Mette is back

Last Week in Denmark (17.05-24.05) Episode 19 Year 6

What did we learn this week?

1. The center-right government proposal failed. Mette Frederiksen called again to form what will most likely be a center-left government.

2. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are still working in low-skilled jobs after four years in Denmark, despite labor shortages.

3. Nature is back: more wolves. Rescued bears from South Korea. A campaign to reintroduce the wild boar. A new way to look at spiders.

Letter from the editor

One of the biggest misunderstandings in Denmark’s integration debate is the belief that the story ends once a person gets a job. It doesn’t.

This week, TV2 Fyn told the story of a Ukrainian woman with 13 years of experience as an emergency doctor who now works cleaning rooms at an asylum center on Langeland. Not because she wants to, but because that was the first available job. And once she entered the system, the system considered the mission accomplished.

On paper, this is often presented as a success story. You arrive, find work (if lucky), become self-sufficient. Politicians point to employment statistics. Municipalities celebrate quick job placement.

But beneath the statistics hides a question: what happens to a society when highly educated people stop believing their skills matter?

Denmark often talks about labor shortages. About needing more workers. About needing more doctors, nurses, specialists, and qualified professionals. At the same time, many internationals with years of education and experience end up trapped in survival jobs with very little support to move forward.

And to be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with cleaning or practical jobs. Society depends on them. The problem begins when people are permanently locked below their abilities.

The difficult reality is that many internationals never truly escape their first job in Denmark. Once you enter low-skilled work, it becomes harder to continue language classes, harder to build professional networks, harder to navigate the recognition of qualifications, and harder to find the energy to start over again after a day of hard work.

Eventually, many simply give up.

Not because they lack motivation. But because rebuilding an entire professional identity in a new country while raising children, learning Danish, and trying to financially survive are exhausting.

The irony is that Denmark may already have part of the workforce it says it is missing.

Not outside the borders. But already here.

Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!

Narcis George Matache, Executive Editor, LWID

Our long-form articles this week…

1. Tur-retur: Resettling in Denmark by Laura Matheson

2. A Patient Tutor, a Complex Language, and a Lot of Vowels by Paulina Stachnik

3. Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Denmark’s National Treasure by Gosia Kozlowska

4. Furnishing Your Apartment for Free at the Local Recycling Center by Daniel Sfita

Want to dig deeper into the latest news? Check out the Last Week in Denmark podcast. New episodes drop on all podcast apps and YouTube every Wednesday. Follow now so you don’t miss it.

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Danish Politics HQ

Political scene

🏛️ Mette Frederiksen has been called back to the table. The proposal from Troels Lund Poulsen to form a minority government between his party - Venstre (Liberals), Liberal Alliance (Libertarian Conservative) and Konservative (Conservatives) with support from the right-wing parties has failed. Why? Moderaterne (Social Liberals) refused to back a government where they would have to co-exist with the right-wing. As a result, Mette Frederiksen has been called back to form the government, which most likely will be a center-left government, between Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats), SF (Green Left), Radikale Venstre (Social Liberals) and Moderaterne.

🇺🇸 The US has opened a new 3,000-square-meter consulate in Nuuk, replacing its much smaller office at the harbor. American officials describe the building as a future meeting place for researchers, students, artists, and business leaders from Greenland and the US. But the opening comes amid continued tension over Trump’s repeated comments about taking control of Greenland, with protests planned outside the new consulate and Greenlandic leaders refusing to attend the inauguration.

🇪🇺 European leaders are concluding that the old relationship between Europe and the US will never return under Trump. According to a new analysis, Europe is increasingly acting independently on defense, trade, technology regulation, and foreign policy, while trust in the US as a stable ally continues to weaken. European leaders are now openly discussing the need for Europe to defend itself, regulate American tech giants more aggressively, and build a stronger geopolitical identity without relying on Washington.

👶 Politicians want to fix a gap in the parental leave system that can leave entrepreneurs with little or no income after having children. Under current rules, people who combine freelance work, self-employment, and part-time jobs cannot combine their incomes when parental leave payments are calculated. Some entrepreneurs say they are receiving almost nothing during maternity leave despite paying taxes like everyone else, forcing them to borrow money from family to survive the first months with a newborn.

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Daily Life in Denmark HQ

📱 A new study suggests social media algorithms shape people’s views more than we realize. Researchers found that even small changes in how social media platforms rank content can increase political polarization and make users more resistant to facts. But the study also found that alternative algorithms focused on “bridge-building” content or correcting misinformation could actually improve public debate and reduce division online.

🥩 We are still eating far more meat than health authorities recommend. The average person now eats around 805 grams of meat per week, more than double the official recommendation of 350 grams. Researchers found that fatty meat remains especially popular among younger and middle-aged men, while eating habits are also closely linked to education and lifestyle patterns. Despite years of climate and sustainability debates, researchers say meat consumption habits have changed very little over the past decade.

🐺 Wolves are continuing to spread across Jutland, with researchers now confirming at least 49 wolves living in 11 territories around the peninsula. New figures show the number of established wolf pairs has grown from seven to ten over the past year, with several already producing pups. Two new territories have also appeared, including a lone male wolf near Hanstholm in North Denmark. Researchers expect the wolf population to grow further in 2026 as all ten pairs are expected to attempt breeding.

🐻 Six rescued “bile bears” from South Korea are set to arrive at Knuthenborg Safaripark next month as part of an international animal rescue effort. The Asian black bears spent years living in small cages on bear farms where bile was extracted for traditional medicine, a painful practice recently banned in South Korea. For the first time, rescued bile bears will come to Europe, where they will live in large natural areas.

🐗 A new debate is emerging over whether wild boars should return after being wiped out decades ago. Organizations like Danish Society for Nature Conservation argue the animals could strengthen biodiversity by naturally disturbing soil and creating habitats for insects and plants. But farming organizations strongly oppose the idea, warning that wild boars could spread African swine fever to the pig industry. The discussion comes as Denmark remains the only country to actively eliminate a native wild animal species because it was considered too problematic.

🕷️ A spider researcher wants people to stop fearing spiders and start naming them instead. Researchers from the Natural History Museum say only around one-third of the roughly 600 spider species living in Denmark currently have Danish names, making them feel distant and unfamiliar to the public. A scientific committee is now working on giving more species names based on their appearance and habitat, including rare Bornholm spiders like the newly proposed “Klippesortspringer” (“black rock jumper”). Researchers hope the effort will make people more curious about biodiversity instead of running away from spiders.

🗣️ A new language debate is bubbling up after a study from Dansk Sprognævn found there are far more insulting words for women than for men. The discussion gained attention after rapper Per Vers proposed a series of modern “male insults” aimed at mocking toxic masculinity instead of sexuality or femininity. The debate highlights how language continues to shape ideas about masculinity and femininity in everyday life.

🩺 Young people in Region Zealand can now order free at-home STI tests directly to their door instead of visiting a doctor. The new service allows 15-29-year-olds to test themselves for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other STIs, with results delivered digitally through e-Boks or sundhed.dk.

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Danish Economics HQ

Our money

🏠 Tensions around the Hormuz Strait are now hitting homeowners through higher mortgage rates. Analysts warn that rising oil prices are increasing fears of inflation, pushing interest rates upward at a difficult moment for many households refinancing older loans. Around 11,000 homeowners with F5 loans at Totalkredit are expected to see sharp increases in monthly payments, with costs rising by roughly 1,830 DKK per month after tax for every million kroner borrowed.

🤒 Public employees in Jutland continue to take fewer sick days than workers in the capital, according to new municipal data. Researchers say municipalities like Lemvig have consistently reported some of the country’s lowest sickness absence rates for years, while several municipalities around Copenhagen score much higher. Experts believe workplace culture and local attitudes toward sickness all play a role in the regional differences. See the map here.

State of the markets

🌍 Growing instability in the Middle East is pushing more companies in Denmark to scale back operations in the region. A survey from Danish Industry found that many businesses are either reducing activities or considering leaving the region entirely after the conflict disrupted shipping routes and damaged confidence in markets like Dubai. Companies report concerns about employee safety and the long-term stability of investments in the area.

🚛 DSV has launched its first self-driving trucks on roads in Texas, marking a major step toward autonomous freight transport. For now, the trucks still operate with safety drivers behind the wheel due to US regulations, but the company expects fully driverless operations to become possible later this year. The Danish company says the technology could help tackle driver shortages and allow trucks to operate far longer distances each year than traditional vehicles.

🔋 Massive battery parks filled with container-sized batteries could soon become a common sight as the country searches for ways to store excess green energy from wind and solar power. Experts say the facilities could play a key role in stabilizing electricity prices and reducing reliance on fossil fuels by storing cheap electricity when production is high and releasing it later when demand rises. Several large projects are already being planned, including a controversial 120-container battery park near Silkeborg.

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International Community HQ

Community Noticeboard

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Denmark in Global Headlines

🌊 “Danes try to tow dead whale from island beach after failed German rescue” – BBC

🇬🇱 “Trump’s Greenland envoy faces uphill battle on mission to make ‘friends’” – BBC

🧊 “US and EU officials converge on Greenland as Denmark stays away” – Euractiv

🤝 “Greenland says US talks make progress but island is not for sale” – Reuters