Last Week in Denmark (24.09 - 01.10) Episode 37 Year 3
Free Business Economics course; Do we work less in Denmark?
Editor HQ
Free cybersecurity course for entrepreneurs and other interested parties: In this digital era, as threats advance more rapidly than ever, the significance of cyber-attack simulations cannot be overstated. These simulations are vital for organizations to actively identify weak points, improve response tactics, and bolster defenses against new cyber risks.
One of our partners, ETCC, is participating in a EU project on Cyber Security which has developed 8 modules for SMEs and VET. They are free and open. You can use them by going to https://incytproject.eu/.
Last Week in Denmark's Universe
Listen to our weekly podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Amazon Music, Goodpods, Podfriend, Castbox, Castro, Player FM, Deezer, Podchaser, Podcast Addict, Podcast Index and Buzzsprout.
The podcast is produced by Wizmedia (Broadcast journalist Wizzi Magnussen).
Check out our “New Denmark” merchandise collections : “Moving Forward”; “Searching for Home”; “Vasil”; “Irina”; “Monika” and “Kifaax”.
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Danish Politics HQ
New Laws and Regulations
Regional Councils budgets 2024: Each level of government (local, regional and national) prepares every year a “finance law” which shows how taxpayer money will be spent in the following year. In Denmark we have 5 regional councils (North Denmark, Central Denmark, South Denmark, Zealand (Sjælland) and the capital region). The regional economy for 2024 is tight due to rising medicine prices and general inflation.
North Denmark Regional Council needs to cut 54.5 million DKK in spending. The Center for Patient Support (Center for Patientstøtte) will be closed. Less money is spent on the recruitment and retention of nurses and SOSU. Lower budget for ambulance operations.
Central Denmark Regional Council needs to cut 364.8 million DKK in spending. The most affected will be Silkeborg Regional Hospital which will be transformed into a day clinic. Emergency clinics in six cities will be closed during the day, and the number of ambulances will be reduced from 10 to 6. At the same time, large investments are made into Randers Regional Hospital (1 billion DKK); Gødstrup Regional Hospital (40 million DKK) and Viborg Psychiatry (655 million DKK).
South Denmark Regional Council needs to cut 58.2 million DKK in spending. As they will be able to make the cuts from administration only, the region has money to invest. 15.5 million DKK in psychiatry (virtual medical clinic); 10 million DKK to attract more doctors and nurses to the region; 15 million DKK to invest in more climate-friendly transport.
Zealand Regional Council only needs to cut 10 million DKK in spending. They will invest 25 million DKK to attract more doctors and nurses to the region; 10 million DKK to expand specialist medical care; 13 million DKK for diabetes patients (to give them sensor-based glucose meters).
Capital Regional Council needs to cut 211 million DKK in spending. The hospital's capacity will be reduced by 97 beds and 293 employees. Several open positions in psychiatry will be closed. They will prioritize internet-based psychological treatments for children, young people, and parents.
Danish Citizenship, Integration and Immigration Laws
The special law for Ukrainian refugees is extended until March 2025. The law is not unique to Denmark, as all the European Union states have adopted it. It was decided on a European level to extend the special law as the war in Ukraine is far from over. The law allows Ukrainian refugees to work and study in Denmark and, in general, to have access to basic social services like healthcare, schools, and daycare.
Law proposals and ideas
Body cameras for police officers: Several political parties (including two from the government - Moderaterne and Venstre) and the Police Union are asking for body cameras on police officers.
The Police Union says that the number of complaints about police has never been higher. However, it seems most of them are unfounded. They already encourage police officers to film situations to keep as video evidence.
Body cameras have already been piloted as part of an experiment in a few police districts around Denmark. The political parties that are undecided are asking the Ministry of Justice for a report on the experiment.
The political arena
Do we work less in Denmark?: An analysis made by KL (National Association of Municipalities) shows that the average working hours per week have decreased from 32.3 hours (2000) to 30.7 hours (2021). 26% of people in Denmark are part-time (4th place among the European Union states). There is a tendency for new parents to take care of their children at home instead of sending them to an institution. There is even a manifesto called “Ærø Manifestet” which encourages people to spend less time working.
The Prime Minister is concerned about the work ethic in Denmark. She stated that “The Danes are one of the people in the world with the highest frequency of work… but, I can hear tendencies toward the opposite. That increased prosperity must be exchanged for more leisure time. It is the high work ethic that has created our prosperity, it is what creates our opportunities. That's pretty much it, and not much else, that has created Denmark”.
On another occasion, she quoted the former Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning “Idleness and laziness are the enemies of man. Through diligence and work, individuals move forward. And each individual helps to create a society that can provide a good life both during work. And when old age comes.”
In 1990, the collective agreements established the working week at 37 hours.
The 2500 DKK salary increase promised last week comes with strings attached: The government announced that public servants in healthcare need to consider working full-time instead of part-time. Also, they encourage them to take more evening, night, and weekend shifts. Further on, there will be rewards for nurses who choose to move their workplace to areas of the country where they are most needed.
54% of the nurses; 85% of the social and health workers, and 71% of the SOSU (social and health assistants) work part-time.
The Danish Nurses Council welcomes the salary increase. However, they are doubtful that more nurses will choose to go full-time or take odd hours shifts, for this extra money.
Danish Economy HQ
Essential Financial Skills for Entrepreneurs: Take control of your company’s finances, optimize your costs, make more financially sustainable business decisions and save thousands of kroner in accountant fees. Join the Aalborg Institute for Development & Iværksætterdanmark series of practical workshops on bookkeeping, taxation, budgeting and financial planning. Invest three hours every Saturday from 14:00, between the 14th of October and the 4th of November, to get a clearer view of how the money flows in your company, so that you can use that knowledge to make strategic decisions for sustainable development.
The course is free. You can register for the course here. Press on the blue button “Sign Up Here” and then choose “Nej - Opret profil”.
Public transport is getting more expensive from January 2024: 10% more expensive, to be exact. DSB (the train company) and the regional bus companies motivated the decision by high inflation and high energy prices, which put a serious dent in their internal finances.
Several political parties are now pressuring the Transport Ministry to find a solution so that public transport doesn’t get more expensive. The increase in price will lower the number of people choosing public transport by 5-10%.
KMC Brande makes billions from potatoes: The potato has one of the lowest climate footprints among crops in Denmark, and it provides one of the highest amounts of calories per square meter cultivated. 90 years ago, the company started with potato flour. Today, they have embraced the green transition, as they provide potato starch and protein to various food producers to replace animal protein. Read their story here.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Join AMIS International Club meetings
Face-to-face Aalborg (Wednesday, 4th October, 17:00 - 19:00, Niels Ebbesens Gade 26)
Online Aarhus (Thursday, 5th October, 19:00 - 21:00, via Zoom)
Online Odense (Friday, 6th October, 19:00 - 21:00, via Zoom)
If you are interested to hear more about this project, contact Sophie Kloppert at amis.aalborg@gmail.com
Social Dental Care: Since 2020, the most vulnerable people in Denmark (homeless, unemployed people with a substance abuse background, and other very poor people) have had access to free dental care. If you are in this situation, you can go to your municipality (kommune) and ask for “socialtandpleje”. They decide on a case-by-case basis if you qualify.
Healthcare with Punitha Kumar
Thinking of volunteering? Consider becoming a "Heart Runner" to save lives. This program, known as "hjerteløbers'' in Danish, is run by TrygFonden for volunteers to provide vital first aid, primarily responding to cardiac arrests outside hospitals. In Denmark, around 5,000 people suffer heart attacks every year. Last year, 699 Danes survived cardiac arrests in public or at home thanks to hjerteløbers who arrived before paramedics. There are currently 155,000 hjerteløbers, and Minister of Health Sophie Løhde has encouraged more sign-ups. However, nurse and PhD student Astrid Rolin Kragh spoke to DR and warned that it's not for the faint-hearted. She emphasizes that there is a need to reassure volunteers that they've done the right thing because witnessing a family in crisis can be emotionally challenging.
Free abortion should be allowed up to the 18th week of pregnancy, the Ethics Council decided. The 17-member panel delivered their decision on Tuesday and handed over their recommendations to Minister of Health Sophie Løhde. Of the 7th, nine agreed to raising the limit up to the 18th week, four dissented and said the current limit of 12 weeks should be maintained, while the remaining four said the limit should be raised up to the 15th week. Sophie said she will discuss and negotiate the terms with other parties in the Folketing (Danish Parliament) next month. The current 12-week limit has existed since 1973, but since technology and medical advancements have greatly improved over the years, many believe the current abortion limit no longer makes sense.
More hospitals in Region Midtjylland expected to exceed budgets this year, the latest regional report revealed. Compared to a financial report in May that said Aarhus Universitetshospital will exceed its budget by DKK55 million, the latest report now shows that it will exceed its budget by DKK155 million. The Gødstrup Regionshospitalet is now expected to exceed its budget by DKK120 million instead of the projected DKK100 million. The report also said that besides a declining economy, the costs of subsidized medicines continue to rise, leading to extra spending. Region Midtjylland council chairman Anders Kühnau has asked the region’s executive board to now look into the possibilities of a hiring freeze and a freeze on the usage of temporary workers to mitigate the growing issues.
Climate
Oxygen depletion in Danish waters at a critical level: According to a report from DCE - The National Center for the Environment and Energy, the oxygen depletion has already reached catastrophic proportions. They say, “What is happening below the surface of the ocean right now is a tragedy for the marine environment.” Why? High temperatures and calm wind conditions have historically created poor oxygen conditions for fish and plants.
7500 km2 of inland Danish waters are affected by oxygen depletion (an area the size of Zealand Region). Fish are moving away from these waters.
European Union HQ
This category covers interesting happenings from other EU member states, EU candidate countries and EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland)
Denmark is ready to help Sweden in the gang war: 30,000 people in Sweden are gang members, and there is an intensive fight for territory at the moment. 11 people died last month alone. The Swedish Prime Minister has requested support from the Swedish Army to intervene. The Danish Justice Minister said that the Danish police are on alert and ready to intervene if requested by Sweden.
NATO opened a quantum technology center in Copenhagen. The new center is part of NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). DIANA aims to keep the NATO countries technologically competitive by promoting new and disruptive technologies in the alliance.
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 cultural events in Denmark here.
Esbjerg, 6th Oct, 18:00-21:00: Esbjerg International House invites you to an exciting board game night. These events are held every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. Sign up via email.
Viborg, 10th Oct, 17:30-19:30: A Welcome to Viborg event where you will have the opportunity to meet people and organizations that could be relevant for you as a new citizen to get to know and talk to. Entry is free, but don’t forget to register. Deadline: 3 October.
Odense, 26th Oct, 17:30-20:00: If you are looking for tips and tricks about how to feel more energetic during the winter months, then this workshop is for you. Seats are limited, so be quick to register.
International media about Denmark HQ
Oscars: Denmark Submits ‘The Promised Land’ For Best International Film Feature (Deadline)
Top Universities in Denmark (Top Universities)
Stock Games 2023 with Andreea Bianca Pascalau Buza
The last chance to participate in Aktiespil
If you’d like to participate in Børsen’s Aktiespil this year for a chance to win an electrical car worth over 400,000 DKK, this is your last chance, as you have to sign up and create a portfolio by the 5th of October. The game ends on the 9th of November, which gives you 5 weeks to play. You can sign up here to participate in the Last Week in Denmark league.
C25 company decreased over 70% from its highest value
Ambu, one of the companies in the OMX C25 index, reached its highest value ever in April 2021 but has since decreased by over 70%. In fact, there are 9 C25 companies that have decreased by over 50% since their highest values. Does that mean that you should buy or wait? While real investments should be long(er)-term, it is often recommended to buy during a bear market (that’s not to say that we are in a bear market).
A bear market is when the value of a stock market index (for example, the S&P 500) decreases by 20% or more from a recent high. A bull market, on the other hand, is when the value is consistently increasing for a period of time.
If you are interested in learning more about investing in Denmark, home ownership, loans, money-saving tips and more, I’m writing about all of this on @moneylikealocal.dk on Instagram.