Last Week in Denmark (16.04 - 23.04) Episode 15 Year 3
Energy companies under investigation; Excess tax; Baby Squirrels
Editor HQ
Invitation for an online workshop (in English) about project management with an experienced EU project consultant from AMIS Denmark. During the 2-hour workshop, you will become familiar with the tools you need to build a project plan around the problem you want to solve. Sign up here (it’s free). When? April 30. 12:00 to 14:00.
Danish Politics HQ
The political arena
Focus on Liberal Alliance: As we have done so far, every time a political party has their annual national meeting, we put them under the spotlight :).
The top 3 figures within the party are Alex Vanopslagh (leader), Ole Birk Olesen (from the old guard), and Solbjorg Jakobsen (from the new generation).
They had a very good parliamentary election and have been growing in the opinion polls since then (every time Venstre loses voters, they usually move to Liberal Alliance).
There is no inside fighting within the party between factions, as the party was almost dead just a year ago.
Today, they are the largest “blue” party. Will Alex Vanopslagh revive the “blue block” and run for the position of prime minister in four years? Only time will tell.
At the same time, the housing subsidy fraud case in which Alex Vanopslagh was involved is a “skeleton in the wardrobe” which might affect his chances of becoming the next prime minister of Denmark.
Liberal Alliance is no longer a protest party. They want to gain influence and collaborate with the current red-blue government.
A new political alliance has been created between Liberal Alliance, Konservative and Radikale Venstre. Two former “blue” parties and one “red” party have formed a new “reform block” in Danish politics. What unites them? The desire to remove the “Arne-pension” and the “efterlønnen” (both are possibilities to retire earlier). Their abbreviation is K-LA-R which means “Ready”. Could this be the new “blue block”? Too early to say.
Several political parties want a deep investigation into the energy market sector, after it was revealed that several energy traders have manipulated energy prices for their own benefit. Three directors and five employees are temporarily imprisoned until the court decides if they are guilty or not. Forsyningstilsynet (Danish Supply Authority) is currently investigating several other energy companies, so we could see more people brought in front of a judge. The government agreed to start the necessary procedures for a sector-wide investigation.
If you confess to your crime, you should get a reduced sentence, says the Rørdam committee, among other proposals on how to reduce the long waiting time for case processing in the courts. The Ministry of Justice supports the idea, and it will propose it later this year.
Danish Economy HQ
New record employment: 2,983,500 employed people in Denmark. The number of employed people increased by 5400 in February. Despite the records, the chief economist, Jeppe Borre (Arbejdernes Landsbank), says that employment will decline this year by at least 35,000 people. Why? The labor market reacts with delay to changes in the economy, and economic growth has slowed down.
25.5 billion DKK in excess tax: 5.6 billion more than last year. What is excess tax? It's the money that the tax authorities (SKAT) are paying back to citizens because they paid too much tax. The people of Denmark are calling it “hidden saving”. How does that work? If you announce in your advance tax statement (forskudsopgørelse) that you will earn more money than you actually do, then you will pay more tax than you should.
Worst year ever for COOP: After a record year during the pandemic, COOP recorded a deficit (or losses) of 628 million DKK during the inflation crisis. Why? Consumers buy fewer and cheaper products; massive investments in the 365discount store chain; higher prices from suppliers. The company went from a profit of 585 million DKK in 2021 to a loss of 628 million DKK in 2022.
What happens now? Restructuring of the current 8 store chains into 3; a significant reduction in the number of employees.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Become a foster mother/father for abandoned baby squirrels: Wildlife care stations (vildtplejestationer) around the country are looking for volunteers who can temporarily take care of abandoned baby squirrels.
How to speak with your children about the recent case of abduction of the 13-year old girl: More than 200,000 people in Denmark have shared on social media the case of the 13-year-old who was abducted and then found. The case has been heavily discussed in the previous week in most homes in Denmark, and it could have led to feelings of insecurity and worry among both children and adults.
The psychologist Pernille Spitz has several pieces of advice here on how to approach this conversation.
Healthcare
A new treatment against anorexia could be on the way, after research showed that there is a connection between intestinal bacteria and anorexia.
Anorexia is an eating disorder. So far, it was believed that it was a disease of the mind (obsessive thoughts about food, weight, appearance, and exercise), but now there is also a link to the body.
5,000 people in Denmark suffer from anorexia. 90% are girls or women.
If you want to talk to someone about being anorexic, you can anonymously (and for free) call this phone line: 70 10 18 18, run by the Association for Eating Disorders.
Climate
Denmark’s 2025 climate targets will be achieved with biofuels, at least according to the government. The target is a reduction of 50 to 54% in greenhouse emissions. The transport industry will be required to use biofuels more often (produced from rapeseed, soy and sugarcane).
Green organizations are unhappy with the requirement of using more biofuels as most likely they will be produced abroad. The demand for more rapeseed, soy and sugarcane will lead to more rainforest and wetlands to be cleared, which is not good for the climate crisis.
The government wants to make Denmark a green superpower: First stage, production of energy from offshore wind. They want to supply power to 10 million households just from offshore wind. Second stage, production of fuel from hydrogen plants powered by wind turbines and solar cells. The third stage, the unveiling of the hydrogen pipeline between Denmark and Germany.
26% of the young women in Denmark consider not having a child due to climate change concerns: A research made by the think tank Kraka in collaboration with Deloitte shows that climate change is deeply concerning for young people between 12 and 30 years old and that every fourth young woman (between 20 and 30 years old) considers not having a child due to this concerns.
Culture, Religion and Royals with Cicek Eris
A think tank has recommended a time limit on children’s social media access. The recommendation is based on research showing that excessive social media use can lead to unhappiness. The think tank also pointed out that children can be exposed to violent content on social media and made 11 recommendations to tackle the problem.
The Minister of Culture has supported the proposals, and will discuss them with his Nordic counterparts on May 3rd.
He also argues that effective age verification should be introduced at the EU level.
The world’s most prestigious photography award, World Press Photo, has announced its winners for 2023. The four winners, each representing a different category, have managed to capture pressing issues of global interest.
Ukrainian photographer Evgeniy Maloletka’s photo of a pregnant woman being carried away on a stretcher after a hospital in Mariupol was hit by Russian artillery won the Press Photo of the Year award, while Danish photographer Mads Nissen won the Story of the Year for his series “The Prize for Peace in Afghanistan”.
Announcement Board
This section is curated by Cicek Eris. If you have events you want us to include here, please send an email to denmarkhappenings@gmail.com. You can check out her newsletter about events in Denmark here.
Online, 25th April, 14:00-15:45: Are you looking for job search guidance? International House North Denmark is holding a two-part online job seminar on CVs, cover letters, and LinkedIn. Learn how to write an effective CV and cover letter, prepare unsolicited applications, and reach out to companies. You will also get an introduction to using LinkedIn, a widely used tool for job searching in Denmark. Click here to register for Part 1, and here to register for Part 2.
Aarhus, 25th April, 16.00-18.00: Join the Social Media Café for an informal meetup on how to become more active on LinkedIn and expand your network. Collaborate on writing interesting posts and connect with others. This meetup is for expats who are interested in improving their social media skills.
Aarhus, 28th April, 10:00-12:00: International Community is hosting their Monthly Morning Coffee event in April. This is a chance to learn about the International Community and meet new people over coffee. The event is free, but attendees must sign up in advance.
Copenhagen, 11th May, 17:00-19:00: Are you interested in buying real estate in Denmark? International House Copenhagen can help you take the first steps on your path to buying a new home in Denmark with information about the buying process, taxation, mortgages, insurance, and more.
International media about Denmark HQ
Denmark travel guide: everything you need to know before you go (The Independent).
What Americans can learn from Denmark on handling debt ceiling crisis (BBC News).
Hoard of 1,000-year-old Viking coins unearthed in Denmark (Guardian).
I think it’s a bit drastic reporting on a climate “crisis” without looking at the costs and benefits of the policies being enacted look at dr Bjorn Lomborgs work, much greater benefits could be achieved by putting money into other causes rather than just chasing zero carbon emissions.
Also writing about women choosing not to have children because of climate change without looking at the very real threat of an aging population.