Last Week in Denmark (12.09 - 19.09) Episode 30
New model for maternity leave; 4 climate laws; New political party; Police fines
Editor HQ
Meet with the people behind “Last Week in Denmark” at the “International’s Fair North Denmark” on 21st September, from 16.00 to 18.00, at Nordkraft (Aalborg).
The fair invites the newly-arrived international citizens where they can get to learn the region better. Here, internationals can ask questions on everything from moving to the region to taxes, and can use the fair as an opportunity to meet other internationals in the same situation as them; as well as get to know Danes through unions and volunteer organizations that attend the fair.
Public Health HQ
Status: 75,8% of the population has been vaccinated (4,440,213 people). 73,7% of the population has received the second vaccine shot (4,322,533 people). 83,2% have received Pfizer/BioNTech; 12,3% Moderna; 3,4% AstraZeneca and 1,1% Janssen. The region with the highest vaccination rate - North Denmark.
Corona infection status: There is an average of 300 new infected people every day. 105 people are hospitalized. The five municipalities with the highest rate of infection are: Herlev, Vallensbæk, Rødovre, Køge and Brøndby. Check out more data here.
Travel Guidelines: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updates every week (on Saturday) the travel guidelines, by dividing the world into three colours (red, yellow and green). This week's changes - Romania became yellow. If you travel from a yellow country to Denmark, you need to have a corona pass (vaccinated, infected before or recently tested).
Choice of vaccine: There are two vaccines against COVID-19 approved in Denmark (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech). From now on, you can choose the one you want to be vaccinated with.
Danish Politics HQ
New model for maternity leave: The trade unions (FH) and the employer’s association (DA) have agreed on a new model for maternity leave. Under the new model, the mother and the father each have 11 weeks of leave (barsel), with 26 weeks that can be shared between the parents. Under the current model, the mother has 14 weeks, while the father has 2 weeks, with 32 weeks which can be shared between the parents. The new model still has to be debated in Parliament and approved.
Climate change action: The government together with the support parties (Socialists - SF; Social Liberals - RV; Red-Green Alliance - Ø) have presented four environmental laws that will be implemented in the next two years.
Zero-emissions areas. Starting from 1st of January 2023, cities will be able to have areas where cars with internal combustion engines cannot enter.
Starting from 2024, the use of wood-burning fireplaces older than 2008 will be banned
Starting from 1st of July 2022, the use of herbicides like glyphosate on roads, paths, sidewalks, driveways and parking areas will be banned.
Environmental zones. Starting from 1st of July 2022,the four big cities (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense) will be able to have areas where cars without a particle filter installed cannot enter.
People with low income will be able to apply for a grant to install a particle filter.
New 200 hectare forest near the capital.
New political party: Former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen started his own political party called the Moderates. The party has liberal views being placed at the centre of the political spectrum. Expectations are that they will take votes from Venstre (the Liberal party), which is the former party of Lars Løkke.
Nurses strike continues: Albeit illegally, the nurses all over the country are stopping work at certain times to show their discontent with the 5% salary increase. The Nurses Trade Union has denounced the non-contractual strikes and called upon the nurses to resume work. The Labor Court has fined the nurses for the strikes.
Surplus heat agreement: The surplus heat from factories and large stores will be used to warm 128,000 homes from 2022. A broad political agreement on a model for pricing the surplus heat will allow businesses to sell it to the local district heating company. The surplus heat will replace the reliance on gas or coal.
ID card on construction sites: The pilot project will be implemented on four public construction projects until January 2022. The ID card will be used to compare working time information from the ID card with salary information provided by the main contractor. The ID card will also be used to control occupational health and safety training and RUT registration. The idea is to protect foreign workers from abuse on construction sites.
Danish Economy HQ
People’s debt: On average, every person in Denmark has a debt to the state of 105,000 dkk. In total, over 142 billion dkk (1.1 million people have debt). Why? Unpaid tax; Cheating with welfare benefits; police fines; etc.
Police fines: The National Debt Agency has received permission to deduct the speeding tickets and other police fines (unpaid) from your salary. 40,000 people with unpaid police fines will see the deduction already from October.
New tax: The government proposed a new tax on snus (nicotine bags). If passed, the cans with 20 nicotine bags will be 11 dkk more expensive.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
3D pedestrian crossing in Aarhus, starting this autumn. Why? To make them more visible.
Driverless buses in Slagelse: The country’s first driverless bus ran its first trip in Aalborg (2019), but it was a fixed route. The driverless buses run in the period September 2021 to June 2022 at Slagelse Hospital. The bus route has six stops and runs up to 16 kilometres per hour.
The future of unused bread: A new project from the Danish Agriculture Agency wants to develop a machine that will scan unsold bread for mould and bacteria before it is grated, dried and ground to be turned into pasta, crisps, muesli bars and whatnot. This should allow 90% of the bread to be recycled.
Soldiers and workers: The soldier training will be supplemented with professional modules that will give the soldiers skills they can use to find a job after the army life is over.
Homecare workers can be video-surveilled: The Labor Court decided that homecare workers cannot refuse to come into a home where they are being video-surveilled. The decision is based on a case from Kolding Municipality, where the homecare workers refused to enter a home where the husband of a seriously ill wife had set up video cameras to monitor the care.
Proposals for new national parks: From the 200 proposals for national park locations, 23 have made it further. From them, 10 will be chosen as the final locations of the national parks. Check the map to see if there will be one in your municipality.
The World in 2021 HQ
Norway: The conservatives (centre-right) lost the parliamentary elections, after ruling the country for 8 years. A new centre-left government will be formed around the social-democrat Jonas Gahr Støre. This is the first time since 1959, when all five Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland) are governed by social democrats.
Robot tanks: Russia demonstrates the use of unmanned ground vehicles in combat formations during the weeklong Zapad joint military exercises with Belarus.
Toilet for cows: Two Australian researchers have demonstrated that most cows can be trained to pee in a certain place. Toilet training animals makes it easier to manage waste products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Lithium shortage: Lithium prices have jumped to their highest in more than three years as a result of an upsurge in electric vehicle sales. Spot prices for lithium carbonate in China have climbed 170% so far this year to 142,000 yuan (138,000 dkk) a tonne.
100 most influential people: Time Magazine has released the yearly list with the 100 most influential people in the world.
Tourists in space: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 successfully launched the Inspiration4 mission – the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight to orbit. During their multi-day journey in orbit, the Inspiration4 crew will conduct scientific research designed to advance human health on Earth.
AUKUS: U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the formation of a new security alliance, named AUKUS, aimed at countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. They also announced, as part of the alliance's first initiative, the Royal Australian Navy will be acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.
Reactions to AUKUS
China condemns the formation of a new security alliance between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying that the alliance risks "severely damaging regional peace... and intensifying the arms race".
Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry expressed unease about Australia’s expansion of its navy and using US technology to build eight nuclear-powered submarines. He stated, “Indonesia is deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region”.
European Union HQ
State of the Union: Every year, on the 15th of September, the President of the European Commission (currently Ursula Von der Leyen), holds a speech about the achievements from the past year and the proposals for the year ahead.
Key points:
"I’m proposing a new health, preparedness and resilience mission for the whole of the EU and it should be backed up by Team Europe investment with 50 billion by 2027". The main aim of this mission is "to make sure that no virus will ever turn a local epidemic again into a global pandemic."
“The aim is to jointly create a state of the art European chip ecosystem including production and insurance, our security of supply and will develop new markets for groundbreaking European tech.” The global shortage of semiconductors has become a pain point for the notion of strategic autonomy, as the chip market is dominated by Asian and American companies.
2022 as the 'Year of European Youth', saying the future belongs to the young, who need to see the EU as a "collective project to reflect their future". As part of this, a new programme for young people - ALMA- offering them temporary work experience in other member states.
European Cyber Resilience Act, new legislation that will set common standards as part of the European defence policy.
European Defence Summit in the first half of 2022, during the French presidency of the Council of the EU.
After increasing pressure signalling the EU needs to show more support for its six Western Balkan neighbours, Von der Leyen announced a road trip.
Ban on products on the European market made with forced labour.
The Commission set the bar that at least 80% of the European population should have basic digital skills.
Media Protection Act, a recommendation on strengthening the protection of journalists.
At the end of a European Union summit, representatives threaten to fine Poland on a daily basis and withhold part of the EU's budget from Hungary over their laws against the LGBT communities.
Netherlands vs. UBER: A Dutch court rules that Uber drivers are entitled to the same employee benefits afforded to taxi drivers. The court also orders the company to pay a €50,000 fine for damages.
Denmark vs. European Court of Human Rights: Another case lost by Denmark at the European Court of Human Rights. This time concerning the deportation of a Somali man in 2018. He was deported following a conviction for possession of a gun. The deportation goes against human rights as he has no family in Somalia and arrived in Denmark when he was 4 years old.
German federal elections: On 26th September, the Germans will elect a new Federal Parliament and Chancellor. The contenders for Angela Merkel’s seat are - Armin Laschet (from Merkel’s party), the social-democrat Olaf Scholz and Annalena Baerbock (Green Party). At the moment Olaf Scholz is in the lead in the opinion polls. Why? He wants to raise the minimum wage to 12 euros per hour (from 9.6 euros today).