Viral bets

The winter elections in Denmark recently heated up, but not because of the intense rivalry between the candidates.

Neither was the freezing temperature reversed by climate change when two contenders for parliamentary posts — belonging to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democratic Party — campaigned in the Vanlose neighborhood of Copenhagen wearing bathing suits.

Member of Parliament Ida Auken and Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard just so happened to choose a sauna for their steamy campaigning on 15 March. They spoke to 18 voters who were there, in bathing suits, to present their platforms and answer questions.

“It’s the first time I campaigned in a sauna,” Auken told Agence France-Presse, revealing her non-traditional meetup strategy that included playing handball and going to bars.

Meanwhile, the municipal elections in a small town in France sounded explosive when one heard the names of two mayoral candidates.

French social media has been inundated with “humorous” posts about the Arcis-sur-Aube mayoral battle, making the contenders viral rivals, the BBC reported.

The center-right mayor, seeking reelection, described his online popularity as crazy, fanned by his name and that of his opponent from the far-right National Rally.

Mayor Charles Hittler is not related to the notorious Nazi leader, while Antoine Renault-Zielinski said he is not related to the current president of Ukraine.

“I can see why people find it amusing. Personally, it doesn’t make me laugh, but it doesn’t bother me either,” Zielinski told BFMTV, according to BBC.

While their namesakes’ historical and contemporary adversary is the same —- Russia — Hittler and Zielinski want to deal only with issues of their town, whoever is elected.