The food checks have arrived

Last Week in Denmark (03.05-10.05) Episode 17 Year 6

What did we learn this week?

1. Venstre (Liberals) Troels Lund Poulsen appointed to try to form a new government after Moderaterne (Social Liberals) Lars Løkke Rasmussen switched sides to the blue (right-wing) bloc.

2. Most people in Denmark still have not prepared emergency supplies at home, despite warnings from the emergency agency.

3. A new supermarket price war is breaking out, making hundreds of everyday products much cheaper.

Letter from the editor

Although you are reading this on Sunday (May 10), I wish you Happy Europe Day (May 9)! For me, this is the most important day in the year, above Christmas (can you imagine?). As a European patriot, I have spent most of my youth active in the federalist movement promoting the idea of a United Europe, a federal one. I owe the union for who I am today. It took me from a small poor village to see the world and expand my views on humanity and gave my life purpose.

For that, every Europe Day, I happily raise the EU flag in my garden.

Speaking of blue flags, it seems our friend, the leader of Moderaterne (Social Liberals), Lars Løkke Rasmussen put the idea of a center-left government into the grave when he switched sides to the right-wing bloc. With the switch, the king invited the parties to express who they want as “kongelig undersøger” (king-appointed to lead negotiations for a new government), and Troels Lund Poulsen (the leader of Venstre—Liberals) got the spot. Now Mette Frederiksen will have to wait on the sidelines to see if the blue parties, together with Moderaterne, can form a center-right government (blue-purple).

To be honest, it will be very, very hard to find a common ground. Already, DF (Nationalist Conservative) has conditioned their support for Troels Lund Poulsen by asking for no negotiations with Socialdemokratiet and Moderaterne. Unless they are able to attract another red party to switch sides, there is no way to create a blue government without Moderaterne. So my estimation is that these negotiations will also fail in the end.

I believe that Lars Løkke Rasmussen is trying to force the center-right (Venstre and Konservative) and the center-left (Socialdemokratiet, SF, and Radikale) to govern together. First, he tried to show the center-left how difficult it is to govern with the far-left (Enhedslisten and Alternativet). Now, he will show the center-right how difficult it is to govern with the far-right (DF and DD). In the end, we will most likely end up with a third visit to the king to reappoint Mette Frederiksen to form an across-the-center government.

If Lars Løkke Rasmussen ends up agreeing with the right-wing parties and forming a government with them, he will have to sacrifice his pro-migration stance and probably disappoint a lot of internationals who look up to him. Let’s hope it will not go that way.

Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!

Narcis George Matache, Executive Editor, LWID

Our long-form articles this week…

1. The Cultural Explorer’s Diary: Inside Copenhagen Occult Club with Mariia Snebjørk Damkjær by Paulina Stachnik

2. This Danish-ish Life: 5 Things Internationals Need to Know About Applying for Danish Higher Education by Stephanie Lund

3. The Danish Chapter of My Life: Spring in Copenhagen Comes With a Colorful and Delicious Touch of Japan by Poornima Choudhary

4. The Little Viking Saga – Episode 12 - Treasures from the vacuum bag - Last Week in Denmark by Emily Ritchie

5. The Loudest Silence in the Room by Florin Lungu

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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Public hearing. Let us know what you think about the six barriers identified that keep some migrant workers trapped in low-skill, low-pay jobs and the potential policy solutions. Say your opinion here.

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Danish Politics HQ

New laws

⚖️ The European Parliament has voted to push for a common EU definition of rape based on the absence of consent, arguing that “only yes means yes” should apply across all member states. MEPs say silence, lack of resistance, previous relationships, or earlier consent should never be interpreted as agreement to sex. The proposal also calls for stronger victim support and EU-wide education campaigns about consent and online misogyny. Countries like France, Finland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands have already introduced consent-based rape laws in recent years, while the EU Parliament is now pressuring the European Commission to create legislation that would apply across the union.

Political scene

💣 Denmark’s government negotiations have taken a dramatic turn after Lars Løkke Rasmussen suddenly walked away from six weeks of talks with Mette Frederiksen. The Moderaterne (Social Liberals) leader says the negotiations are stuck in a “straightjacket” because the proposed center-left coalition would depend on support from parties on the far left. Instead, Løkke now wants Venstre (Liberals) leader Troels Lund Poulsen to become the new royal investigator tasked with exploring a broader government across the political middle. The move completely reshuffles the political chessboard after weeks where a center-left deal looked almost certain. Despite the split, Løkke says he still does not rule out Frederiksen remaining prime minister in a future compromise government.

🏛️ Mette Frederiksen has officially broken her own record for Denmark’s longest government negotiations. The current talks have now lasted 45 days, beating the previous 44-day record set after the 2022 election, which eventually produced the unpopular but historic SVM coalition between the Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats), Venstre (Liberals), and Moderaterne (Social Liberals). The unusually long process reflects how fragmented Danish politics has become, with parties struggling to bridge major differences.

🌱 Three climate activists linked to the grassroots movement “Jordskred” have now entered Parliament after being elected through Alternativet (Greens) and Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance). The newly elected politicians previously took part in civil disobedience actions, including protests inside government buildings, hunger strikes and blockades connected to climate policy. They argue that activism and democracy can go hand-in-hand, especially during what they describe as an ecological emergency.

🏛️ Borgernes Parti (Anti-establishment far-right) is continuing to unravel only weeks after entering Parliament, as Nadja Natalie Isaksen has now left the party to become an independent member. That means three out of the party’s four elected members of the Parliament have either resigned or been expelled since the election, leaving party leader Lars Boje Mathiesen alone in the parliamentary group.

🎮 A Danish member of the European Parliament is pushing for an EU ban on “loot boxes” in video games after a new survey found that more than half of children aged 11–16 in Denmark have bought them. Loot boxes are virtual mystery packs in games, where players pay for random rewards without knowing what they will receive. Social Democrat MEP Christel Schaldemose says the systems resemble “digital casinos” designed to keep children spending money repeatedly. The European Commission is expected to present new rules later this year.

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Daily Life in Denmark HQ

🤖 A philosopher is warning that people are becoming too emotionally dependent on AI chatbots for life advice. Pia Lauritzen says tools like ChatGPT may be useful for practical tasks, but they cannot answer deeply human questions about love, purpose, or difficult choices. A new study found many young adults already use AI as a kind of emotional confidant when life feels overwhelming. Lauritzen argues this risks weakening our ability to think independently and sit with uncertainty.

🥾 A new national network of scenic hiking routes called “Danmarks Naturstier” is being rolled out to make nature walks easier to access and navigate. The first official route is the 27-kilometer Amarminoen trail through Nature Park Amager. The routes will feature better signage, online information, toilets, and points of interest along the way. More certified trails are expected across Zealand, Lolland-Falster, Djursland, and Viborg as hiking and outdoor life continue to grow in popularity.

🚐 Frustration is growing in the coastal areas as more tourists in camper vans park and camp illegally near beaches and nature spots instead of using official campsites. A campsite owner says the problem has become far more common, with temporary “weekend camps” appearing in protected nature areas despite rules banning camping in tents or camper vans outside designated sites. Politicians say they are now looking into the issue, including whether better information or parking restrictions are needed.

🧯 A new survey shows that most people in Denmark still have not prepared emergency supplies at home, despite warnings about cyberattacks, extreme weather, and other major crises. Emergency officials say households should be able to manage on their own for several days with water, food, batteries, and basic supplies, since authorities would need to prioritize vulnerable groups like hospitals and care homes first. The debate around “prepping” remains divided, however, with some seeing it as common sense and others arguing they do not want to live in constant fear.

🚗 Thinking of giving your car a quick wash in the driveway this spring? Municipalities are warning people to think twice, as washing cars at home can send pollutants directly into waterways. In many areas with separated rainwater systems, the water is not cleaned before reaching nature, meaning a simple car wash can harm local ecosystems. Vesthimmerlands Municipality has now launched a campaign encouraging residents to use commercial car washes instead, where wastewater is properly treated before being released.

💼 Some healthcare workplaces are now letting people apply for jobs without writing a traditional application. Facing major nurse shortages, home care services in Herning Municipality and several hospital departments in Gødstrup have started offering informal “drop-in interviews,” where candidates can simply show up and talk about the job face-to-face. Managers say the approach feels more personal and helps them avoid generic AI-written applications, while also making the hiring process less intimidating and more flexible for applicants.

👶 Researchers warn that Denmark uses forced adoption far more aggressively than other Scandinavian countries, with biological parents often permanently losing contact with their children. According to new research comparing Denmark and Norway, around two-thirds of forced adoptions here are anonymous, meaning children grow up without any relationship to their biological family. The debate has returned after a DR documentary series highlighted several controversial cases and growing criticism of the system.

🏫 Long-term school absence among children has nearly doubled in five years, raising alarm among child welfare organizations. More than 12,000 students missed at least 50 school days during the last school year, meaning they were absent for roughly a quarter of the academic year. Children’s advocacy group Børns Vilkår warns that such high absence is often a sign of serious well-being problems, yet schools failed to report concerns to municipalities in most cases. Experts are now calling for the issue to be treated as a major national challenge.

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Danish Economics HQ

Our money

💶 The first “food checks” are now being paid out to around two million people, with pensioners, students, people on benefits, and lower-income families receiving up to 2,500 DKK tax-free to help cover rising living costs. But economists believe much of the money may end up in savings accounts rather than supermarket baskets, as many households are still recovering from years of inflation and higher energy prices. The scheme has also sparked criticism over fairness, since some recipients have large savings while many low-income workers without children do not qualify at all.

🏠 Around 20,000 homeowners may be charged interest on unpaid property taxes they were unable to pay because of errors inside the tax system itself. The issue is linked to ongoing problems with Denmark’s new property valuation system, where some owners never received proper tax bills for property value tax or land tax. Despite this, interest continues building on the debt while people wait for the authorities to fix the mistakes.

🔥 Interest in heat pumps is surging again as higher oil and gas prices push households toward more stable heating options. In just the first four months of 2026, more people applied for the heat pump subsidy than during all of last year, leaving the support pool close to empty already. Experts say rising geopolitical tensions are making many homeowners nervous about relying on imported gas and oil for heating.

State of the markets

🛒 A new supermarket price war is breaking out, as Lidl and Netto sharply cut prices on hundreds of everyday products. Lidl says some items will become more than 20% cheaper. Netto quickly responded with its own reductions, even after warning about rising prices just a week earlier. Retail experts say the battle is really about winning market share in a time when many households remain highly sensitive to grocery costs. Coop announced it will launch its own response soon.

⛽ Shipping giant Mærsk says the conflict around Iran and disruptions in the Hormuz Strait are now costing them around 3 billion DKK per month, with much of the bill expected to hit consumers. CEO Vincent Clerc warns that higher oil prices affect far more than fuel, since oil is used in everything from plastics and electronics to food production and transport. The company says the extra costs are already feeding into global inflation, meaning households could continue seeing higher prices in supermarkets and everyday goods in the coming months.

🏭 Aalborg Portland has won a major state-backed contract to capture and store CO₂ as part of Denmark’s climate strategy. The cement producer, which is also the country’s largest single CO₂ emitter, is expected to capture and store 1.25 million tons of CO₂ per year using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The project will receive support from the state’s 28.7 billion DKK CCS fund and is considered important for reaching the 2030 climate targets.

Entrepreneurship

Opportunity. Do you advise people to expand/sell from Denmark to other European Union countries? We want people to know your services exist as part of our “Keys to Europe’s Market” project that we do with AMIS. Let us know about your expertise at info@amis.dk

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Denmark in Global Headlines

⚡ “Denmark faces data center reckoning as power grid overwhelmed by surging demand” – CNBC

💸 “Denmark’s FSA asks police to probe Nordea Finans Danmark’s compliance on money laundering” – Reuters

⛵ “Gilleleje: The pretty Danish seaside town that saved 1,300 Jews” – The Telegraph

🪙 “Major Viking Age gold hoard unearthed in Northern Denmark” – HeritageDaily.com

👨‍👩‍👧 “Denmark’s ‘hands-off’ approach to parenting could offer a blueprint for raising more resilient, self-reliant kids” – The Conversation

💉 “Inside the town Ozempic built” – CNN