Last Week in Denmark (14.04-21.04) Episode 13 Year 4
Renovation gone wrong; Witch hunts; Elderly care reform
Editor HQ
State of Denmark
“400 years of cultural heritage in flames,” Jakob Engel-Schmidt, Culture Minister.
One of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings, built in 1625 and a Danish cultural icon, Børsen (the stock exchange), burned down on Tuesday, April 16. We have all seen the tragic videos with the building’s spire on fire and the incredible efforts of the people to save its historical objects. The exact cause has not yet been determined, but it's yet another renovation project gone wrong.
The CEO of the building’s owner, Dansk Erhverv (Employers association), announced that it will be rebuilt “no matter what”. You can see in this video how the building looks now. Danske Beredskaber (Danish Emergency Services) asked for better fire protection for historical buildings during renovation since the Notre Dame fire five years ago. Now, the government will react to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Renovation projects gone wrong are not new to Denmark. The list includes: Roskilde Cathedral in 1968, Proviantgården in 1992, Odd Fellow Palace in 1992, Christiansborg Palace Church in 1992, Dehn’s Palace in 2010, K.B. Arena in 2011, The Freedom Museum in 2013; Svinkløv Spa Hotel in 2016; and Sparreholm Gods in 2016.
In other news, after his failed crusade against gender-segregated swimming, the Minister of Integration has once again entered the spotlight. In his opinion, some people with international backgrounds are using their positions in Danish society to undermine Danish values. In a way, he points out that a good education and job are not enough to be “integrated” in Denmark. In our opinion, this is a dangerous line of thought as it can lead to “witch hunts” and an ever greater level of discrimination.
In internal house affairs, we invite you for a meet-up in Aarhus on April 27th. Also, don’t forget the Danish Science Festival week (we’re supporting the events Mental Health in times of change, Home Design and Health and Inclusive Entrepreneurship).
The Italian Edition is looking for new volunteers to translate the newsletter text from English to Italian, or create and manage content on social media. If interested, please reach out to Chiara and Martino at settegiorniindanimarca@gmail.com
Word of the Week
Ungebyråd, Ungdomsråd, Ungeråd = Youth Council. In a large majority of Danish municipalities, there is an elected youth council which represents the interests of 13-30 year old’s in that area. The Local Council is asking for their opinion in matters related to youth policy, young people’s rights, offers for young people and so on.
Quiz
Danish Politics HQ
Weekly political overview
A majority in Parliament has agreed on an action plan to reduce the number of suicides in Denmark. How? The capacity of suicide prevention clinics will be increased by 40%, and better follow-up measures for people at risk will be implemented. If you have suicidal thoughts, call Psykiatrifonden, Mental Health Helpline at 39 25 25 25.
A new large prison (capacity for 400 inmates) will be built in Viborg. The prison should be in operation by 2030, and it will provide jobs to 240 prison officers. However, there is a severe lack of prison officers in Denmark, as the number of graduates in the field decreases every year.
After a chaotic couple of months, the members of the Nye Borgerlige (far right) party have decided to continue activity, even after their founder, Pernille Vermund, left to join Liberal Alliance. The party is still represented in 20 local councils and two regional councils.
Liberal Alliance (liberal conservative) continues their march towards the 2026 parliamentary elections. Their leader, Alex Vanoplasgh, dreams of a liberal-led government in collaboration with Moderaterne (social liberals) and Radikale Venstre (social liberals).
The three government parties (Socialdemokratiet, Venstre and Moderaterne) had an internal conflict this week regarding another referendum for Denmark’s opt-out of the European Union’s legislation on justice and rights. Moderaterne wants another referendum, while the other two parties are against it.
Focus
One billion DKK more for elderly care: A large majority in Parliament has decided to reform the elderly care system and invest one billion DKK extra. The main idea behind the changes is that the elderly should be met by familiar faces every time they receive care, (this means fewer temporary (vikar) workers and more full-time employees).
The reform is based on three core values: more free choice for the elderly, higher trust between the employees and the elderly and closer interaction with the local community.
As a result of the reform, employees within the system will have less administration work (reduced to an absolute minimum) and more time with the elderly - time which can be co-planned for holistic care.
Five billion DKK investment in green transition projects until 2030: In 2022, the Parliament decided to create a “Green Fund” with a value of 53.5 billion DKK. This week, the government presented how the first five billion DKK will be used.
Two billion DKK will be used to revive the marine environment in Denmark’s fjords. How? 625 million DKK to convert agricultural lands into forests. 550 million DKK to clean up old pollution sites. 410 million DKK to increase the quality of the drinking water (remove PFAS) and the rest for marine revival projects.
705 million DKK for district heating, which will be used to subsidize the transition from gas and other heating sources to district heating.
1.3 billion DKK for better protection against floods and other extreme weather conditions.
150 million DKK for the promotion of ecological agriculture and plant-based diets.
518 million DKK for animal food that generates less methane once consumed.
750 million DKK for green transition projects within the heavy transport sector.
From January 2025, the diesel tax will increase by 50 øre per liter.
Danish Economics HQ
75,000 homeowners got at least 5,000 DKK too much in property tax discounts: In the following weeks, the tax authorities (Skat) will contact the unlucky homeowners who got too big of a property tax discount to inform them that they will have to pay extra next year.
87.2% of local and regional public employees voted “YES” to the new collective agreements: You can see here how your trade union voted. Also, the state public employees voted “YES” to the new collective agreement (92%), and the academics working in the public system voted 97.9% for “YES.”
Confirmation season is here and it got more expensive than ever: The Christian rite in which a baptized person, especially one baptized as an infant, affirms Christian beliefs and is admitted as a full member of the Church, has become a very commercial event in Denmark. The average guest for a Confirmation event spends 1,000-1,500 DKK for a gift. The closer family ties, the more expensive the gifts.
Small villages also want district heating, but it’s too expensive: For a village with 200-500 inhabitants, connecting to a district heating central pipe can be a very expensive affair: 150,000 DKK per household on average. This is too much for the average income of the inhabitants. There’s hope, though, in the Green Fund.
The profession of butchery is under threat: After the slaughterhouse in Sæby was shut down, another one in Ringsted followed, leaving 1,200 people unemployed. Why? Danish farmers prefer to export living pigs to be slaughtered in the market where they will be sold. For them, it is more financially attractive to send piglets to Poland and Germany, to be fattened up and slaughtered there.
The energy company OK takes over the supermarket giant COOP: After six months of negotiations, the energy company OK agreed to invest one billion DKK in exchange for roughly 50% of COOP. COOP Amba is a cooperative company where 1.9 million consumers are members and co-owners. Each local Kvickly, SuperBrugsen and Dagli'Brugsen has an elected council (for which you can vote and run for election).
Entrepreneur’s corner
Opportunity for beauty entrepreneurs: Join the Beauty Business Mixer on Saturday, May 4 from 15:00 at the European-Ukrainian Hub in Copenhagen. The aim? A network between international beauty entrepreneurs.
Opportunity for project managers and grant/tender writers: Join the “How to Make Your Next Project Perfect” on Monday, April 22 from 17:00 at the International House North Denmark (Aalborg). Keynote speaker: Sunny Mosangzi Xu from Copenhagen Business School.
Free course for entrepreneurs about recruitment/HR/employer branding: Join the online course “Re-crew” on April 30 and May 14 (17:00 - 19:00) provided by We Are Entrepreneurs. Learn about recruitment techniques, self-assessment tools and HR management.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Insights into the Danish way of life
2024 marks the first year since 1686 when Great Prayer Day (Store bededag) will not be celebrated as a public holiday in Denmark. The date usually falls on the fourth Friday after Easter Sunday and is intended as a day for penance, prayer and fasting. Last year, Mette Frederiksen’s government abolished the holiday to support a greater supply of labor, with 95 votes in favor and 68 against in Parliament. Broad parts of the population, the trade union movement and the church tried to prevent it by collecting 475,000 signatures.
Danes’ relationship with Christianity originated more than a millennia ago, under the rule of Viking king Harold Bluetooth (yes, the name of the wireless technology was inspired by him). In 1536, the Danish church became Lutheran and was integrated into the State. According to official statistics from 2019, three in four Danes are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Den danske folkekirke). However, Denmark has historically shied away from traditional religious dogma – for example, half of the state church priests are women, and same-sex marriage has been allowed in Danish churches since 2012.
In a poll held in 2010, 28% of citizens stated they believed in a God, 47% in some sort of spirit or life force and 24% in nothing of the sort, with just under 20% identifying as atheist. Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in Denmark, with 4.4% (256,000) of the population being Muslim.
On a different note, former Queen Margrethe II celebrated her 84th birthday last Tuesday, April 16, the first one since her abdication. During her reign, she would normally step out of the Amalienborg Castle with the royal family to greet the crowds. During the pandemic, she famously requested Danes to celebrate her birthday by sending flower bouquets to the elderly, with the intent of helping old citizens during isolation.
Explainer
The Polish community in Denmark: There are 48,611 first-generation Polish people and 8,140 second and third-generation, which makes them the largest minority in Denmark.
Top 10 municipalities with the largest Polish communities - Copenhagen (5,731); Aarhus (2,325); Vejle (1,975); Horsens (1,783); Odense (1,363); Aalborg (1,250); Herning (1,042); Esbjerg (1,000); Hoje-Taastrup (942) and Faxe (887).
If you speak Polish and want to know more about the community in Denmark, read this article and afterwards this one. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our Polish newsletter.
We are looking to map and describe all the places in Denmark connected with the Polish community: associations and their activity houses; places where Polish language is taught to children and/or adults; important cultural and religious places; cafes, bars, restaurants run by Polish people; sport clubs; etc. If you have any suggestions, please write to lastweekdk@gmail.com.
Weekly overview
Three new bachelor educations in English: The Ministry of Higher Education has approved 11 new higher education lines among which three are in English.The English lines are at Aarhus University, and the subjects are Computer Science, Data Science and IT Product Development. Among those in Danish, there is an interesting master’s degree in quantum computing in Odense (first of its kind in Denmark).
Almost 3,000 vehicles confiscated in three years: Since the law became more restrictive three years ago, the police have seized almost 3,000 vehicles. “Crazy driving” (drunk driving with high alcohol blood level, street racing, speeding above 200 km/h on motorways, etc.) is punishable by vehicle confiscation on the spot.
The average birth rate in Denmark is 1.5 children per family, the lowest level in the past decade: For a country to maintain its population size, each family needs to have 2.1 children on average (that is if you ignore immigration, of course). In her New Year’s speech, Mette Frederiksen highlighted the fertility issue and promised extra fertility support so that more families can have a second child. In fact, 10% of children born in Denmark are thanks to fertility treatments.
Car brakes and electric cars are not good friends: The brakes are part of wear and tear of the car and therefore are not covered by insurance. If you own an electric/hybrid car and you primarily use the electric motor to brake, there’s an expensive visit to the car shop waiting for you. Why? The brake discs rust because they are used too little.
The Vindelev gold rush: Ole Ginnerup Schultz and Jørgen Antonsen found a 5th century gold treasure (795 grams) with a metal detector in Vindelev (December 2020). Since then, tens of thousands of people have tried their luck, triggering a sort of “gold rush.” If you have a metal detector, then it’s worth checking out these locations. You might find the next treasure!
European Union HQ
Europe This Week
Elections in Croatia. In the recent Croatian election, populist leader Zoran Milanović, gained a strong following by opposing the EU and NATO. His party's rise suggests a shift from Croatia's usual support for Western alliances and Ukraine.
Driving bans in Germany? Germany's transport minister is considering weekend driving bans to meet climate targets if climate reforms aren't passed by July. The proposed changes aim to evaluate climate goals collectively across sectors. If missed for two consecutive years, the government would decide measures to cut carbon emissions. Environmental groups criticize the approach, emphasizing alternative solutions like speed limits.
The European Commission is shifting its funding approach, signaling an end to the era of freely distributed funds, especially for poorer EU countries. Instead of shared debt, there's a push for reforms and conditions on financing for these nations. The Commission seeks to make its cohesion policy, aimed at reducing economic disparities, contingent on reforms, which may face resistance from some member states.
Péter Magyar rallying Hungarians against Viktor Orbán. Péter Magyar, once unknown, has gained attention in Hungary by forming a new party and challenging Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ruling Fidesz party. Despite being married to a leading Fidesz candidate, Magyar now leads protests against the party. He aims to run in the European Parliament elections, potentially shaking Orbán's grip on power.
Rights
Organizing planned medical treatment abroad: As a EU resident, you have the right to organize medical treatment in another EU country, such as a consultation with a specialist, surgery or treatment for a specific condition. You can also be reimbursed for it by your health insurance institution.
You need to complete a S2 form before you go for treatment abroad. For more questions about pre-authorization, contact the EU Health Insurance Authority in Denmark. Tel.: +45 72 26 94 90 / Email: EUS-sektion@stps.dk
If you get the medical treatment pre-authorized, then the payment will be made directly, without the need for you to apply for reimbursement.
Opportunities
Free trip to Sudety Mountains (Poland): Join a training course on inclusion, equality and equity. May 23-29. Deadline! April 30. Sign up here.
Free trip to Idrija (Slovenia): Join a training course in nature to learn outdoor skills and provide you with basic knowledge of the outdoors. August 17-24. Deadline! April 30. Sign up here.
Free trip to Altamura (Italy): Join a training course on skills and tools to support young people’s mental health. May 23-29. Deadline! May 1. Sign up here.
*To join the training courses, you need to be a member of an association. If you are not, you can always join AMIS.
Announcement Board
Copenhagen, April 25, 17:30-19:00: Djøf (a professional trade union for academics studying and working in law, economics, social sciences, communication and management) is launching a new globally minded network for those with an international background, who work at companies with an international market, those working for or with international companies and clients, and those who have teams with international backgrounds. In this first event, the would-be members will discuss what they would like to get out of such a network during a pasta-making workshop! Event is free, but you need to sign up.
Online, April 23, 14:30: The webinar “Empowering Education with AI Chatbots” delves into the central role of AI chatbots in scaffolding learning outcomes with practical assessments. Discover empirical insights and a conceptual framework for integrating AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance student engagement and learning effectiveness.
Copenhagen, April 24, 17:00-20:00: Volunteer Night 2024 – Would you like to make new friends, gain work experience and practice your Danish skills? At this event, you will learn about the countless benefits of volunteering and meet a broad range of organizations offering attractive volunteer positions in Copenhagen.
Aarhus, April 24, 17:00-19:00: Join the Newcomers’ Info Evening specially tailored to international professionals and accompanying partners new to Aarhus. Learn practical information about life and culture in Aarhus and Denmark.
Aarhus, April 26, 10:00-12:00: This fun and informal event is a great opportunity to meet new people and ask questions to occasional speakers. If you are an entrepreneur, or considering starting your own business, this month’s guests will be available for your questions and a chat.
Online, April 26, 19:00: Mental Health in Times of Change – This presentation will highlight interventions focused on the prevention of mental health challenges and the promotion of positive aspects of mental health.
Aarhus, April 27, 10:00-13:00: EU Café: Agenda for Europe – Are you curious about what has been happening at the EU level, especially with the upcoming European Parliament elections? Join the talks over a free brunch to get more insights into EU affairs and discuss with new people!
International media about Denmark HQ
A real Prince of Denmark tries to live a normal Washington life (Washington Post)
Denmark: The pig empire with the ruined sea (Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung)
Last Week in Denmark’s Universe
Read long-form articles on our website: How to learn Danish; Danish Business Culture; How to invest in Denmark; Guides for non-Europeans - I and II; How to negotiate your salary; Giving birth in Denmark - I and II; Pension in Denmark - I and II; Translator in Denmark and many other untold stories from the community.
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