Last Week in Denmark (25.08-01.09) Episode 28 Year 4
Major changes in government; Pen and paper revolution; Welcome September
Editor HQ
State of Denmark
The great journey back to pen and paper has started in our schools. The last decade has been marked by increased digitalization of every activity in class, but now the virtues of handwriting are being hailed in the media. Why? According to a Japanese study, handwriting makes you more likely to remember the information you receive during a lecture.
Some schools have already gone as far as requiring students to take notes with a pen and paper, completely removing screens from classes. However, not every student is happy with the change of direction. For some, the use of computers during class allowed them to hide the fact that they have dyslexia. For others, it’s about the struggles of relearning to write in an intelligible way.
As we have entered the era of AI, where homework can be written in seconds, switching to pen and paper will at least force the student to write the text generated by the AI, a learning activity in itself. It is a battle won by the school system in the war with the AI revolution – for now.
What else was Denmark talking about this week? The danger of the landslides on the West Coast (one which ended in tragedy for a German family) and the story of Niels Hock, the Danish weapon smuggler who managed to avoid extradition to India after smuggling four tons of weapons to West Bengal to support an independence movement in 1995.
Also, after numerous reports from the Consumer Council about social media influencers who advertise to children, the Ministry of Business has started to pay attention to the issue and has begun the process of tightening legislation.
Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!
LWID Universe
LinkedIn: Our reporter, Aryna Creangă, published an article about the Louisiana Literature Festival 2024.
Help us accomplish our mission to empower as many internationals as possible in Denmark with information. Become a volunteer ambassador and/or a citizen journalist for Last Week in Denmark. Your investment? A couple of hours of your time, once. Join one of the “Welcome September” events around the country, where newcomers are introduced to Denmark and let them know we exist. Sign up here for Volunteer Ambassador and here for Citizen Journalist.
Podcast: We will take a three-week break after the successful test period.
Danish Politics HQ
Weekly political overview
The next European Union Commissioner from Denmark is Dan Jørgensen. An EU Commissioner is like a minister. If approved by the EU Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen, and the EU Parliament, Dan Jørgensen will receive a portfolio to manage. He was the former Minister of Development Aid and Global Climate Policy, so most likely he will be in charge of the environment and climate portfolio.
As part of its focus on Africa, Denmark will open three new embassies (Tunisia, Senegal, Rwanda) and strengthen its presence in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. At the same time, the embassies in Burkina Faso and Mali will be closed due to those countries’ alignment with Russia.
“Denmark’s Arctic ambassador will be from Greenland,” says Mette Frederiksen, effectively ending the dispute over the position between the Greenlandic and Danish governments. At the same time, Denmark will pour 140 million DKK into the Greenlandic healthcare system.
Updates from the political parties
DF (Nationalist Conservative) proposed a review of all citizenships given in the past 20 years. Under the scheme, everyone who received citizenship in the last eight years would retake a much more difficult test, while the ones who received it in the last 20 years and committed any crime would lose their citizenship.
Pernille Vermund, former leader of the far-right Nye Borgerlige, regrets her anti-immigration remarks made in the past, as she turns over a new leaf as the business spokesperson for the Liberal Alliance.
The government wants to cut 1,000 positions in state administration in 2025. SF (Socialists) and Liberal Alliance (Libertarian Conservatives) find that number unambitious.
Focus
Major government changes
The Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, has been promoted to the new Minister of Social Affairs and Housing. The former minister Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil is preparing to run for the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen position in 2025.
Three new ministries have been created: the Ministry of Europe, the Ministry of Green Tripartite, and the Ministry of Crisis Preparedness. The former Minister of Digitalization and Equality, Marie Bjerre, has been appointed as the Minister of Europe, while the former Minister of Taxation, Jeppe Bruus, has been named as the Minister of Green Tripartite. Torsten Schack Pedersen is the Minister of Crisis Preparedness.
The new Minister of Taxation is Rasmus Stoklund, while the new Minister of Digitalization is Caroline Stage Olsen.
You can see here what the ministers look like. This is the highest number of ministers ever (25).
Why the new ministries?
Ministry of Europe: Denmark will take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2025. The ministry has been created to prepare for the six-month term at the helm of the third most important EU institution (after the Commission and Parliament).
Ministry of Green Tripartite: To implement the major reform, “Agreement on a Green Denmark," a separate ministry from environment and climate has been created.
Ministry of Crisis Preparedness: Denmark is preparing to overhaul and strengthen emergency services, and a ministry has been created to ensure prioritization. The focus will be on cybersecurity, critical infrastructure defense, population resilience, etc.
Danish Economics HQ
Weekly economics overview
The tax deduction for house improvements (håndværkerfradraget) is coming back. The government will include it in the financial law for 2025. However, there is a little twist. The only house improvements eligible will have to be related to making your house more green (energy efficient and future-proofed against extreme weather conditions). Also, there will be extra money allocated for the tax deduction for home services (gardener, cleaner, babysitter, etc.). More details once the law passes in December.
On July 1st, an executive order from the Ministry of Taxation obliged companies to register all employees that had access to a company car for more than 30 days at a time. The obligation came with a huge amount of work, including obtaining power of attorney from employees and registering them in the Motor Registry against a 340 DKK fee. This caused an uproar from the companies, leading the Ministry of Taxation to withdraw the executive order.
More than one billion DKK in parking revenue was generated for municipalities in 2023. The figures include parking fees, license fees, and parking fines. This is a record figure, with Copenhagen municipality taking home most of the cake (649 million DKK). You can see here how much your municipality earned from parking fees in 2023.
Updates for homeowners: If you became a homeowner before 2020, you might have paid too much in property taxes. Therefore, you should soon receive a refund offer from the Ministry of Taxation. At the same time, one million house owners will pay an extra bill for property tax from 2021-2023 (regardless if you owned the house in those years or not).
Focus
Life expectancy has increased in Denmark: Compared to last year’s calculations, we are expected to live 4.6 months longer. After a drop in life expectancy during the pandemic, we are back to the 2020 level. A newborn baby is expected to live up to 93 years old (male) or 95 years old (female). You can see here what your life expectancy is based on your age.
Our Nordic neighbors, Norway and Sweden, live longer and suffer from fewer lifestyle diseases. Their life expectancy is at least one and a half years longer than in Denmark.
The Ministry of Taxation is looking into differentiated VAT for fruits and vegetables. After the “VAT-free” campaign earlier this year showed an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption of 20%, the government is considering the idea of introducing a lower VAT for these items.
Entrepreneurship Corner
Free courses for entrepreneurs: Doing Business in Denmark (Aalborg, October) and Business Economics (Viborg, October).
Masterclass for food entrepreneurs from the Aalborg Institute for Development and We Are Entrepreneurs. Sign up here.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Insights into the Danish way of life
A late summer has surprised all of us this past week. With some of the warmest days of the summer so far, the sun is not yet done with its annual runway. Independently of the weather, however, comes the return of school and university classes, as well as regular routines for families and workers around the country. For many, September and October are time for the famous arbejdsweekend (or working weekend).
Arbejdsweekend is a weekend event organized by institutions, whether schools, clubs, or housing organizations, where its members come together to do maintenance tasks and projects. If you lived in a shared building, there are high odds you have one of these. In many cases, at least one member of each household has to participate, with possible fines for those who don’t collaborate.
The main goal of an arbejdsweekend is to foster a sense of community, reminding every member of the group that, as Danes very well know, success is better achieved when each party contributes. It is also an opportunity to bring to the surface the egalitarian societal scheme that Denmark loves: no matter your role or status, typical arbejdsweekend activities like gardening, cleaning, and repairing force all participants to get their hands dirty.
Not all is hard work, though. This community tradition also involves shared meals, breaks, and a good laugh. It also means lower costs for community upkeep and, most importantly, encourages a sense of ownership and pride in communal spaces.
Weekly overview
Faroe Islands have wanted to become an independent member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for years now, without much success. Denmark invoked the Constitution, claiming it is not possible. Now, the Faroese have activated, for the first time in history, the Faroese Home Rule Act. The aim is to set up a dispute resolution board and find a way to allow the Faroe Islands to join the WTO.
The National Emergency Management Agency (Beredskabsstyrelsen) will send a digital leaflet to your e-Boks in the coming weeks about how to survive for three days in case of crisis.
A clean mouth extends your life. According to the chief dentist in Denmark, it is dangerous to not take care of your teeth. Good oral hygiene keeps diabetes, pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, and cardiovascular disease at bay. What is good oral hygiene? Brushing teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, using a soft brush on the gums, and using dental floss.
DR offers five bits of advice to reduce the risk of dementia. Keep challenging your brain by learning new things. Exercise - a healthy mind in a healthy body. Stop smoking. Eat healthy. Reduce alcohol intake. Deal with depression; don’t ignore it.
International Community in Denmark HQ
New column writers on our website, lwid.dk.
Stephanie Mannings made her debut with the column, “Living like a local: guide for Curious Internationals." Read the first issue here.
Excerpt from the column:
“The concept of hygge is integral to Danish life. The therapeutic benefits of hyggeligt activities include reducing feelings of anxiety and loneliness (something often recognized by Internationals first arriving and integrating into Danish life) and promoting feelings of comfort, well-being, connectiveness, and positivity due to the release of the chemical oxytocin. It’s something that everyone can embrace, regardless of nationality, background, income, or status, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing.”
Andrew Lovett-Baron made his debut with the column "Seedlings." Read the first issue here.
Excerpt from the column:
“Denmark is often framed as a country where businesses are easy to start but difficult to grow. And for our community, it can sometimes feel like every founder and executive has an Ø in their name. This is the first in a series of columns that aims to give some counterexamples: highlighting positive (and challenging) trends in the Danish startup ecosystem with an emphasis on immigrant contributions. The goal is to provide you with inspiration, resources to start or join a venture, and a "pulse" of what is happening in the Danish startup ecosystem as it might relate to the LWID community.”
Ali Lewis made her debut with the column “Found in Translation." Read the first issue.
Excerpt from the column:
“I named this column “Found in Translation” after the 2003 Sofia Coppola film “Lost in Translation,” in which Scarlett Johansson plays a character who travels to Japan for her husband’s work and finds herself completely lost in all senses in Japan. I’m a whole lot less glamorous than Scarlett Johansson, and my life is more about washing everyone’s underwear and washing in general than it is about lounging around looking hot in them. I also don’t have Bill Murray to sing karaoke and drink cocktails in bars with - how cool would that be? But eight months in, my life feels more and more about finding out things, including about myself, than being lost. Google Translate remains an essential part of my daily life, though. In that sense, I’m still constantly found in the act of translation.”
Where can you find Last Week in Denmark in September?
September 9, we are at Nordic Indian Startup Summit.
September 11-12, we are at #TechBBQ, the largest startup event in the Nordics.
September 14, we are at Aarhus City Welcome
September 21, we are at Internationals Fair North Denmark (Aalborg)
September 21, we are at International Citizen Day (Herning)
September 21, we are at International Welcome Day (Odense)
September 27-28, we are at International Citizen Days Copenhagen
Announcement Board
Aalborg, September 5: Diversity Evening at Aalborg Zoo. Visit the Aalborg Zoo for free with your entire family. Sign up here.
Sønderborg, September 6: Culture and Sports Night at the harbor and castle.
Lyngby, September 7: Lyngby Day 2024 is an event for internationals where you can meet local ambassadors, dive into inspiring talks, and have a chat with locals on how to navigate and enjoy life in Lyngby and surroundings. There will be something for all age groups, including a guided tour of Lyngby.
Vejle Welcome September Events (part I): How to thrive in Denmark (September 2), The Network Inn (September 5).
Esbjerg Welcome September Events (part I): The Danish Healthcare System (September 3), Newcomer Cafe (September 5), Clubs and Association Day (September 7).
Esbjerg, September 14 & 15: Fantasyfestival in Esbjerg is a celebration of Fantasy literature and magic attracting more than 12,000 visitors for a weekend full of speeches, workshops, films, music, cos, Fantasy Quest, markets and more. At Esbjerg International house you can enter the portal to Wonderland, full of bi-lingual English/Danish activities and workshops.You can walk in the footsteps of Alice, be creative at the hatter´s workshop, attend a mad tea-party, mix colourful cocktails, follow the cat's tail at a treasure hunt, escape a room, and more. You can enjoy the atmosphere for free or purchase a Fantasyfestival day-pass to join the activities (children up to age 12 can join activities for free).
International media about Denmark HQ
Denmark forms ‘crisis ministry’ to combat spying and cyberattacks as Russian threat intensifies (Fortune)
8 of the best places to visit in Denmark (Lonely Planet)
Did you know you can read Last Week in Denmark in six languages?
Romanian - Polish - Spanish - Turkish - Italian
So interesting.