Ewers were pretty much in agreement from the beginning: - We are going to live in SønderborgRingriderfest and the parents' circle of friends has been the starting point for the love between Stine and Thomas, who now works in the family business in Sønderborg. - But I would have chosen the city no matter what, emphasizes Thomas Ewers.