Earn 4,000 DKK; Jobcenter reform; Do you know your neighbors?
Last Week in Denmark (06.04-13.04) Episode 14 Year 5
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Reform of the Job Center: fewer meetings and almost no sanctions.
Good neighbors make safer streets.
Illustration made by Diana Bălașa
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Images of the week
🦊 Fox on the loose. In Sdr. Bjert near Kolding, a bold fox made off with four backyard hens in broad daylight, leaving behind piles of feathers and shocked neighbors. One resident snapped photos as the fox calmly walked off with a chicken. Others have now locked their flocks indoors. While the visits are unsettling for hen owners, many still find the rare close-up encounters with these wild animals strangely fascinating.
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Danish Politics HQ
New laws
🧠 Denmark just unveiled a major new mental health plan. The government’s long-awaited strategy, A Stronger Psychiatry, promises 4.6 billion DKK over 10 years to fix a system many say has long been neglected. Key changes include faster treatment for young people with anxiety and depression, new ADHD and autism clinics, better support for parents, and a stronger focus on early intervention. The plan also ends public funding for private diagnoses without referral and aims to reduce long waits with more staff and capacity.
🔧 Denmark's biggest job market reform slashes red tape but sparks major backlash. The employment minister has unveiled a sweeping reform aimed at simplifying the employment system, cutting 2.7 billion DKK and reducing bureaucracy. The changes eliminate 500,000 mandatory job center meetings per year and remove 9 out of 10 sanctions for rule violations. Crucially, municipalities are no longer required to have job centers; they now get to shape job efforts as they see fit.
The goal? A more dignified, human-centered system with fewer control mechanisms and more flexibility. But not everyone is clapping. Trade unions and experts call it risky and warn it could become “a historic failure.” Critics fear that slashing staff and simplifying rules will lead to higher social costs and leave vulnerable citizens behind. With 3,500 job center staff potentially losing their jobs, many believe the reform prioritizes savings over support.
Law proposals
🧸 No more forever chemicals in toys. The EU has agreed on new rules to ban PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals,” and other hormone-disrupting substances in toys. The law also introduces digital product passports and QR codes for better transparency and border control. Danish officials and consumer groups welcome the move, calling it a major step in protecting children’s health. The law still needs final approval from the European Parliament and Council, but is expected to pass.
🏠 Help for rural homebuyers. The government wants to expand and make permanent the state-backed mortgage guarantee for homes in rural areas. The scheme, known as Lån på Landet, will now cover a larger portion of the loan. The goal is to make it easier to buy and sell homes outside the big cities, where the housing market has slowed.
Political scene
🚨 We face the most serious threat landscape since WWII, warns a new national security report. Presented by the emergency management minister, the “Nationalt Sikkerhedsbillede 2025” highlights 16 major risks, from sabotage and hybrid warfare to energy supply and climate disruptions. The government urges municipalities and regions to revisit their preparedness plans, while Dansk Industri calls the report a “wake-up call” for businesses. The message is clear: start planning now, because the threats aren’t just military; they’re digital, environmental, and infrastructure-related too.
🇺🇸 U.S. troops in Denmark? Parliament has begun debating a controversial defense deal with the U.S. that would allow American soldiers and military equipment on our soil. The agreement was made under Biden but is now up for a vote as Trump returned to power, raising public concern. Nearly half the population is against the proposal. The deal includes access to Danish air bases. While the government defends it, only Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance) and Alternativet (Greens) oppose it outright.
🌍 The climate minister survives a no-confidence declaration. After a three-hour hearing, a united opposition in the Climate Committee declared no trust in Minister Lars Aagaard for withholding critical information on power grid delays. Despite apologies, the opposition says cooperation is now impossible. However, with support from three North Atlantic MPs and independent MP Jon Stephensen, the government retains a majority, keeping Aagaard in office.
Danish Economics HQ
Our money
👨👩👧👦 Foster families in Nordfyns Kommune just got a new reason to stay, and more may soon follow. From March 1, they’re the first in Denmark to receive pension contributions for taking in children, whether full-time, short-term, or weekend placements. With the number of foster families down 22.5% since 2014, the municipality hopes this 5% pension scheme will keep current families onboard and attract new ones.
🏬 Breathing life into town centers. To combat the decline of local shops and empty streets caused by online shopping, the government is rolling out 49.5 million DKK to support revitalization projects across 16 towns. The aim? To strengthen local communities through physical upgrades, business development, and public-private partnerships. Cities like Sorø, Kalundborg, and Faaborg are among the recipients. The initiative is part of a larger 142 million DKK EU-backed fund for sustainable urban development.
🏡 Boost for village life. 53 municipalities will share 117 million DKK from the Landsbyfornyelsespuljen to revitalize villages with under 4,000 residents. The funds will support repairs of old homes, renovation of community halls, and conversion of vacant business spaces.
State of the markets
🌍 Trump's trade chaos is shaking up Danish exports, but not all in a bad way. While some companies like Dryk and VentriJect scramble to pivot from an unstable U.S. market, others are seeing surprise opportunities. A Canadian buyer recently contacted Grønning Smede- og Maskinforretning in Skive after ditching U.S. suppliers due to skyrocketing prices. Now, the small firm might export to Canada, a market they’d never before considered.
📉 Stocks are tumbling, but don’t panic. Experts urge private investors to stay calm, avoid selling in fear, and definitely don’t follow your neighbor’s strategy. History shows markets bounce back, even after crises like COVID or 2008. If you're nervous, talk to a real advisor, not your cousin. And if you have spare cash and nerves of steel, falling prices could mean buying opportunities.
🤖 Europe wants in on the AI race. The EU plans to invest 150 billion DKK in artificial intelligence, including five massive “AI gigafactories” across the continent. Politicians from Denmark are eager to host one, citing jobs and tech growth. While the goal is to reduce dependence on U.S. and Chinese tech, experts warn the datacenters come with major environmental costs, especially in water and electricity use. Still, the hope is to boost productivity and secure digital infrastructure in Europe.
☀️ Solar power drives global green energy growth. In 2024, 40.9% of the world’s electricity came from low-emission sources, with solar energy leading the charge. Solar now accounts for nearly 7% of global electricity, a doubling in just three years. Denmark remains the global wind leader with 58% of its power from turbines. The EU reached over 71% from green and nuclear sources. Despite rising demand due to heatwaves, nearly all electricity growth was covered by renewables, signaling a shift away from fossil fuels as clean tech fuels economic progress.
Entrepreneurship
🌱 More support for green industry. Denmark is opening a new round of the Green Investment Scheme, with 657 million DKK available in 2025 for companies building or expanding wind and electrolysis tech production. The goal? Strengthen Denmark’s green leadership, create jobs, and compete globally. Companies can apply for up to 15% in project funding, with potential investments exceeding 4 billion DKK.
Danish Daily Life HQ
🏘️ Good neighbors make safer streets. A new report shows that 1 in 4 people feel their neighborhood ties have weakened in the last five years, even though 81% say good neighbor relations matter. Trust and social events help prevent burglaries and boost well-being, but conflicts and lack of energy keep people apart. In some places, yearly block parties keep the spirit alive. Experts say a wave, a welcome, and a little effort go a long way.
⛪ No one should leave this world alone. That was the idea behind Grete Jungløv’s farewell in Ebeltoft, where 125 strangers filled the church to grant her final wish, a full funeral. She had no close family, but local care workers and the new Afskedsvenner network stepped in. The grassroots group, now with over 2,600 members, helps ensure that even those without relatives are laid to rest with dignity.
🚴♀️ Want to be a care worker in Odense? You’ll need to ride a bike. As Denmark’s population ages and the need for SOSU (social care) workers grows, Odense Kommune is tackling a surprising barrier: many international students can’t cycle. In a city where home care staff travel by bike and where many SOSU workers aren’t Danish, that’s a problem. So the municipality and the Red Cross launched bike training courses.
🧹 Why sponsor a jersey when you can sponsor a cleanup? A builder from Viborg convinced 120 young handball players to spend their Saturday picking up trash instead of just wearing his company logo. His logic? Real sponsorship means effort. Other local businesses joined in, and together they cleared tons of litter around Viborg.
🐇 What if your next dinner wasn’t chicken, but rabbit? A renowned chef is urging us to rethink rabbits, not as pets, but as sustainable protein. He says rabbit meat is climate-friendly, easy to cook, and surprisingly similar to chicken.
🪖 From punchline to pride. Once mocked as “weekend warriors,” Denmark’s Home Guard is experiencing a historic surge in respect and recruits. With war in Europe and rising security needs, the volunteer corps now guards harbors and infrastructure, and will soon take on more military tasks. Membership is no longer a joke; it’s a statement. As one longtime member said, “It used to be something you hid. Now people brag about it.”
✋ Only two people refused military service last year. That’s a dramatic drop from the 1970s, when over 4,600 chose civil duty instead. Experts say the fall in militærnægtere reflects rising pride in military service and fewer reasons to object. But with plans to extend conscription from 4 to 11 months and recruit 2,000 more young people, some predict the number of objectors could rise again.
📚 Solvej Balle is making literary waves. The Danish author has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize for Concerning the Calculation of Volume I (Om udregning af rumfang I), a series about a fictional character, Tara Selter, being caught in a time loop. It’s one of the world’s top honors for translated fiction.
📚 Is AI stealing from authors? That’s the alarm from creatives after revelations that Meta may have trained its Llama 3 model using pirated books, including works by Danish authors like Jussi Adler-Olsen and Suzanne Brøgger. The alleged source? LibGen, a Russian pirate library with over 7.5 million books. Danish rights groups call it “history’s biggest copyright theft” and demand transparency: who’s using what, and how?
🐋 A humpback whale is getting a second life. The 8.5-meter-long whale that washed ashore at Følle Strand will become the newest skeleton on display at Fjord&Bælt in Kerteminde.
🏖️ Beach surfing is back. After being banned last month due to traffic rules, the sail-powered three-wheeled beach buggies are now legal again on nine beaches. The transport minister overturned the decision, calling the original ban “unfortunate.” The new rules come into place in mid-May.
International Community HQ
🎓 Denmark plans to expand public access to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The Ministry of Education has launched a new round allowing up to three more public schools to offer the two-year English-language diploma. Student numbers are expected to grow by 70% by 2033, and applicant schools must be approved by both the ministry and the international IB organization. Final selections are expected by the end of 2025.
New reporting
This week, we have several articles on the theme of “Forgotten Gold”.
In the first of a new series where we shine the spotlight on Golden Internationals, Sebastian Florian meets Daniel Frumusachi, a 25-year old Moldovan entrepreneur. They discuss Daniel’s remarkable and inspirational journey from a newcomer washing dishes in a Copenhagen restaurant kitchen to co-owner of the restaurant and Guinness World Record holder.
And Elisabeth McClure writes about why she prefers to think of the “Forgotten Gold” as Denmark’s bonusfamilie. Elisabeth, who moved to Denmark eight years ago, is the founder of nabo, the app that supports internationals to build connections and a sense of belonging in Denmark.
Read Elisabeth’s previous guest article for us, “The Neighbourhood that Started with a Tortilla”.
New columns
Continuing the “Forgotten Gold” theme, in her latest Found in Translation column, Ali Lewis explores why accompanying partners should think of themselves as trailblazing, not trailing, spouses.
Emily Ritchie is back with the fourth in her Little Viking Saga series. This week, she looks at how internationals with small children can find themselves as “accidental translators”, which can help boost the whole family’s Danish skills!
And John Dixon’s travel column Jeg Tog to Tog travels to Esbjerg this week! Find out why John thinks of Esbjerg as the Los Angeles of Denmark!
READER OFFER: Our resident leadership columnist Florin Lungu is offering LWID readers free places on his new online series of workshops to help internationals navigate the challenges of leading in the Nordics. The first is on Tuesday 15th April. Find out more:
🚀 Leading a growing team?
If your vision is clear but your team isn’t aligned, you might be facing The Vision Gap. On April 15, leadership strategist Florin Lungu is hosting a free-to-attend training to help you close it - and create real ownership. [Save your spot]
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Announcement Board
Massachusetts Dreaming: The Surrealistic World of Rhea Mack is a brand new exhibition at the Kyst Gallery in Dragor, Amager. This is Mack’s first European solo exhibition. Known for her whimsical coloured pencil drawings, Mack creates a tender, offbeat universe populated by skeletons, wizards, and celestial beings. Until 8th May. Find out more.
International media about Denmark
Why Denmark Is Spending $1.5 Billion to Boost Greenland’s Defenses (Wall Street Journal)
Denmark poised to strengthen military cooperation with US (Le Monde)
The Canadians and Danes boycotting American products (BBC)
Great news about Solvej Balle being shortlisted for the International Booker Prize! But it's worth highlighting that her Scottish translator, Barbara Haveland, is shortlisted alongside her – esp. as her translation is a fellow international in Denmark.