Free Syria; English rental contracts; IKEA vs. Romanian forests
Last Week in Denmark (08.12-15.12) Episode 43 Year 4
Editor HQ
Thank you for an incredible 2024
As we wrap up the last edition of Last Week in Denmark for 2024, we want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a truly remarkable year for our volunteer-run media project. Together, we’ve grown by leaps and bounds: welcoming 5,500 new subscribers; launching Italian, German, and Hungarian editions; expanding onto Instagram and LinkedIn; and publishing dozens of long-form articles. More than ever, we’ve strengthened our visibility, credibility, and reputation—and it’s all thanks to a fiercely dedicated team of volunteers who make the magic happen.
We couldn’t think of a better way to cap off the year than with the announcement that we’ve received public funding from the Ministry of Culture—our first step toward becoming a true public information service. This funding will allow us to do more, reach further, and continue empowering people with information. Next year, one of our top priorities will be setting up a full-time central coordination unit to support our 16 volunteer teams—now over 100 passionate individuals strong—as they continue to push boundaries within our ever-expanding universe.
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Danish Politics HQ
Weekly political overview
Authorized English-language form for rental contracts. The Ministry of Housing has made an executive order to create a legal form for rental contracts in English. The executive order will come into force in the first quarter of 2025. Until now, some landlords were adding English translations to the official rental contract, but they had no legal value. This is a big win after more than a decade of lobbying from multiple organizations.
Greenlandic language vs. Parliament: take two. After a lengthy conflict and strong stances in Parliament by Greenlandic member Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, it was agreed to introduce simultaneous interpretation of Greenlandic for selected debates. Not a full win, but a victory nonetheless for the Greenlandic minority. 3.5 million DKK will be invested to prepare infrastructure and hire four interpreters. Does this open the way for other languages in Parliament? Only time will tell.
A 29-year-old was charged with promoting terrorism online. He made more than a thousand posts promoting the far-right group Terrorgram. Via social media and other communication channels, he incited violence against non-white people and promoted Nazi propaganda.
Congratulations to Romania and Bulgaria on joining the Schengen Area.
Proposals from political parties
Moderaterne (Social Liberals) want to end the citizenship value-alignment interviews, which were recently enforced on some applicants, despite it happening outside of the legal framework. They find them irrelevant, as the conditions to fulfill citizenship are already tough enough. Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats) agree that the interviews can become time-consuming if every successful applicant needs to come in front of Parliament to defend themselves. The scheme will be reviewed at the start of 2025.
Snapshots from the political stage
During “Question Time with the Prime Minister,” the leader of the DF (National Conservative) requested that Denmark relax the support provided to Ukraine and, if possible, end it soon. This is the first time a parliamentary party has taken an anti-Ukraine stance in Denmark. The prime minister shot down the idea, saying that the current times are more dangerous than the Cold War and that we must protect those on the front lines who defend us all.
Focus
The Russian-backed dictator of Syria has fallen. Why is this important for us? There are 45,000 Syrians in Denmark (a large majority arrived as refugees at the start of the conflict more than a decade ago). As you can imagine, several politicians have already started to ask when the Syrian refugees will go home and rebuild their country. The Minister of Integration expects that many of them will return home and plans to provide repatriation support in the near future. However, the decision rests with the Refugee Board (Flygtningenævnet), which will make an announcement on January 16.
The fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime is a big loss for Russia. In 2015, they invested a lot of money and manpower to keep him in power, which triggered the refugee wave to Europe. They will be forced to retreat from the military bases established in Syria.
Iran is losing an important playground previously used to funnel weapons to terrorist groups.
China recently signed a “Syrian-Chinese strategic partnership” with the dictator, only to see him dethroned days later.
Israel used the first 24 hours of the fall to attack more than 500 military targets in Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of “terrorists.”
For Türkiye, the news is both good and bad. Good, because they house 3.2 million Syrian refugees. Bad, because there is a good chance that the state of Kurdistan will be born soon, which Erdogan strongly opposes.
As the USA is not likely to help, the burden of rebuilding Syria will probably fall on—you guessed right—the European Union. There are economic opportunities in rebuilding a war-torn country and establishing an EU-friendly state in the Middle East, so most likely we will undertake the task.
Don't forget, 16 million Syrians are in need of emergency help. Within the ruins, bread, oil, and butter are luxury items. Denmark has already pledged 50 million DKK to nudge the rest of the world, but a lot more is needed to help them survive the winter.
Words from the editor: When you spend a decade away from your original country, a decade in a new home—I mean, imagine, a decade is a really long time—you tend to rebuild your life from scratch. For some of the refugees, Denmark has been the only place they have ever known—the place where they spent their childhood or teenage years. Now, to receive an order that it is time to pack up and return to a, well, ruined country, it must hurt a lot. On one hand, they can be happy that the dictator is gone, but on the other, it can be overwhelming to think about returning to a place you can barely recognize anymore. What can we do? Show compassion to your Syrian neighbors.
Danish Economics HQ
Weekly economics overview
The Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Simon Johnson, sent a message for Denmark. “Be careful that Novo Nordisk doesn’t get too big. When companies become so large that they can move markets and the political agenda, no one can resist abusing political power.”
Nykredit Bank wants to buy Spar Nord. If the acquisition goes through, Nykredit will become the third largest bank in Denmark.
Spar Nord started as Aalborg Bye og Omegns Sparekasse in 1824. It is uncertain which of the 1,700 employees from Spar Nord will remain employed after the merger.
The aid system for storm surge victims will be improved. The government, together with the association of insurance and pension companies, has announced six measures to improve support for storm surge victims.
After notification of storm surge damages, insurance companies need to react in a maximum of 24 hours and process cases in less than four months.
A new IT system for case processing will be launched late this year. There will be a focus on the case handlers’ education regarding storm surge situations.
Focus
IKEA vs. Romanian forests. Large areas of IKEA-owned forests in Romania have been cleared of trees to a level that now they look like “lunar landscapes.” You can watch the DR documentary “IKEA loves wood” to understand the level of damage they have caused to nature in Romania.
IKEA is the largest private forest owner in Romania. In fact, IKEA is one of the world's largest consumers of wood, at one tree per second.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Weekly overview
The Danish-Polish film The Girl with the Needle, starring Trine Dyrholm, has been nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. Fresh from its success at the European Film Awards, where it scooped two prizes, the film is also Denmark’s official submission for an Oscar nomination.
18% of adults in Denmark have low proficiency in reading, while 17% have low proficiency in arithmetic. 550,000 people in Denmark have both low reading and arithmetic proficiency. On average, we have lower proficiency in these areas among adults than the other Nordic countries.
The controversy surrounding Arla's use of the feed additive Bovaer highlights the growing tension between sustainability efforts and public perception. While Bovaer, designed to reduce cows' methane emissions, is scientifically approved and used in 68 countries, concerns about its safety have sparked a social media backlash. Consumers in the UK, Sweden, and Denmark are dumping milk in protest under the hashtag #BoycottArla.
The uproar stems from fears that Bovaer could transfer to milk.
22 million DKK investment to transform the Livø island into a tourism paradise. Until 1961, the island, positioned in the Limfjord, was used as an institution for “asocial and morally feeble-minded men.” The institution confined 743 boys and men, many without formal sentencing, including those who were simply deemed different, such as homosexuals or individuals struggling with gender identity.
For the first time in Denmark, police have used a stun gun during an arrest. The historic incident occurred Friday evening in Nykøbing Falster, involving a 20-year-old man. This marks the first time a taser has been fired since officers in three police districts began carrying the new tool as part of a pilot program launched on December 1.
International Community in Denmark HQ
Florin Lungu published a new episode from his column about diversity leadership and teamwork. The title is “Communication Across Cultures: Bridging Gaps in a Diverse
Excerpt: “Communication is like the air we breathe. Most of the time, it flows naturally, unnoticed. But in a multicultural team, it can feel more like a maze - filled with twists, turns, and occasional dead ends.”
International media about Denmark HQ
Why Denmark Is The Scandinavian American Travel Destination For 2025 (Forbes)
The five-minute city: inside Denmark’s revolutionary neighbourhood (Guardian)
I moved to one of the world's happiest countries but Denmark's dark, cold winters got me down—how I learned to thrive (CNBC)
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