Last Week in Denmark (29.10 - 05.11) Episode 42 Year 3
Tax cuts; State secrets; Danish Police crisis
Editor HQ
We asked our referral competition winners to tell us how they did it 🙂
Toshali says, “To maintain my lead, I revised my strategy. I reached out across my networks: WhatsApp groups, Danish classmates, LinkedIn connections, and even former colleagues. A habit of mine is to keep detailed notes on people I meet, from taxi drivers to attendees at networking events, and this proved invaluable. I simply searched for “Denmark” or “CPH” in my contacts to broaden my reach.” Read more of her story here.
Tilla says, “Feeling loved and having a sense of belonging is a fundamental human need. Being an expat made me realize the importance of it even more. I have made conscious choices to connect with like-minded people and bring communities together. I'm really thankful for the amazing people I've met in Denmark so far. I believe that this newsletter serves a similar goal, so I shared it across all of my groups and channels, including my social media profiles. I appreciate that so many of you have decided to subscribe. I hope you will find it as useful as I do.”
Vikram says, “Well, I spoke to most of my friends and colleagues & have also tried to gather subscribers at an Indian event where I got to meet a lot of fellow Indians and explained to them about your newsletter. Bi-weekly follow-up with close friends and requested that they spread the word within their network. One thing I learned is that “Selling is not easy, even though it's a free subscription :P”
If you wanted a laptop but missed the chance, you can still join our lottery (where we put up several laptops) if you complete this survey. Increase your chances by inviting your family and friends to complete it.
You can still sign up for our meetup events around Denmark here. Nine events around Denmark between the 3rd of November and the 9th of December. Rights and opportunities, entertainment, networking, food and drinks, meetup for subscribers. Free access.
Next weekend we meet in Odense (10th November; 17-19, Østre Stationsvej 15) and Copenhagen (11th November;15-18, European-Ukrainian Hub). The artist invited in Odense is the flute musician Jordi Gendra, while in Copenhagen it’s a surprise :).
And… if you are around Aalborg on the weekend (10-12 November) and dream about starting a business, you cannot find a better place to finally kickstart your idea than the Startup Weekend. Sign up here.
What's in it for you?
Collaborate with like-minded tech enthusiasts and visionaries.
Transform your innovative ideas into tangible, market-ready products.
Network with potential co-founders and industry experts.
Compete for amazing prizes worth 60,000 DKK.
Access exclusive IT and business services to drive your venture forward.
New articles on lwid.dk: 11 rules to tame the glottal stop (a guide to learning Danish by Juan Alvarez); Your Guide to Danish Salary Negotiations (by Claudia Bednorz); Living in Denmark: A guide for non-Europeans (part I) (by Maria Fuentes); Copenhagen Feminist Forum (by Sabine Anna Irbe) and The Social Club for Senior Ukrainians (by Natalia Mospan).
Danish Politics HQ
Law proposals and ideas
6.75 billion DKK to fund tax cuts: The government proposed to increase the employment deduction (fradrag) from 10.65% to 12.75% (from 45,600 DKK to 54,200 DKK). If it is approved, you will be able to keep more money out of your salary. Also, the government wants to reduce the top tax for revenue under 750.000 DKK from 15% to 7.5%. At the same time, a new extra tax of 5% will be introduced for revenue over 2.5 million DKK. The government is negotiating with the other parliamentary parties to find a common agreement.
The political arena
The state secrets leak case has been dropped: The prosecution (Anklagemyndigheden) decided to drop the case against former Minister of Defense Claus Hjort Frederiksen and former head of the Defense Intelligence Service (FE) Lars Findsen. Why? The intelligence services refused to make evidence available due to a fear of leaks.
In Denmark, we have two intelligence services - internal, PET (Police Intelligence Service) which deals with domestic threats; and external, FE (Defense Intelligence Service) which deals with international threats.
Claus and Lars are being accused of sharing confidential, highly classified information to journalists. One example is information about a cable cooperation between Denmark and the American security service, the National Security Agency (NSA). They were charged with Section 109 of the Penal Code, which deals with leaking state secrets and can lead to up to 12 years in prison.
The prosecution presented harsh criticism of the legal system in connection with its decision to drop the criminal proceedings against Hjort and Findsen. They want a change in the law. The government will look at whether there is a need to amend the law for how criminal proceedings for breaches of confidentiality are carried out.
The Ministry of Justice believes that there is a loophole in the law and that you can potentially get away with leaking state secrets without being prosecuted because the cases cannot proceed behind closed doors.
Nye Borgerlige (far-right libertarians) lost 64% of their members since January 2023: Pernille Vermund’s creation is facing difficult times. After she decided to retire from politics at the beginning of the year, a political storm hit Nye Borgerlige, and that forced her to come back at the helm of the party. The party is at 1.6% in the opinion polls, and if the current decline is not redressed, they will not be re-elected to Parliament.
There are rumors that the party will merge with DF (far-right conservatives* - note that it used to be far-right socialists, but they had a change in direction recently). Rumours are dismissed by Pernille Vermund. Merger or not, most of their members have already left for DF or for Inger’s far-right populist party.
377,000 people in Denmark would not vote again for the government parties: Only one year has passed since we had the new red-blue center government. Research made by professor Kasper Møller Hansen (renowned election expert) shows the government parties lost more support in the first year of governing than any other governments of the last 50 years.
Socialdemokratiet (social democrats) have lost 133,000 voters to SF (socialists), 25,000 voters to Enhedslisten (red-green alliance, former communists), 13,500 voters to Inger’s DD party (far-right populists), 13,400 voters to DF (far-right conservatives) and 5000 voters to Liberal Alliance (libertarians). They have also gained 7500 voters from Venstre (liberals) and 6500 from Moderaterne (social liberals).
Venstre lost 56,000 voters to the Liberal Alliance, 26,300 voters to Inger’s DD party, 16,300 voters to Konservative (conservatives), 10,300 voters to Moderaterne, and 9500 voters to DF.
Moderaterne lost 17,300 voters to Liberal Alliance and 8700 voters to SF.
Danish Economy HQ
13 municipalities have decided to raise the municipal tax: Frederiksberg (1.1%), Tårnby (1%), Vordingborg (0.6%), Rebild (0.5%), Herning (0.5%), Slagelse (0.5%), Horsens (0.3%), Aalborg (0.2%), Gentofte (0.17%), Rudersdal (0.15%), Fanø (0.11%), Greve (0.1%), Solrød (0.09%). If you live in any of the earlier-named municipalities, you will pay more tax on your income next year.
Copenhagen decided to lower the municipal tax by 0.1%, and Fredericia will lower the tax on commercial properties.
While the 13 municipalities decided to increase their local revenue, the other municipalities will suffer because the total amount of financial support from the state will decrease. The way it works is that the total financial support is calculated based on the total local revenue of all the municipalities, so if the local revenue increases, the total support lowers, which means less money is available to share between the 98 municipalities.
The four largest cities in Denmark (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, and Odense) want a “blacklist register” of companies that cheat their employees on wages or pensions or otherwise violate rules and clauses.
79% of the controls made on the construction sites found problems with contracts and rules. For example, a subcontractor on a construction site at Fynsværket in Odense had underpaid 200 international workers by 1.5 million kroner.
Large Danish companies will give their employees time off with pay to serve in the Danish National Guard: If you work at Danfoss, Danske Bank, DSB, Netcompany, or Salling Group and you are a volunteer at the Danish National Guard, you can get one week off with pay (time that you need to use for activities at the national guard). More companies are expected to follow with a similar opportunity for their employees.
You don’t need to be a Danish citizen to serve in the Danish National Guard. If you have lived five years in Denmark (regardless of your background), you can apply. I am also a member of the Danish National Guard, and I must say it’s one of the most exciting experiences you can have in Denmark.
DSB’s (train company) side business: Rental of railway stations. At first, they tried to sell the station buildings that no longer served their purpose, but that proved to be almost impossible in many relatively remote locations around Denmark. Then, they decided to rent instead, and like that, new life blossoms around the old station buildings. A socio-economic cafe in Hobro, music workshops in Langå, communal dining and barsel cafe in Ringe, hairdresser in Holstebro, etc. They are also open to renting out (for almost nothing) for non-profit initiatives.
DSB’s income from renting is 160 million DKK a year (5% of their total income).
Less than 2% of the funding raised in Denmark goes to female founders: 25% of the startups in Denmark are founded by women. However, few of them manage to raise capital to further develop their business idea. The government plans to invest 1.5 billion DKK to reduce the gender inequality between founders.
Beware of these energy supply companies: The Danish Supply Agency (Forsyningstilsynet) recommends that you not choose as your electricity supply company the following - B.energy, Dansk Strøm, Edison El, and Modstrøm. Why? If you switch your electricity company, they do not actively pay their debts to you.
Mærsk’s revenue decreased by 94% in one year: If in the record year 2022, they registered a profit of 8,818 million dollars in the third quarter, this year the profit dropped to 489 million dollars in the third quarter. Why? The economy has slowed down. Fewer goods need to be transported around the world.
To reduce costs, they will cut 10,000 positions, 200 of which are in Denmark.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
No medals and rankings in sports before 13 years old: The Danish Sports Confederation (DIF) wants to downplay the competitive element in sports before 13 years old. So basically, until that age, everyone should be regarded as a winner. Why? To reduce pressure on young people and allow more of them to consider sports. However, former elite athletes disagree with the proposal, as you cannot take the competitive factor out of sports.
Crisis within the Danish Police: More and more cases are revealed where the police have not acted within the boundaries established by law. As a consequence, the Ministry of Justice called upon the National Police director to come up with a plan to redress the “police culture and behavior,” as population trust in this institution is dropping at an alarming rate.
Most recently, six police officers from Copenhagen Police have been arrested and charged with theft and drug possession.
Healthcare with Punitha Kumar
Pregnant women and children should be vaccinated to prevent a rise in whooping cough cases, the Danish Health Authority says. “As whooping cough is highly contagious, it is important to pay attention to minimizing further infection. Be extra careful if you are going to visit small children. You can run the risk of infecting little ones who may not be protected by the vaccines yet," the authorities said. Caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria, whooping cough symptoms often start with a cold and slight cough before dry and severe coughing fits take place, usually lasting around 10 weeks. Whooping cough can be fatal, especially among babies.
Patients who want the weight loss drug Wegovy should have a BMI of over 35, experts say. In a DR report, the Danish Society for General Medicine’s spokesperson, Dr. Maria Krüger, said patients’ body mass index (BMI) should be reassessed, as one may not necessarily be ill with a BMI of over 30. For many people, she said this could still be considered healthy and normal. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy is approved for those with a BMI of 30 and above. If you also have or are at risk of a weight-related disease, it can be approved for a BMI of 27. Meanwhile, the Practicing Doctors Organization chairman, Jørgen Skadborg, said almost 400,000 prescriptions have been given out to patients in Denmark since the drug came into effect in December last year.
Novo Nordisk continues to soar as it brings in 166 billion DKK in turnover for the first nine months of this year. In a press release, the Danish pharmaceutical company well known for its weight loss and diabetes drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, said the latest figures showed that they’ve had a 29% increase when compared to the same period last year. This was due to strong sales in North America, which have grown by 46%. Company president and CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen said, “We are very satisfied with the sales growth in the first nine months of 2023, which is reflecting that more people than ever are benefiting from our innovative diabetes and obesity treatments.”
Culture, Religion and Royals with Cicek Eris
427 new words have been added to the Danish dictionary: Words like oho (used to express surprise or sudden realization); enoki (small hat mushroom); fedtemøg (slimy and smelly mass of dead brown algae); and many others. The Danish dictionary is updated twice a year.
European Union HQ
This category covers interesting happenings from other EU member states, EU candidate countries and EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland)
Sweden teeters on the brink of a recession, and this could have significant implications for Denmark's economy. The Swedish economy is grappling with challenges, including declining exports and rising unemployment.
Executives from both Nordea and Sydbank warn that a potential recession in Sweden could adversely affect Denmark's exports and economic stability. This raises concerns about Denmark's future economic prospects and the necessity of diversifying its trade and reducing its reliance on the Swedish economy.
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.
Copenhagen, 9th of Nov, 18:00–20:00: What should your CV and cover letter look like in Denmark? Is using LinkedIn a must in job search? With this group, you will have a chance to get useful tips and tricks for job searching in Denmark.
Aarhus, 10th of Nov, 16:00–18:00: If you are looking to expand your social network, you can join this Finally Friday event and broaden your social circle by having a drink with other people from around Aarhus. Don’t forget to sign-up. The first 20 attendees will get a beer or soda on the house.
Stock Games 2023 with Andreea Bianca Pascalau Buza
Win 25.000 DKK in Aktiespil
Whether the only direction your portfolio has been going is down, you gave up on the game, or you’re not even playing but regret not signing up before the deadline, I have good news for you! As a last-minute prize, Alm. Brand is giving 25.000 DKK to the person who has the highest increase in their portfolio’s value (in%) in the last week of the game (6th - 9th of November). Everyone can play, even if you haven’t signed up yet. All you have to do is (sign up if you haven’t yet and) have five companies in your portfolio by Sunday, November 5th, at 23:59. So if you’re already playing the game, you’re automatically participating.
Ørsted
Ørsted dropped 25.7% in value on Wednesday after write-downs worth billions and dropped wind projects. The share gained some of its value back by the end of the week, but it still closed at a significantly lower value on Friday (284 DKK) than it started on Monday (344.50 DKK).
If you are interested in learning about investments, home ownership, loans, money-saving tips and more, check out and follow my Instagram account @moneylikealocal.dk :).
Last Week in Denmark's Universe
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Hiatus again this week, due to health difficulties.
Check out our “New Denmark” merchandise collections : “Moving Forward”; “Searching for Home”; “Vasil”; “Irina”; “Monika” and “Kifaax”.
Read evergreen content on our website: How to get started with investing in Denmark; Born in Denmark: Pregnancy; Born in Denmark: Giving birth; Pension in Denmark I: Folkepension; Pension in Denmark II: Labor market pension; Interview with Diana Florescu, Forbes 30 under 30; Translator in Denmark
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