Party: Socialdemokratiet (The Social Democratic Party )
Candidate for: Local council: Skive Municipality
Valentin Vorobat’s Journey
Valentin Vorobat is a Romanian, and he left his country in 2010. At that time, because of the economic crisis, jobs were disappearing, and, like many others, he had to decide whether to leave or stay. It was a hard choice to make. If he stayed, he was going to struggle a lot, but he decided to leave and start again with a new life in Denmark. “In Romania, I had good jobs, good money, good friends,” he recalls. “I never thought I’d go anywhere. But then the crisis came, no jobs, no money, nothing.”
It was also not easy to settle down in Denmark. He left his office life in Romania and moved here, and his first job was on a cow farm on a small island near Fyn. He laughs when describing the culture shock: from a bustling city of 350,000 to a quiet island surrounded by fields, from a computer desk to cleaning stables. “It was a big, big cultural and job change,” he says. “But that was the situation back then. I didn’t know anyone. There was no Facebook, no community groups. You learned everything from the few people around you.”
His first job on the farm was very hard, and the working conditions were poor. After six months, he found another, bigger, and better one. His new employer was nicer and treated him fairly. That was the first time he felt that he could build a life here.
The second job was also on a farm, this time a pig farm in the Kolding area, where he worked for around three years. “It was all in English,” he says. “The Danish I learned later, in a factory, after I moved to Skive.”
Later on, in Skive, a small city in Midtjylland, he would build a life with his family. Over the years, he changed his profession many times. He studied again and qualified as a logistics operator and now works in that field. “It was a long journey,” he smiles. “And I think it’s not finished yet.”
Entering Politics
Valentin’s political journey began with some community work. Over the years, he has volunteered for different local events, festivals, and social projects. In 2021, he founded Dansk Rumænsk Kultur Forening i Skive. He started promoting cultural exchange and integration. “I saw that internationals do a lot for Denmark, but we don’t have a voice,” he explains. “We pay taxes, we work, we raise our children here, but when decisions are made, nobody asks us.”
With the association he founded, he organized events where residents could share food, music, and stories from their home countries. After many events, he realized something very important: Skive’s diversity was real but underrepresented. “In Skive we are about 3,000 internationals from 99 nationalities,” he says. “That’s a lot for a small city. But no one in the council speaks about us”
For him, integration is not just about language and work; it is also about being seen and heard by other people. That was the reason he wanted to be a politician. It pushed him to join the Socialdemokratiet. “I’ve always been a social democrat,” he says simply. “They care more for the people and less for the companies. When I met them, they welcomed me with open arms. They treated me well, so I said yes, this is my place.” Now he serves on several advisory boards in Skive, including some cultural and sports councils, and he often finds himself trying to turn talk into action. “At one meeting, I said: we meet, we talk, but nothing happens. It’s not enough to talk; we must act. I think that’s why I want to join politics. To make things move.”
Valentin is not just a politician; he is like a neighbour who wants things to work better in his council.
Valentin’s Campaign
Valentin’s campaign focuses on two goals: giving internationals a voice and revitalizing local culture and tourism in Skive.
His first goal is also very personal because of his status as an international in Denmark. He also moved here for a new life and started from zero, and he felt confused about all the systems here. “If you come from another country and your child starts school here, it’s very hard to understand the system,” he says. “Sometimes you just need another international who already went through it, someone who can explain how things work.”
His dream is an International House in Skive, a welcoming space for advice, events, and community connections. Additionally, he is hoping to establish an International Festival celebrating the city’s cultural diversity. “Let’s make a day where every country has a stand,” he says. “They cook, they sing, they dance, and Danes can see who their neighbors really are.”
Secondly, he focuses on culture and tourism, because he thinks Skive has enormous but underused potential. For example, the city is home to the famous Danish writer Jeppe Aakjær, but not many people know about it. “There’s no sign on the highway saying ‘Visit Aakjær’s house!’” he says, half-amused, half-frustrated. “Only 9,000 people visit it a year, and the city has 45,000 inhabitants. It should be ten times more. It’s a beautiful historical place, full of meaning.” And his dreams are getting bigger. One day, he would love to have an attraction park in the region, a big project that could bring many jobs and energy to the community. “On a 200-kilometer radius, there is no attraction park,” he explains. “If we had one here, young people could get jobs, tourists would come, and Skive would grow.”
Final thoughts
Valentin Vorobat’s story is about learning and belonging. From Romania to Denmark, he worked hard, invested himself, and learned Danish. Now he is building bridges between people.
His belief is that integration is a two-way process; internationals must take part, and Danish society must open its doors. His advice for newcomers is simple but powerful: “Go out. Volunteer. If your child plays football, ask if you can help collect the balls. If there’s a local festival, bake a cake or serve beer. When people see you helping, they see who you really are.”
He insists that participation is the key priority, not only for Romanians but all the internationals. “Sometimes newspapers write bad things about us,” he says. “But when people meet you, work with you, laugh with you, they change their minds.”
He is also inviting all the internationals to use their right to vote. “If we don’t vote, we don’t have a voice,” he stresses. Especially this year, more than half a million international voters in Denmark can vote, and it is the highest number. “We pay taxes, we live here, we raise our children here. We should also have a say in how things work.”
Follow Valentin’s Facebook campaign page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/261514794667706/user/574517444/
Follow Valentin’s Instagram campaign page: https://www.instagram.com/vorobatvalentin/
Follow Valentin’s Associate Page Dansk Rumænsk Kultur Forening i Skive : https://www.facebook.com/share/165DvusGrR/
