Last Week in Denmark (11.08-18.08) Episode 26 Year 4
School start; Retirement; Global health crisis
Editor HQ
State of Denmark
It was a weird week. More spiderwebs than usual. Flocks of geese adorned the sky almost every afternoon. Yellow leaves on the ground. Tropical nights with over 20 degrees. Weird, or maybe just not ready to let go of summer. Welcome to what Danes call “sensommer,” or, as we call it, the time to chase butterflies in the garden.
Let’s start this week’s report with a reverence for Mother Nature. A geomagnetic storm hit the Earth and was visible from Denmark. A thunderstorm with a lightning show from Tuesday night. The weather is getting more unpredictable, and while it can be a danger, it can also amaze us.
For those of us with little ones, this week marked the start of school. For many, it was just another school start — but for some of us, it was the very first one, perhaps full of emotions and worries. You are not alone; the whole country is talking about it. Unfortunately, schools are providing wildly different experiences (check here to see how your school is doing), and it has opened a national debate about equality.
While some are talking about schools and kids’ experiences in them, others are talking about the end of life, or more precisely, about legal euthanasia, which the government wants to introduce in the near future. Several models are being considered: self-administered medication; assisted medication; and done by relatives. Meanwhile, a group of health professionals and other personalities have created a movement against legal euthanasia.
We end this week’s column with a call to attention. If you get a phone call from a robotic-sounding voice, most likely speaking English, just hang up. There is a flurry of AI-powered hackers that attempt to take your information and money.
Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!
LWID Universe
Instagram: The ban on spicy noodles was lifted.
Linkedin: Cannot miss events in Copenhagen.
A call for your insights: Help us create a survival guide for new internationals coming to Denmark! AMIS wants to create a brochure with curated short advice (50-100 words) from veterans to newcomers. Send yours here by August 25 and have your wisdom included. The brochure will be printed and distributed around the country.
Danish Politics HQ
Weekly political overview
From July 2024, you can take your driving test in a car with automatic transmission and get a driver’s license that is valid to drive both manual and automatic-geared cars. The only condition? Seven hours of driving in a manual transmission car with an instructor.
The government wants the tradition of morning singing in schools to be strengthened. Schools can apply for money from a pool of 10 million DKK. The money can be used for instruments or to upskill teachers.
The welfare political agreement from 2006 established that the retirement age increases in line with life expectancy. To cover the cost of an increasing older population, we have three choices: higher taxes, lower pensions, or raising the retirement age. Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet) want to limit the retirement age increase and change the agreement from 2006. The limit? 70 years old (it’s 67 today).
Other proposals from political parties
Socialists (SF) propose that parents should be allowed to stay with sick children at home for up to five days at once. Currently, it is just one day.
Social Liberals (Moderaterne) are concerned with the low birth rate (1.5 children per woman) and propose finding solutions to raise the rate to 2.1 children per woman.
Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the minister of culture, wants to reduce bureaucracy for associations. Part of the plan is to make it easier to obtain a bank account, permits for public events, and so on.
Liberals (Venstre) propose to revive the “håndværkerfradrag” (tax deduction for house renovation), which was abolished in 2022.
A public health reform plan will be presented in September. Part of the reform is a proposal to limit how many health specialists can be hired at one hospital depending on the burden of disease.
Political parties have started to negotiate about automatic facial recognition.
Focus
Unhealthy foods (sweets, snacks, and soft drinks) should be harder to find in a supermarket, according to several health organizations in Denmark. They are lobbying the Ministry of Health to introduce a regulation that forces stores to not place unhealthy foods in tempting places like the entry, checkout, and other visible areas.
53% of adults in Denmark are overweight, while 18.5% are severely overweight.
We eat five times more sweets than we should every week.
The United Kingdom has already enforced such a rule since 2022. They went even further by banning any offers that would entice you to buy more.
Parents welcome the proposal, as many have a hard time shopping with children.
Denmark needs to become climate-neutral by 2050, according to the law. The Climate Council presented four potential scenarios in which Denmark manages to achieve this objective.
New Everyday 100%: 34% reduction of agricultural land; 10% reduction in air and road transport; 250,000 hectares of new forest; major conversion of animal production and consumption to plant-based alternatives.
New Technology 100%: 28% reduction of agricultural land; large proportion of carbon-free fuels for aircraft and ships (hydrogen, electricity, and ammonia); carbon capture from a large proportion of point sources; moderate conversion of animal production and consumption to artificial meat and milk.
New Everyday 110%: 42% reduction of agricultural land; 20% reduction in air and road transport; 500,000 hectares of new forest; carbon capture on a large proportion of point sources; very large conversion of animal production and consumption to plant-based alternatives.
New Technology 110%: 28% reduction of agricultural land; large proportion of carbon-free fuels for aircraft and ships; carbon capture at a large proportion of point sources; 15% of the animals feed on biorefined grass protein.
The “100%” scenarios are based on current law, while the “110%” ones represent the ambition of the government.
Danish Economics HQ
Weekly economics overview
1.1% inflation rate in July: A significant decrease compared to June, when the inflation rate hovered around 1.8%. With low inflation and the highest wage increases on the labor market in 35 years, the purchasing power of the average worker has largely been restored.
For the first time since March 2021, inflation in the United States fell under 3%. As a domino effect, the United States Central Bank should lower the interest rate, which will make the European Central Bank lower the interest rate and, finally, the Danish National Bank. Good news for people with loans, but not so good for people with money.
The National Research Center for the Working Environment published a report that shows how long people are able to work, depending on their profession. Journalists, engineers, and architects are expected to be able to work until the age of 70, while those working in kitchens, cleaning, or childcare are expected to retire at 63.
Find out when you can retire by using this calculator.
The idea to freeze the retirement age at 70 years old from 2040 onwards will be very expensive for Danish society. 42 billion DKK per year, to be more precise. Why? Higher life expectancy, more elderly people in relation to working people, and fewer children.
Uber is coming back to Denmark. From 2025, you will be able to use the Uber app in Copenhagen. However, unlike the usual model, it will be a local taxi company called Drivr that sends a car. Also, the price will be the same as for other taxis.
Focus
The airline SAS has been delisted from the stock exchange: The value of one SAS share is zero. 56,528 shareholders from Denmark and many others from around the world have lost their investments in the company. The shareholders have been informed since October 2023 that the company would be delisted and the share value would drop to zero; however, many wanted to continue until the end. The company lost 99.94% of its value in the last couple of years. The biggest loss has been for the largest shareholders (the Danish and Swedish states), which owned 21.8% each.
Moving forward, SAS will continue as a new company owned by the American investment company Castlelake, the Danish state, the Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM, and the Danish investment company Lind Invest.
The pharma company Bavarian Nordic shares are becoming very valuable as we approach a global epidemic of mpox. As the only company in the world with a vaccine developed, their value can rise meteorically. Vaccine orders from HERA (European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) and Africa CDC have been made.
Prices for houses, apartments, and holiday homes have risen for six months in a row. 3.8% on average, to be more precise. Great news for owners, bad news for first-time buyers. An average-sized house (140 m2) is worth 89,000 DKK more in 2024 (so far). This means that an investment in real estate has better returns than savings accounts.
Entrepreneurship Corner
Opportunity for companies with a minimum of two full-time employees (as of 2023). Apply until August 25 for a 50,000 DKK voucher from SMV Digital. What for? Website, online marketing, developing a booking system, visibility, and, in general, increasing your digital competitiveness. Reach out to info@aalborgid.com until August 23 for support.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Insights into the Danish way of life
🌈 Happy Pride! Last week, we saw the colors of the rainbow unfold across the country to celebrate (and remember the importance of) the rights of LGBTQ+ people. In this sense, Denmark is an oasis – already in 1933, same-sex sexual activity was legalized. Polls consistently show that nearly all Danes agree with same-sex unions, which first came in the form of “registered partnerships” in 1989, making it the first country in the world to grant this legal recognition. In 2012, the official marriage law was passed, including gay marriages in the national church.
In the land of smørrebrød, rights have advanced at an admirable rate. Same-sex couples are allowed to adopt, LGBTQ+ people are allowed to serve openly in the military, and the law prohibits any form of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. But, in spite of everything, it is not time to rest on our laurels, as rights can go as “easy” as they’ve come. “The rainbow is no longer as clear in the European sky,” writes DR. In European countries like Italy, Poland, Romania, and Hungary, progress is quickly receding, putting things like same-sex rights and sexual education into question.
Earlier this year, two Hungarian NGO leaders visited the country to urge Danish politicians to fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the European Union. In the past, countries have been financially sanctioned for going against EU values. Now it seems Denmark will have to step up to raise the voice of those who no longer can. Hungarian Andras Léderer argues this is not only a matter of sexual rights but also the first brick of a dangerous edifice. “Removing the rights of LGBTQ+ people is one of the oldest political tricks,” he says. “Once we start questioning the fundamental values of the EU, we might wake up one day and realize that our rights are also being taken away from us.”
Weekly overview
Denmark’s final results at the Paris Olympics 2024. Two gold medals (one for badminton player Viktor Axelsen and one for the men’s handball team), two silver medals (one for sailor Anne-Marie Rindom and one for team dressage in equestrian), and five bronze medals (Turpal Bisultanov in Greco-Roman Wrestling, Edi Hrnic in Taekwondo, Emma Aastrand Jørgensen in canoe, the women’s handball team, and the cycling men’s madison).
Internationals on Team Denmark:
Medal winners: Turpal Bisultanov (Chechen origin) and Edi Hrnic (Bosnian origin).
Others: boxer Nikolai Terteryan (Armenian origin) and tennis player Caroline Wozniacki (Polish origin).
The 33rd edition of the cycle race “Danmark Rundt” (Around Denmark), one of the most important in Denmark, has been won (the final result arrived after the publication; check the link). The first edition of “Denmark Rundt” took place in 1985, and it was won by the Italian cyclist Moreno Argentin.
“Scavenger tradition” after large festivals in Denmark. After a large festival, “scavengers” are allowed to enter the festival grounds and collect abandoned things in an effort to recycle before everything is collected for burning. Here is an example from Smukfest.
“Unless you are a patient in the hospital, avoid intravenous vitamin therapy or IV drips,” say several health experts. Celebrities are promoting a new “health trend," which unfortunately is just another hoax. At best, it’s a waste of money; at worst, it can result in long-term health problems and a shortage of IV fluid.
Establish a sea garden with your neighbors and enjoy the fresh mussels. How? Register with the Danish Fisheries Agency (Fiskeristyrelsen). Acquire a hobby breeding facility (hobbyopdrætsanlæg). Create an association with your neighbors and enjoy maritime farming. A sea garden from Middelfart farmed 3,700 kilos of mussels last year.
Global health crisis alert. A rare viral disease called mpox (related to smallpox, formerly called monkeypox) has triggered the World Health Organization to announce a global health crisis. The disease is transmitted through close physical contact (such as kissing and sex) if one has symptoms. This year, we have had five cases so far in Denmark, from the less dangerous variant.
International Community in Denmark HQ
Snapshots from my life in Denmark,
an irregular column written by Narcis George Matache
I never really cared about money during my youth. Somehow, I was privileged to always have enough for what I needed. However, after crossing the River Styx to join the cohort of people over 30 years old, thoughts about money started to slowly creep in the back of my mind.
At first, I paid no attention to them. More like curiosity than anything. Read a book or ten about investments, played a simulation game to get an idea of it, read even more books, and I started to learn who Warren Buffet is and why he is the greatest investor of all time (or so they say).
Fast forward a couple of years to today. Here I am sitting on my iconic Ikea couch in the midst of the night, looking at savings and investment options with my bank. The first step is quite clear: you need money to make money. Well, time to say goodbye to street food lunches, wine, the gym I never actually went to, and all the weird monthly subscriptions that I got roped into over the years. Savings, here I come. Even better, budgeting here I come.
The goal? 40% of the monthly income should go toward savings and investments. 10% put into a savings account for vacations, 10% for large future spendings, also into a savings account, 10% for the special investment account with 17% capital gains tax, and 10% for the investment account with medium to high risk. If, by any chance, there is anything left from the 60% at the end of the month, it will go into a special account that will be used to acquire gold at the end of the year.
That’s my plan so far regarding savings and investments. I’m aware that simply keeping money on my “grundkonto” / the account where you receive your income, will be a loss, as the yearly inflation will leave its mark on the value.
Share with me your thoughts about your plan for savings and investments at lastweekdk@gmail.com and I will include them in the next editions.
Announcement Board
Odense, August 20, 11:00-13:00: Join International Community Odense for a summer picnic and meet new people! The event is free, but don’t forget to sign up!
Odense, until August 25:H.C. Andersen Festivals is a week-long festival with 500 cultural and musical events for people of all ages in celebration of Odense’s most famous son, Hans Christian Andersen. You’ll find theater performances, street art, concerts, light shows, art exhibitions, storytelling, street performances, and more, so be sure to check the program!