Party: Det Konservative Folkeparti (The Conservative People’s Party )
Candidate for: Local council: Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality
Vivian’s Journey
Vivian Xinwei Guan is originally from China, and she moved to Denmark when she was 17 years old with her mother and sister. She has spent more than half of her life in Denmark and became part of this society. Now she is running in the elections under the Conservative People’s Party in Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality.
“I didn’t choose to come here myself,” Vivian says. “My mother moved first, and then my sister and I joined her when I was seventeen.” Moving to a new country was a shock; she lost her friends, her family routines, and her native language. Yet, Denmark became her home quickly. Two weeks after she arrived, she started school in Copenhagen, which offered language classes for international students. “The teachers were very supportive. They helped us get started,” she says. And a few months later, she found her first job at Netto: “That job accelerated my Danish. Customers expected me to speak, so I learned quickly. You’re forced to talk, and that’s the best way to learn.”
Through these years, Vivian experienced starting from zero in a new country. She learned how communities are important for newcomers and integration. After finishing school, she continued her studies and earned an MSc in Supply Chain Management from Copenhagen Business School. Right now, she is working as a Supply Chain Partner at Novo Nordisk and lives in Virum with her husband and their 6-year-old son. “When my boy was born, I became more and more involved in local decisions. I joined citizen meetings about daycare, education, and budgets,” she says.“That’s where everything started.”
Entering Politics
At first, Vivian did not imagine herself in politics, but attended meetings as a concerned parent. Many municipalities struggle to recruit qualified educators, and the ratio of adults to children in local daycare centers has been a concern. “We had a hard time attracting teachers. Parents were worried, and so was I,” she explains.
Being a parent pushed her into politics. She became one of the active voices in hearings and community discussions, started asking questions, and suggesting solutions. “It’s not easy to follow those meetings if you don’t understand Danish fluently,” she says. “They speak very fast and use official terms. I thought, ‘How can other internationals participate if even I find it hard?’”
Her political journey started with the attention of Mayor Sofia Osmani, who invited her to join the Conservative team. “She noticed that I had been active for years,” Vivian says. “She encouraged me, saying, ‘Since you are part of a big international community here, especially Chinese families, you could speak for them too.’”
With that, everything changed for her: “I had only voted before. I was never a member of a party. But when the mayor asked, I realized I wanted to contribute more. I wanted to represent families like ours.”
Vivian’s Campaign
Her campaign shares her personal experiences as a mother, a professional in Danish business life, and someone who is also international and integrated into this society.
“There are two main things I care most about,” she says. “The first is children’s well-being, especially how we can create stronger communities for them. The second is how we can include international residents better in local decision-making.”
As a parent, Vivian focuses a lot on children and their well-being. She wants to make better use of existing school facilities after hours by opening them up to local sports associations. “Right now, many children are on long waiting lists for activities like handball,” she explains. “We can’t just keep building new halls everywhere because we also need green areas. But schools already have gyms and spaces that are empty after one o’clock. Why not let associations use them for after-school sports?”
She believes that sports are not just physical activities; they are a key part of belonging. She calls children “our small citizens” because “they have opinions, dreams, and they want to be heard. When they play together, they build friendships and confidence. We need to listen to them.”
Her second focus is on improving communication with internationals and navigating Danish bureaucracy and civic life. “Most of the citizen hearings and meetings are in Danish only,” she says. “That means a big part of our community that can’t participate.”
Vivian’s idea is simple but with the potential to be strong. She hopes to establish a coordinated mentorship program within the municipality that connects internationals with local mentors. These mentors would help newcomers understand civic processes, local culture, and ways to participate in community life. “Even a small, well-organized mentorship network could make a huge difference,” she says. “It’s about giving everyone a chance to understand what’s going on and how to get involved.
Her campaign message is clear: “I will work for a Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality that is a good place to be for our children and our parents. It’s about safe environments, decent food, strong communities, and professionally skilled adults who have the time and energy to make a difference.”
Final Thoughts
Vivian’s final message for internationals in Denmark is: “First of all, it’s our right to vote. But it’s also our responsibility to speak up.”. She believes internationals come from many different professions and contribute to the local economy. Their opinions matter about everything in Denmark. She thinks that even if your Danish is not perfect, you can still write to your local representatives or attend events, because here they would like to listen to you.
She shows optimism about Danish democracy. “Here, people are proud of their local democracy. When you reach out, they really listen,” she says. “That’s something I deeply respect.”
She also thinks voting is like a festival. “When you go to vote, you can suddenly share a common language with everyone there, because you just talk about democracy and get to socialize.”
Vivian also opens her heart about what she loves about her municipality. “Lyngby-Taarbæk is beautiful, full of trees, lakes, and green spaces,” she says. “The Conservative Party has worked hard to protect that. Of course, we need more facilities and housing, but we should build wisely and keep the beauty that makes this place special. Good solutions arise when different perspectives meet in respect and dialogue.”
Follow Vivian’s Facebook campaign page: https://www.facebook.com/share/17Tormmst7/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Follow Vivian’s Instagram campaign page: https://www.instagram.com/vivian_xinwei_guan/
