Last Week in Denmark (21.05 - 28.05) Episode 20 Year 3
Time to end discrimination against international job seekers
Editor HQ
Opportunity: Free project management online course with Gabriel Vartopeanu (more than 20 years experience in the field) provided by our partner, European Training Center Copenhagen. Sign up here. When? 31st May, 14.00 Topic? Project Logframe Approach (LFA analysis content; LFA tools; etc.)
Opportunity for our younger subscribers (13–29 years old): European Youth Denmark (an amazing youth organization for ambitious people) (I have been part of this organization for more than half of my twenties, and thanks to it, I got to do everything I dreamt of) is holding a membership competition. If you join and bring others with you, you can win a Playstation 5, a trip to Brussels, and many other prizes. You can sign up here.
Danish Politics HQ
New Laws and Regulations
From July 1, 2023, grooming will be punishable by two years in prison in Denmark: Grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust, and emotional connection with a child or young person (under 18 years old) so they can manipulate, exploit, and abuse them. The law passed by the Parliament against digital sexual abuse also contains stricter rules on sextortion (previously 2 years in prison, now up to 8 years) and an expansion of the “school teacher paragraph” (which prohibits sexual relations between teachers or trainers and students under 18) to include defamation.
From June 1, 2023, certain people can be exempt from public digital self-service solutions: If today you are exempt from Digital Post (due to being digitally challenged), you can also be exempt from all public digital self-service solutions.
920 million DKK in development support for Niger (West Africa): Denmark increased its developmental support for Niger by 50%. The country is one of the world’s poorest, and it faces huge issues with climate change. Why the sudden increase? A stable Niger is key to fighting terrorism in the Sahel region and controlling migration flows towards Europe.
Danish Citizenship, Integration and Immigration Laws
Time to end discrimination against international job seekers: It was publicly acknowledged that internationals are discriminated against on the labor market. Who reached that conclusion? The “Reform Commission”. It has been suggested that employers may engage in discriminatory practices unconsciously. Two ideas have been proposed to end discrimination on the job market.
Anonymous job applications - you shouldn’t be able to see name, gender, or ethnicity.
When there is a new open position in the public system, at least one international should be called for the interview round.
Norway and Sweden have already tried the anonymous job application model, and in Norway, it has been a requirement since 2020 to call at least one international to interview when there is a new job in the public sector.
The minister of employment finds the issue of discrimination on the job market important, or, as she puts it, “hardly human” and promises to look closely at the commission’s proposals.
Law proposals and ideas
The age limit for abortion without parental consent will be lowered to 15 years old: Today, it is possible to have an abortion if you are under 18 years old, but it must be with parental consent. The government proposed lowering the age limit, and it has the majority to make it possible. Why? Both the sex minimum age and the age limit for consenting to treatment are already set at 15 years old.
The right-wing opposition parties are against the idea.
According to the prime minister, mobile phones are more dangerous for children than traffic: A citizen proposal (which gathered the 50,000 signatures needed to be debated in Parliament) proposes that there should be a ban on behavior-based marketing and data collection from children under 16 years old; a prohibition of manipulative design practices; the introduction of a “children’s impact assessment” on tech services or products aimed at children; and limiting the children's access to social media platforms and pornographic websites.
The prime minister supports the idea of regulating the relationship between tech companies and children.
The political arena
More conscripts are needed in the army: The government will soon present how they plan to increase the number of conscripts. Also, the length of the conscription is expected to be extended (it is four months today). There is a severe shortage of personnel in the Danish army.
The conscription period in Sweden and Norway is between six and sixteen months.
Remember, that even if you are not a Danish citizen, if you have lived for at least 5 years in Denmark, you can join the Danish National Guard.
Will Mette Frederiksen become the next NATO secretary general?: In July 2023, a new secretary general must be appointed for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and several sources point towards Mette Frederiksen as the new leader. She will also go to the White House (Washington, DC, USA) to meet with Joe Biden (USA president) on June 5.
The current secretary general of NATO is Jens Stoltenberg (former prime minister of Norway). The previous secretary general was another Dane, Anders Fogh Rasmussen (also a former prime minister). Will it go for a third time in a row to a Nordic leader?
Who will become prime minister of Denmark if Mette leaves her post earlier than expected? Two names are in the running - Minister of Finance Nicolai Wammen (Mette’s right hand) and Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard.
Danish Economy HQ
Each municipality needs to reduce (on average) their administration spending by 7.1 million DKK: While municipalities got a 2.4 billion DKK boost for the “service framework” (schools, elderly, public transport, etc.), they need to save 700 million DKK in administration spending. The Social Workers Union is concerned because social workers are considered part of the administration and are therefore most likely to be fired.
Who gets too much money in the public sector and who gets too little?: According to a leaked report made by the “Salary Committee” (Lønstrukturkomitéen), it appears that doctors and engineers earn more than they should, while pedagogues and cleaning workers earn less than they should.
The “Salary Committee” calculates the salary for each profession, which is based on: management responsibility, work experience, and education (abbreviated LEU).
Who gets too much: doctors, engineers, IT-workers, police officers, teachers, ambulance staff, construction engineers, technical designers, jurists, economists, priests, midwives, SOSU-assistants, office workers, magistrates, architects, researchers, psychologists, and nurses.
Who gets too little: pedagogues, cleaning assistants, lab and environment staff, technical service workers, physiotherapists, prison staff, SOSU-helpers, social workers.
The government found 16 billion DKK more in the state treasury: The money has been discovered after new calculations from the “economic discretion” fund for 2030. The “economic discretion” represents money that is not yet allocated and can be used for new ideas, investments, and so on. It was initially estimated that the government has an “economic discretion” fund of 48 billion DKK until 2030. Now it has been adjusted to 64 billion DKK.
We are very close to reaching 3 million employed people in Denmark: Despite continuous warnings from economists that the economy and therefore employment will slow down, Denmark is very close to breaking an employment record. As shown by the statistics recorded in March 2023, there are 2,986,482 employed people in Denmark.
From February to March 2023, there has been an increase of 4800 employed people. My expectation is that we will reach 3 million by July.
It’s never been better to go shopping in Sweden: The Swedish krona is losing value. 100 Swedish krona is equal to 65 Danish kroner. So if you go shopping in Sweden, you can get a lot more for your money than if you had spent it in Denmark.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
The end of shared Netflix accounts: Customers in Denmark who shared their Netflix accounts (which can be detected via the new tracking technology implemented by the company) will soon receive an email that will remind them to comply with the terms of the subscription.
Denmark’s first woman major general: Another glass ceiling has been broken by major general Jette Albinus, the first woman in Danish history to advance to this military rank. The major general is the third-highest command level in the military.
Healthcare with Punitha Kumar
The government will raise the health budget by 5 billion DKK a year to boost the sector, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced. The new health package was drawn up after numerous reports and stories emerged from cancer patients who did not receive treatments or have yet to receive their treatments due to excessively long waiting periods at Aarhus University Hospital. “It is a failure, no matter how you spin it (referring to the issues faced by the patients and the healthcare system),” Mette said, adding that the government needs to “restore confidence in the Danish cancer treatment (sector)”. Key takeaways from the health plan are:
In 2023 and 2024, 400 million DKK emergency funding for cancer treatment.
From 2025, 600 million DKK will be set aside annually for cancer treatment.
A new monitoring system to ensure shorter waiting times for cancer treatments.
A special monitoring unit to look into hospital capacity challenges and how to best utilize resources.
Extra funds to receive treatment abroad if local options are unavailable.
A national screening program for lung cancer.
Cancer patients will receive financial aid for dental treatments starting next year, reports TV2. Minister of Health Sophie Løhde said the government was working to repeal Section 166 of the Health Act to be more inclusive so that cancer patients with severe dental problems due to chemotherapy or other cancer-related treatments will be able to receive dental subsidies in 2024. In 2021, 75% of cancer patients who suffered from dental problems caused by chemotherapy declined financial subsidies.
Feeling peckish? Instead of opening the fridge, open Instagram and start scrolling and staring at different pictures of food, because that will make you feel full. Or at least that is what Tjark Andersen said during his research presentation at Aarhus University’s food department. A Ph.D student, Tjark said his research delved into showing 1,000 test subjects the same picture of food about 30 times, and his results showed that people claimed they felt more full after looking at the picture. As appetite is closely related to your cognitive perception, he said thoughts about food can actually cheat your brain into thinking you’re feeling full. He added that the variation in the images will have an effect on satiety.
Education
Alcohol-free school parties until the end of September: The Danish Health Authority, together with the leaders of the gymnasiums and the vocational schools, are asking all the youth educations to hold alcohol-free school parties (at least until the end of September).
Young people in Denmark drink a lot of alcohol, and they start very early. Alcohol is harmful to children and young people, and it can affect their learning.
Climate
Should Denmark import waste to burn at the 23 incineration plants?: According to the ministry of climate, we need to reduce the amount of imported waste and close some of the incineration plants. How?
They want to transfer the task of burning waste from municipalities to the private sector (essentially through privatization), hoping that competition between the 23 incineration plants will force some of them to close.
The Danish Waste Association disagrees with the idea that competition will force some of the incineration plants to close. While there is “overcapacity” in Denmark, the rest of the European market is “under capacity,” which means that the import of waste will only go up.
One incineration plant imports in average 200,000 tons of waste per year
Culture, Religion and Royals with Cicek Eris
The Danish Parliament has reached a broad majority agreement on the distribution of funds for cultural life, totaling DKK 324 million. The funds will be allocated to various cultural areas, including music, performing arts, visual arts, and local archives.
The Minister of Culture and several political parties, including Socialdemokratiet, Venstre, Socialistisk Folkeparti, Danmarksdemokraterne, Liberal Alliance, Det Konservative Folkeparti, Enhedslisten, Radikale Venstre, Dansk Folkeparti and Alternativet have agreed on the distribution of funds.
Snapchat’s chatbot, MY AI, has been found to provide detailed guidance on self-harm when prompted in a certain way. The issue came to light when a digital investigator posed as a child and received the disturbing guide. With 59% of Danish children aged 9 to 14 using Snapchat weekly, the Minister of Culture has emphasized the urgent need for regulation.
He had recently proposed the establishment of the Center for Tech and Democracy, aiming to assess how Danish and European legislation can control tech giants.
Statens Kunstfond awarded honors to seven artists who have made notable contributions to Danish cultural life. The prestigious honor, which has been bestowed for over 100 years, will now be distributed semi-annually instead of annually, ensuring prompt support when one of the 275 benefits becomes available. What sets this year’s awards apart is the inclusion of a game developer among the recipients, marking the first time that this artistic field has been recognized by the Art Foundation.
Internationals in Danish media with Jessica Malvido
183,000 DKK annually: That is the net average contribution of a highly educated international to the Danish state treasury, according to a study made by Dansk Industri. A net contribution means minus the costs of public services used.
In the period 2003–2020, 25,400 highly educated internationals moved to Denmark. There is a retention rate of 40% after 10 years.
The highly educated internationals come mainly from Germany, UK, China, Italy, USA, India, Sweden, France, Spain, and Poland.
European Union HQ
This category covers interesting happenings from other EU member states, EU candidate countries and EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland)
You need to be over 16 years old to buy energy drinks in Norway: The Norwegian Parliament has decided to limit the access of young people to energy drinks by making it illegal for those under 16 years old to buy them from shops.
Also, the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks aimed at children and young people under 18 years old has been banned.
Danish politicians are closely following what is happening in Norway and will most likely propose something similar in the near future.
Announcement Board
This section is curated by Cicek Eris. If you have events you want us to include here please send an e-mail to denmarkhappenings@gmail.com. You can check out her newsletter about cultural events in Denmark here.
Aalborg, 30th May, 14:00-15:00: Are you new to job searching in Denmark? Or could you use some practical help and guidance on how to successfully search for a job? International House North Denmark would like to invite you to a free seminar where you will be introduced to the basics of job search in Denmark and get an insight into writing a CV and cover letter according to Danish requirements. The second part also provides an introduction to LinkedIn as a platform for job search and networking in North Denmark.
Aarhus, 31st May, 10:00-12:00: Families in Aarhus is the new initiative for all international and Danish families in town! International Community, Aarhus University, and Dokk1 have joined forces to create a space for families to meet up, socialize, and network while the children can play. This event is for children of all ages (and their parents) and is the perfect opportunity to build local connections, meet future playmates, and compare experiences as families.
Esbjerg, 2nd June, 17:30-20:00: Join the international community for a Curry Night! The food will be cooked in groups. The organizers will shop ahead and bring recipes. All you need to bring are your own drinks. Ingredient fee: 100 DKK.
Copenhagen, 3rd June, 11:00-16:00: Save the date for a fundraising event by the Ambassadors’ Spouses Group (ASG). The bazaar will feature cultural performances, local food and culinary items, and sales of products from the 26 participating countries. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Danish Refugee Council (DRC).
International media about Denmark HQ
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