Last Week in Denmark (27.08 - 03.09) Episode 33 Year 3
How will your taxes be spent next year?
Editor HQ
One week hiatus for the “Last Week in Denmark” podcast: Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, we have been unable to record an episode this week. Next week, we are coming back strong, ready to welcome our first ever guest into the show, the new mayor of Aalborg, Lasse Frimand Jensen, with whom we will discuss the makings of an international city.
Is the birthday of someone special in your life approaching? If they're also subscribers like you, we've got the ideal gift for them. 78 different merchandise products are waiting for you to browse and transform into a moment of joy for your friend.
Learn to invest and win an electric car: Once every year, the financial newspaper Børsen organizes the largest competition for investing wannabes. You can invest 500,000 DKK (fake money) on the stock market and keep doing so for a month. The person who ends up with the biggest gains from buying and selling shares will receive an electric car worth 430,000 DKK.
By signing up through this link, we can play together and see each other’s progress in real time. I called our team “Last Week in Denmark” and we can also win smaller prizes if we gather enough players.
Become our ambassador for a day: During the month of September, there are a number of events welcoming newcomers all over Denmark. Our wish is to participate in as many as possible. However, to achieve that, we need your help. Come and represent “Last Week in Denmark” for a couple of hours in any of the following locations - Aalborg (14th September); Frederikshavn (9th September); Thisted (21st September); Silkeborg (14th September); Struer (11th September); Aarhus (30th September); Herning (23th September); Sønderborg (23th September); Kolding (21st September); Odense (23th September); Copenhagen (22-23th September). Sign up here.
Andreea Bianca Pascalau Buza has joined Last Week in Denmark as a contributor. She has written so far about Pregnancy in Denmark, Giving Birth in Denmark, and How to start investing in Denmark. All three articles are quite well researched and provide both useful tips and stories.
How will your taxes be spent next year?
The negotiations for next year’s budget have kicked off with the traditional finance law, drafted by the government. Until the Parliament goes back in session (in October), the opposition parties have the chance to negotiate financing for their own political ideas. Amendments can still be made to the draft finance law until the final vote of the third reading in Parliament. We should have the final finance law ready before Christmas.
When a draft finance law is proposed, a pool of money is left unallocated so that the opposition parties can add some ideas to the final law. However, this time, the pool of money is really small (500 million DKK), as the government has a majority in Parliament, so there isn’t a need to buy the votes of the opposition parties.
The government’s main points of focus for 2024 are climate, healthcare, welfare, education, safety, diplomacy, culture, and entrepreneurship.
1 billion DKK for climate initiatives:
100 million DKK to help transport companies transition towards hydrogen and electric trucks.
40 million DKK to encourage more homeowners to consider renewable energy sources.
100 million DKK to develop a national framework for the green transition.
190 million DKK towards animal welfare.
100 million DKK to continue the “afkoblingsordningen” - a subsidy for people that want to disconnect from the gas network.
44 million DKK for a PFAS action plan and a climate adaptation plan.
11 billion DKK for welfare initiatives:
5 billion DKK extra for the healthcare system, out of which 300 million DKK towards the area of cancer.
467 million DKK extra for psychiatry.
1 billion DKK extra for the local and regional councils that are financially struggling.
2.4 billion DKK extra for the areas of welfare administered by local councils and 1.35 billion DKK extra for the regional councils.
45 million DKK to expand the number of free fertility treatment trials.
100 million DKK to support vulnerable elderly people.
250 million DKK to finance projects in rural areas.
1 billion DKK for education initiatives:
300 million DKK extra for vocational schools.
35 million DKK extra for public schools dedicated to children with learning difficulties.
47 million DKK investment in the quality of teacher education.
300 million DKK to make the scheme where unemployed people can take a vocational education while getting 110% unemployment benefits permanent.
18 billion DKK for safety initiatives:
500 million DKK for the Danish Foreign Service and the diplomatic efforts around the world.
13.9 billion DKK for military support for Ukraine.
1.5 billion DKK in development aid for Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
445 million DKK to reduce the waiting time for justice court cases to be processed.
100 million DKK for initiatives against gangs (organized crime).
1.5 billion DKK to strengthen the police and prosecution.
300 million DKK for cultural initiatives
125 million DKK for cultural initiatives and the upcoming museum reform.
50 million DKK for a cultural pass for young people (that are neither employed, or enrolled).
34 million DKK to establish an Institute for Danish Game Development.
80 million DKK to organize major international sports events in Denmark.
500 million DKK for entrepreneurship initiatives:
300 million DKK for programs that stimulate entrepreneurship.
50 million DKK for the development of quantum technology.
100 million DKK for ideas from the life sciences area.
25 million DKK for tourism initiatives.
Focus: 110% unemployment benefits if you take vocational education
You can pursue an education in a field that lacks workers
You need to be over 30 years old, unskilled, or skilled with an outdated education.
Danish Economy HQ
The Danish economy is “booming” and it’s thanks to the pharma industry, or, to be more specific, Novo Nordisk: According to the chief economist of Danske Bank, “For the economy outside the pharmaceutical industry, you can at best say that there is stagnation. We don't really have any growth.”
Novo Nordisk is able to pull the entire Danish economy together thanks to two drugs: Ozempic (for diabetes) and Wegovy (for weight loss). In the second quarter of 2023 (April-June) they reported a profit after tax of 19.4 billion DKK.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Miss Denmark 2023: Nikoline Uhrenholt Hansen (20 year old from Valby) has won the “Miss Denmark 2023” competition and will represent Denmark at the global competition this year.
This is the longest running beauty pageant in Denmark, as the first edition was held in 1926.
The season for picking mushrooms, elderberry (hyldebær) and sea buckthorn (havtorn) is open: The summer rain has ensured that our forests are full of goodies. Besides the three mentioned already, you can also find a lot of blackberries and rose hip (hyben). However, remember what we talked last week about being well prepared before going to pick mushrooms.
Healthcare with Punitha Kumar
There is a need for a dedicated 24/7 mental health hotline, the government says. Under the recently unveiled 2024 budget, authorities have said the emergency line will go hand-in-hand with an action plan on suicide prevention and a comprehensive 10-year plan that details the development of the psychiatry sector in Denmark, to be presented later this year. Danish Psychiatric Association spokesperson and Copenhagen University’s psychiatry professor Merete Nordentoft said, “This can ensure that people can get immediate access to help, and that is more than what the volunteer-run telephone lines can do. The volunteers do an invaluable job of being accommodating and helpful to people in difficult situations, but they can't make sure that a professional drops by for a home visit the next day.” If you need to talk to someone, call Psykiatrifonden between 1000 and 2200 (weekdays) and between 1000 and 1800 (Fri-Sun). If you need urgent help, please call 112.
The cancer patients of Aarhus University Hospital are in for yet another problem - two of their senior doctors resigned on Thursday. The deeply embroiled department of stomach and intestinal cancer can no longer meet the required waiting time of a maximum of two weeks for its patients - again. Due to prevailing work conditions and management staff, the doctors tendered their resignation letters in June as a sign of protest. As the hospital struggles to attract relevant medical expertise, its cancer department has reached out to both international and local hospitals to offer treatment to its stomach and intestinal cancer patients.
Climate
13 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions on average yearly per person living in Denmark: The world average per person per year is six tons. The ideal number would be 3 tons per person per year, if we wanted to slow down global warming. So we are quite far from the ideal number in Denmark. Why?
20% of emissions come from the food we eat daily. The main culprit is beef.
18% from public institutions (hospitals, schools, etc.).
13% from construction and renovations.
9% from electricity and heating.
7.5% from driving private vehicles.
5% from clothes and shoes.
5% from white goods and electronics.
4% from flying.
3% from hobbies.
2% from using ferries.
2% from personal care products.
European Union HQ
This category covers interesting happenings from other EU member states, EU candidate countries and EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland)
1-2% of the global population are redheads: If you are part of this club, then you should consider the yearly “Redhead Days Festival” in Tilburg, Netherlands.
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.
Esbjerg, 7th Sep, 17:00: The Living Room is a welcoming café for newcomers and international residents in Esbjerg. It’s a space to meet people from around the world, learn about life in Esbjerg, Danish culture, and more. Join an upcoming session with author Mahmoud Zamzam, an Esbjerg native, to gain insights and connect with the community.
Esbjerg, 10th Sep, 14:00: Discover Esbjerg and its history on a free guided tour. The city walk will take two hours. Don’t forget to sign up.
Aalborg, 13th Sep, 16:25: Join an open dialogue with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Deputy Prime Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, facilitated by TV host Anders Breinholt. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions, so it's a chance to gain insights into the government’s collective goals and aspirations.
Randers, 13th Sep, 19:00–21:00: Learn more about Randers and get the chance to meet other locals who live in your area. During the evening you’ll get to hear presentations from local organisations and cultural institutions.
Silkeborg, 14th Sep, 17:00–19:00: New in Silkeborg? Then join this welcome event and get acquainted with the many work and leisure opportunities available for you in the Silkeborg area. Registration Deadline: 11 September
Viborg, 23rd Sep, 14:00–15:00: Would you like to go on a historical city walk through Viborg’s old city. Explore 1,000 years of history, wander cobbled streets, visit charming squares, and discover green oases. This walk is not suitable for children. For a family-friendly experience, check out the “Historical City Walk – Children” event.