Proposal to slow the rise in retirement age

Last Week in Denmark (01.03-08.03) Episode 8 Year 6

What did we learn this week?

1. New war in the Middle East traps thousands of travelers. Expect higher energy and fuel prices and a wave of refugees.

2. Denmark joined the French nuclear umbrella.

3. 26% of school-age children are not enrolled in public school.

Letter from the editor

Happy International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day (in some countries).

It is hard to put words to the week we had! Iran has replaced Greenland in the headlines, when the USA and Israel bombed it, triggering war and trapping thousands of people. To mirror the wishes of the Iranian people interviewed in Danish media, I hope the much-desired system change will happen in Iran. However, until then, we need to deal with the consequences to the global economy and the incoming wave of refugees.

We are at the start of the campaign for the parliamentary elections, and the tone regarding refugees is not how many but if we should accept any at all. Will Iranian refugees receive the same welcome as Ukrainian refugees? Or, considering the current antagonization of Muslims in Denmark, will they be kept at bay as far as possible from here? There are 92 million people in Iran. A long war will displace tens of millions, and Turkey can only make space for so many people.

However, candidates for parliament are not talking about this. In between requests for evacuation and videos of explosions, the retirement age became a topic. Our life expectancy keeps going up, and so the percentage of pensioners is making it harder for the state to pay pensions. That’s why some time ago, it was agreed that the retirement age needs to follow the increase in life expectancy. Now that logic is being challenged in order to slow down the rise in retirement age. Plus, a discussion has been opened on differentiated retirement age based on the profession. Economists warn that any changes to the retirement age logic will result in a cost too high for the state to carry.

To follow up on the letter from the last edition (thank you for the many positive reactions), we invite you to join our thought experiment. What if you had the right to vote for the Parliament elections? What issues would be most important, and which party would you favor? Complete this survey and join us for the first episode of #VOTEHOME Season 3 as we discuss the results with two high-profile candidates for the Parliament.

P.S. We support the initiative of Simone Giuseppe Uggeri, leader of Billund Internationals, who this week sent an open letter to all members of the Parliament urging them to back the right to vote for internationals. Read the letter, and why he wrote it, here.

Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!

Narcis George Matache, Executive Editor, LWID

Our long-form articles this week…

1. Simone Giuseppe Uggeri talks to us about his open letter to Parliament campaigning for the vote for all internationals. Ali Lewis.

2. Here are some handy solutions if you missed the national deadline to apply for all public Danish upper secondary schools, which was on March 1. Stephanie Lund

3. How the Brotherhood for Professionals of Color are advocating for and supporting professional men of color in Denmark. 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 us now so you don’t miss it.

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Image(s) of the Week

📸 Moon halo lights up the night sky. Clear skies across the country this week gave people a beautiful view of a bright near-full moon, sometimes surrounded by a glowing ring known as a moon halo.

📸 Deer take evening strolls in Copenhagen. Residents in Ørestad have recently spotted fallow deer wandering through streets and canals after dark. The animals normally live in nearby Kalvebod Fælled, but a long and harsh winter has covered their usual food sources with ice and snow, pushing them into the city in search of something to eat.

Danish Politics HQ

Political scene

☢️ Debate grows about whether nuclear weapons could one day be stationed in the country. Several political parties say the idea cannot be ruled out, as Europe rethinks its security after rising tensions with Russia and uncertainty about long-term US support for NATO. Experts say hosting nuclear weapons is not likely in the near future, but discussions about a European nuclear umbrella are becoming more common. For now, officials stress that there are no plans currently on the table.

• The debate was kickstarted by Denmark’s decision to join the French nuclear umbrella, as the American nuclear umbrella has become less reliable due to a strain in the political relationship. The new security cooperation with France means that Denmark will be protected by French nuclear missiles.

💧 Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats) promise pesticide ban to protect drinking water. Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke says his party will push for a national ban on pesticides in groundwater areas after the election, regardless of which parties form the next government. Several left-wing parties already support the proposal, arguing it is necessary after pesticides were found in more than half of tested water wells.

Read more from our team: Copenhagen’s projected drinking water shortage by 2040.

🏫 Venstre (Liberals) proposes billions to strengthen the public schools. The party wants to invest five billion DKK to improve both learning and well-being for students, including more lessons with two adults present in the classroom and stronger support for inclusion. Most of the funding would go to hiring more teachers and pedagogues, with the plan gradually introduced between 2027 and 2030. The proposal comes as education becomes a key issue in the election.

👵 Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats) propose slower rise in retirement age. The party wants the pension age to continue increasing as life expectancy grows, but at half the current pace. Under the proposal, a 20-year-old today would retire at around 72.5, while someone aged 50 could expect retirement at about 70.5. The plan also strengthens the early retirement scheme by increasing payments and freezing the eligibility age at 64 until 2039.

🗳️ DF (Nationalist Conservative) sets ultimatum on immigration before election. Morten Messerschmidt says his party will only support a right-wing government if it commits to policies that ensure more Muslims leave the country than arrive during the next parliamentary term. The proposal targets immigration from Middle East and North African countries and would be monitored throughout the term. Other parties on the right support stricter immigration rules but have not backed the ultimatum.

Latest on the war in the Middle East

✈️ Thousands of travelers affected by Middle East airspace closures. Around 9,000 people have contacted the Danish Foreign Ministry after flight disruptions linked to the conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran. Several countries in the region have closed their airspace, leaving many travelers stranded. Authorities advise people to leave the region if possible and to work with airlines and insurance providers to arrange new routes, as the government currently has no evacuation plans.

• The Foreign Ministry is working with travel companies to see if special flights can bring people home. The initiative would be an assisted return, meaning travelers would still have to pay for their tickets.

⛽ Threat to close key oil route could raise prices worldwide. Iran has warned it may block the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping route that carries about 20% of the world’s oil and gas exports. Analysts say the threat alone has already pushed energy prices higher and could affect fuel costs and consumer prices. The Danish shipping giant Maersk has paused sailing through the strait due to the security risks.

🧳 Civilians flee Iran as war intensifies. At the border between Iran and Turkey, people arriving from the conflict zone describe fear and exhaustion after days of explosions. Some are fleeing the violence with their families, while others are returning to defend the country. Observers say the situation reflects deep divisions among people about the future of Iran and whether military attacks can actually bring political change.

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Daily Life in Denmark HQ

🍳 Kitchen tools top the list of family heirlooms. New research from Aalborg University shows that a quarter of the items people inherit are kitchen utensils. Researchers say these objects survive generations because they are functional and rarely become outdated. Many also carry emotional value and family stories. The study suggests this tradition may grow stronger as younger generations focus more on sustainability and keeping products for longer.

🌼 New AI-powered machine aims to improve pollen forecasts. Researchers in Aarhus have installed a device that can automatically count pollen in the air using lasers and artificial intelligence. The goal is to provide hour-by-hour pollen updates through an app, helping around one million allergy sufferers better plan their day and medication. The project, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, will first test grass pollen data in Aarhus before expanding further.

🔥 Gas heating phase-out remains uncertain for thousands of households. Around 257,000 homes still use gas for heating, even though the political goal has been to eliminate gas by 2035. Many planned district heating projects have been cancelled, leaving homeowners unsure whether to switch to heat pumps or keep their gas boilers. Experts warn that the lack of a clear political timeline makes it harder for people to decide how to heat their homes in the future.

🏫 More children are leaving the public school system. A new analysis shows that 26% of students now receive education outside the regular public school, either in private schools or special education programs. The share has increased significantly since 2008. Researchers say children from wealthier families are increasingly choosing private schools, while more students from lower-income households are placed in special education, raising concerns about the future role and funding of the public school system.

📚 Individual “special agreements” for students are rising sharply in public schools. Teachers report a growing number of personalized arrangements, such as allowing students to leave class, avoid presentations, use headphones, or take breaks during lessons. The teachers’ union says these measures have become mainstream and are putting pressure on educators who must manage dozens of different rules in one classroom. Critics warn that too many individual exceptions may undermine both teaching and the sense of community.

🩺 Researchers investigate hidden high blood pressure in children. A new Danish study has begun measuring blood pressure among schoolchildren to understand how common the condition is and what counts as normal for young people. Doctors say children rarely notice symptoms, even though untreated high blood pressure can damage the heart and blood vessels later in life. The project will test around 10,000 pupils in Herning and Aalborg to improve early detection and prevention.

🎬 Documentary revisits radical youth communes from the 1970s. Filmmaker Kristian Nordentoft explores a little-known social experiment where educators moved into collectives with young people who were struggling with crime and drug abuse in order to build trust and community. His film suggests the ideals of those experiments may still influence modern social work and community support systems.

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Danish Economics HQ

Our money

💰 Pension contributions reached a new record in 2025. People paid 175 billion DKK into pension schemes last year, an increase of 7.4% compared with 2024. The rise is mainly linked to higher employment and wages, which automatically boost pension payments. Some contributions may also have been moved forward because of expected tax changes in 2026. Total pension savings have now grown to about 4,584 billion DKK.

💧 Aalborg wants the state to pay for expensive water cleanup. High nitrate levels in local drinking water, mainly linked to agricultural fertilizer, mean the city plans to introduce large-scale water treatment. The local utility has now sued the government for 1.1 billion DKK, arguing the cost should not fall on residents. Cleaning the water could cost about 645 million DKK and add roughly 1,000 DKK per year to household water bills over the next decade.

💼 New collective agreement raises pay for regional government workers. Around 105,000 employees in the regional sector, including nurses, SOSUs (social and healthcare assistants), and other medical staff, will receive a pay increase of 6.27% over the next three years. The deal also introduces new family benefits such as the right to a child’s third sick day and improved rights for parents when children are hospitalized. Unions say the agreement aims to support work-life balance and ensure real wage growth.

💰 Wealth tax proposal sparks backlash from business leaders. Several top executives say they may consider leaving the country if a new wealth tax is introduced after the election. The proposal from Socialdemokratiet would apply a 0.5% annual tax on personal wealth above 25 million DKK. Supporters say the tax would reduce inequality, while critics warn it could hurt investment and jobs.

State of the markets

🍔 Just Eat shuts down operations in the country where it began. The food delivery platform, originally founded in a basement in Kolding in 2001, has decided to close its Danish business as the company shifts focus to larger markets. Co-founder Jesper Buch says the decision feels like “attending a funeral” for something he helped build, and he worries about the roughly 300 employees affected.

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International Community HQ

🏝️ Proposal to move deportation center to remote island sparks backlash. Parliament Speaker Søren Gade has suggested relocating the controversial Kærshovedgård deportation center to the small island of Livø in the Limfjord, arguing that the island has almost no residents and would not disturb local communities. The idea quickly faced strong criticism, including from members of his own party.

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Community Noticeboard

🌟Mindset for Success in Denmark: Why expectations matter more than effort📍 Online | Monday, March 16, 19:00 to 20:30 👉 Register here

🌍Parenting Across Cultures 📍Café Sweet Surrender, Copenhagen | Tuesday, March 17, 10:00-11:30 👉 Register here

🏘️Renting a Home in Denmark 📍 Online (International House Copenhagen) | Thursday, March 19, 17:00–18:15 🔗 Sign up here

🎨CPH:DOX – Free Artist Talk: Mohamed Jabaly ‘My Tent Is Not a Shelter📍 Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen | Saturday March 14, 18:00–19:00. Attendance is free but with limited capacity — reserve your ticket.

♀️Empower Her - 3rd edition. An evening celebrating strength, resilience and sisterhood. 3 women from Lolland share their powerful stories.🗓️11 March, 19:00 - 21:00 📍 Maribo Sundhedscenter. Tickets here

➕ Hosting something relevant to internationals in Denmark? Send it to us at noticeboard@lwid.dk

Denmark in Global Headlines

🕵️ “Russia may interfere in Danish election, exploiting chaos sown by US, spies warn” – The Guardian

⚔️ “Facing threats of war, Denmark turns to a new weapon: women” – ABC News Australia

📉 “Denmark has never had it so good. So why are its voters so unhappy?” – Monocle

🍽️ “Denmark is set to explore if gastronomy can be recognized as an art form” – AP News

🔬 “New report confirms Denmark’s standing as a science nation” – University World News

🚧 “Britain is taking direct inspiration from Denmark’s hardline treatment of migrants” – Politico