Asbestos roofs; How to prevent traffic accidents; Winter tires rules

Last Week in Denmark (13.10-20.10) Episode 35 Year 4

Oct 20, 2024

Editor HQ

State of Denmark

Have you seen the comet of the century? If not, you will get another chance in 80,000 years. That really puts things in perspective in regards to our own presence on this Earth and how short our life really is. That’s why we should enjoy the present, the now.

The now is beautiful. Mid-autumn vibes, with days alternating between cold, rainy, windy, and sunny. Without realizing it, your light jackets have been buried by warmer clothes, and we are now all aboard the Autumn Express towards the end of the year. Not sure if you noticed, but time goes faster in the months before Christmas.

What did people talk about around the dinner table this week? Asbestos and child labor; the unspoken side of fertility treatment; and Emma’s justice.

The week started with the story that six children aged 12 to 16 have done illegal work with asbestos for the company LM Multiservices. There are strict rules for how old building materials, which contain the carcinogenic substance, must be handled. Not long afterwards, DR launched the documentary "Underdanmark,” which shows how internationals are mistreated on demolition sites and used for illegal asbestos work.

Around a million houses in Denmark still have asbestos roofs, which release asbestos fibers into the environment. Just inhaling a small concentration of asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer 20 to 40 years later. If you have one and can afford it, it is recommended that you replace your asbestos roof. Once upon a time, asbestos was seen as a wonder of civilization, as it was indestructible and resistant to fire. It got to the point where it was used as a filter for cigarettes, in toasters, and in bed mattresses. As early as 1930, it was discovered that it leads to lung cancer, but it took another 40 years to be banned. Now, the asbestos roofs are decaying and can become a public health emergency if not handled properly soon.

Few people talk about what happens if fertility treatment is not successful. It can lead to depression and to giving up the dream of having a child. Now, several specialists are calling the regional councils to employ permanent psychologists in fertility clinics so that families going through a tough time can receive help at the right time. In Odense, they have already made the first step.

We end this week’s column with Emma’s story. A rape case that went wrong due to the police negligence.

Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!

P.S. - A lemur escaped from Aalborg Zoo and went for a curiosity stroll through people’s gardens. See here the adventure.

LWID Universe

Linkedin: Our reporter, Golam Sadman, made his debut with an article about Marketing Connect CPH, a community for marketing professionals in Copenhagen.

Podcast: After a long break, the podcast is back, both in video and audio formats, with better quality sound.

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Danish Politics HQ

Weekly political overview

New regulations regarding winter tires in Sweden and Germany. If you plan to drive in the winter vacation to or through our neighboring countries, ensure you have the right type of winter tires on. The tires need to have the snowflake symbol on them. In Sweden, you need to have them on between December 1 and March 31, while in Germany, whenever there are winter conditions on the road. There is no requirement for winter tires in Denmark.

The Council of Europe urges Denmark to implement the national action plan against racism. One of the measures is to hire more people with a minority background in academic institutions and law enforcement authorities.

Paul Watson, the ex-Greenpeace whale activist, will continue his stay in the Greenlandic prison. Japan is pressuring Denmark to extradite him, while many world leaders and celebrities (including the leader of France, Macron) are against that.

Social media networks, shopping platforms, and gaming sites are banned from schools in Copenhagen. Today, the firewall is already blocking websites with harmful content, and soon it will be updated to also block social media, shopping, and gaming.

The employment and integration mayor of Copenhagen wants to nationalize the parking spaces in front of the Russian embassy. To be more exact, he wants the 23 parking spots to be made public so that people in Copenhagen can park there. The matter is now discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Proposals from political parties

Alternativet (Greens) wants to introduce a new transport deduction for bicycle commuters. 3 DKK per kilometer for a distance of two to 24 km between your home and workplace. Dansk Industri (Employer’s Association) supports the idea and also asks for tax-free employer-paid bicycles.
DF (Nationalist Conservatives) wants Denmark to end its agreement with Sweden and Norway, through which it is easier for a Swede/Norwegian to obtain Danish citizenship and vice versa. Why? The Swedes/Norwegians of today no longer culturally mirror the Danes due to their massive immigration intakes.

Focus

Winds of change in Europe, as the rhetoric towards immigration is getting tougher and we are getting a step closer to “Fortress Europe.” The latest EU summit of the state leaders has shown a different attitude towards immigration from outside the European Union. The EU leaders are ready to support repatriation measures, asylum reception centers outside of the Union territory and even supported Poland’s wish to put a freeze on asylum requests. This would have been unimaginable a couple of years ago.

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Danish Economics HQ

Weekly economics overview

The Debt Agency collected 1.8 billion DKK in the first six months of this year. The new rules that allow the debt agency to keep 60% of the income towards paying debt have sped up debt collection. 175,800 people in Denmark are losing a significant part of their salaries to debt recovery. It is mainly unpaid alimony, SU debt, tax debt, police fines, and undeclared B-tax income. You can check your debt here.

Banknotes older than 2009 will become invalid from May 31, 2025. Old banknotes with a total value of 2.8 billion DKK have yet to be exchanged at the bank and the clock is ticking. You can see here which specific banknotes are affected.

An economic forecast for 2025 shows that private consumption will increase by 3.7%. To understand this number, you need to look at the growth this year, which is at 0.9% so far. Since the financial crisis in 2008, the people in Denmark have been more reluctant to spend and have quietly put money aside, spending less than they earned. With the significant wage increase, the lower interest rates, the stabilization of inflation, and a boom in new businesses starting, a spending spree is expected starting this Christmas season.

Two billion DKK invested in NorthVolt by ATP at risk of being lost. An incredibly large investment made by the public pension fund ATP is at risk now, as the company targeted, NorthVolt, is on the verge of bankruptcy. NorthVolt is a Swedish company and the only manufacturer of batteries for electric cars in Europe.

Why should we care? This is our pension money.

The decentralization of the government is running at “turtle speed”. Since the decentralization reforms of 2015 and 2018, 5,750 government jobs have been moved from the capital to the province (read: Jylland). However, at the same time, 12,000 new government jobs have been created in the capital, which means that the balance is still skewed. 40.9% of government jobs are in the capital, while 38.1% are in the province. The change has only been of 0.3% since 2015.

Focus

The interest rate is lowered again. The third time this year. This time it went from 3.1% to 2.85%. A fourth interest rate cut is expected in December. The people with variable interest rate loans will be the first to notice, as the quarterly payment will be significantly reduced.

We have 2,845,000 cars in Denmark. Compared to a decade ago, there is a 28% increase. On average, every car ride has 1.08 passengers, which means most cars ride almost empty. The worst statistic? 30% of all car rides are under three kilometers.

The number of private cars is increasing. The kilometers driven and the frequency to which we use the cars for errands and short trips are also increasing. Is the country of bikes a thing of the past?
Every day we have 14 million empty seats. We don’t use that capacity, and instead we complain about traffic congestion and climate challenges. Each of us can choose to join a carpooling app and make sure we fill up the seats. You drive cheaper, as you can charge them for gas and maintenance, and you have company :)

Entrepreneurship Corner

Free consultation service from DANITACOM (the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Denmark). This consulting service is offered, individually, to five entrepreneurs, is conducted online, and is tailor-made for the needs and the specificities of each enterprise. It focuses on fundamental elements of sustainable entrepreneurship, such as circular economy, sustainable business models, and co-creation mindset. Sign up here.

Tip of the week! There is a European exchange program for entrepreneurs called “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” (nothing to do with age, only experience) aimed at new entrepreneurs that want to start or have started a business in the past three years. The idea is that you can shadow an entrepreneur in another country for a limited time period (three months to one year) and get your expenses covered by the European Union. Contact Tue Werner Mikkelsen from UCN for more info.

Daily Life in Denmark HQ

Weekly overview

Prevent accidents by using the rule of thumb. The Road Directorate developed the “rule of thumb” in terms of assessing distance relative to the car in front. When you sit behind the wheel and stretch your arm out, you must be able to cover the car in front with your raised thumb. If you can, you are keeping enough distance.

44% of the accidents are due to rear-end collisions (the most common form of accident). By using the “rule of thumb,” you can ensure that you have enough time to react.

Help your grandparents remove their phone number and name from public lists like Krak.dk. The police encourages relatives of the older citizens to help them get removed from public lists so that the chances they are falling prey to phone fraud are reduced. How to do that? Call their phone company to remove their name, address, and phone number from public databases. You can also hide the contact details and the friends list for the Facebook account.

New blood donation rules mean a whole new segment of the population can become blood donors. Who? Gay men in permanent relationships. Of course, as long as they speak Danish. Internationals need to pass a writing and oral exam in Danish before donation.

Lice season in kindergartens and schools. According to an expert, it’s pointless to wash or freeze clothes. Lice live only on the head; once they fall down, they die quickly. How to fight against them? A fine-toothed comb and lice treatment. Do not send the children to childcare institutions if they have lice.

Beware of the dietary supplement Ginseng Kianpi Pil, which can cause liver damage. Unregulated dietary supplements are being sold on Den Blå Avis, and they can have terrible effects on your body. Always check Kosttilskudsregister (run by the Danish Drug and Food Agency) to see if the dietary supplements are according to the rules.

One of the largest birds in Denmark, the golden eagle, is thriving. Seven new golden eagles in 2024 represent a record for the species.

Volunteers saved one of the coolest Halloween parades in Denmark. On October 16, the people of Nykøbing Mors, a city in the island of Mors (North Denmark), put on masks and come out to form one of the most popular Halloween parades in Denmark. Make sure you don’t miss it next year!

Volunteering is now an elective school subject in Vesthimmerland (North Denmark). Unfortunately, one of the cornerstones of Danish society, volunteering, is faltering. Especially among young people. Fewer and fewer people are donating their time to run the thousands of associations active in every local society. To counter that, an experiment in Vesthimmerland tries to teach volunteering in school.

It costs one million DKK to run the “starry sky” in Aarhus during Christmas season. The 750,000 bulbs over Strøget are quite costly to run and now the association behind the installation needs 400,000 DKK more to be able to do it again this year. Otherwise, it might be the end to an otherwise enchanting experience.

Last Week in Denmark

Asbestos roofs; How to prevent traffic accidents; Winter tires rules

Last Week in Denmark (13.10-20.10) Episode 35 Year 4

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