The national holiday on Great Prayer Day might come back
Last Week in Denmark (08.02-15.02) Episode 5 Year 6
What did we learn this week?
Great Prayer Day coming back? The holiday’s possible return is the hottest topic ahead of parliamentary elections.
Men’s life expectancy tops 80 for the first time. Plus, Denmark’s population is growing, 90% thanks to immigration and 10% thanks to having more births than deaths.
In some areas, nitrate levels in tap water far exceed safe limits and are linked to bowel cancer. Water utilities must upgrade treatment facilities, meaning higher bills are coming.
Letter from the editor
Another week of heavy snow, at least for those of you in the south. Winter clearly did not get the memo that we are ready for spring, so we might as well lean into it. If you promised yourself in January that this would be the year you get in shape, Denmark has a very practical solution. Grab a shovel and clear your sidewalk every morning. Free workout, fresh air, and instant respect from your neighbors.
For families, the week was colored by Fastelavn, the Danish tradition where children dress up and hit a barrel (historically with a cat inside) until it breaks and the lucky child becomes the cat king or queen. Yes, it sounds dramatic, but no real cats are involved anymore. For couples, Valentine’s Day required at least a minimal romantic strategy. And for many of us, viruses have been making the rounds again. If you feel like you have been sick three times since New Year, you are not alone.
On the national stage, election season is warming up. Posters are being printed, and all signs point to a parliamentary election being called soon, likely with voting at the end of March. When elections approach, debates about migration and integration tend to return to the spotlight. As internationals, we know that means we might once again become a topic rather than participants in the conversation.
So what can you do? Pay attention. Ask candidates where they stand. Show up at events. If you have the time and energy, consider volunteering for someone whose values align with yours. In Danish politics, relationships matter. When you engage, you are no longer an abstract “foreigner” in a speech. You are a colleague. And that changes the tone more than you might think.
Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!
Narcis George Matache, Executive Editor, LWID
Our long-form articles this week…
1. Friendliness with strangers in Denmark can be rewarding. Laura Matheson.
2. Thinking about Danish citizenship? Read part 1 of our new monthly guide. Miriam Thompson.
3. Fastelavn: Denmark’s strangest & sweetest carnival. Gosia Kozlowska
4. How It Feels to be an American in Denmark Right Now. John Dixon.
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.
LWID Universe
Linkedin - Instagram - Facebook - LWID App - Merchandise Store - Podcast - Website
We are looking for volunteer writers for a new media project. We want to create evergreen short explainers for internationals based on the weekly news. We need four writers willing to commit max four hours per week to write one 300-word explainer. Write to info@lwid.dk if you are interested.
The Romanian newsletter edition needs your help. As the team has a new fearless leader, Ioana Nechifor, there is a need for fresh forces. If you have max four hours per week to volunteer, they could use help with translation from English, proofreading, monitoring what happens in the Romanian community, and managing social media presence. Write to gazetadk@lwid.dk if you are interested.
Did you know you can read Last Week in Denmark in eight other languages?
Romanian - Polish - Spanish - Turkish - Italian - German - Hungarian - Ukrainian
Danish Politics HQ
New laws
🎒 Less early academics, more social skills. The early education minister wants kindergartens to spend less time introducing letters and numbers and more time preparing children for everyday school life. The idea is to strengthen patience and the ability to function in a group before formal learning begins. A section in the ministry’s guidance about systematically teaching letters in daycare will be removed, with greater emphasis instead placed on motor skills and basic classroom behavior.
Law proposals
🔥 The government plans to ease the ban on older wood-burning stoves, allowing exemptions if they meet the same emission standards as newer models. Since 2023, local councils have been able to ban stoves installed before June 2008 due to higher particle pollution, but some older stoves meet modern environmental requirements. The proposal will now go to public consultation and could take effect in spring 2026.
Political scene
👶 A proposal inspired by France to send letters to 29-year-olds reminding them about fertility has sparked political debate in Denmark, where the fertility rate is around 1.51 children per woman. Konservative (Conservatives) say low birth rates are serious, and similar awareness efforts could be considered, possibly through Digital Post. Several other parties call the idea intrusive and argue the focus should instead be on better childcare, housing, work-life balance, and access to fertility treatment rather than state reminders.
🇪🇺 France’s President Macron says Europe must use the recent “Greenland moment” as a wake-up call to become more independent from the US and China. Ahead of the EU summit, he warned that without bold economic reforms Europe could be “swept away” within five years. Macron calls for joint EU borrowing, massive investment in green and digital industries, buying more European products, and a tougher line toward Washington.
👉Read more from our team: Greenland, Denmark, and the United States: A Historical Timeline - Last Week in Denmark. ✍️ Christian Green.
🛡️ Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands have agreed with Canada to deepen military cooperation, with a focus on surveillance in the North Atlantic and Arctic, joint exercises, training, and defense innovation. The agreement was signed at the Munich Security Conference and builds on existing NATO cooperation. Greenland highlights plans to involve local communities more closely in defense tasks, inspired by Canadian experience.
👉Read more from our team: Proud, Powerless, Uncertain: Greenlanders tell us how they feel right now - Last Week in Denmark. ✍️Christian Green.
🕯️ Big Prayer Day might return to the calendar after all. The holiday was scrapped in 2023 to boost labor supply and fund higher defense spending, bringing in an estimated 3 billion DKK and 8,500 extra workers a year. Now several parties want it back, and even Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats) say they will not reject the idea outright after the next election. A new poll shows 56% of the public support restoring the day, despite the economic cost. The debate is quickly becoming a key issue ahead of the upcoming election.
Latest on Greenland
🏥 The government and Greenland have signed a partial agreement allocating 185 million DKK to treat Greenlandic patients at hospitals in Denmark and to strengthen cooperation between health services. The deal also supports more flexible arrangements so Danish doctors and nurses can work in Greenland. In addition, both sides will launch preliminary studies for a new regional runway in Ittoqqortoormiit and a deepwater port in Qaqortoq.
🧭 NATO has launched a new mission called Arctic Sentry to increase military presence in the Arctic with patrol aircraft and naval vessels. The mission aims to deter Russia and respond to growing Chinese interest in the region, while placing overall responsibility under NATO command. Danish officials say the move strengthens security around Greenland and sends a signal that the alliance is taking the High North seriously amid renewed attention from Trump.
📚 Greenland’s government proposes removing Danish lessons in grades 0 to 3 and focusing on Greenlandic first, with Danish and English introduced later from grade 4. Supporters say a strong mother tongue helps children learn other languages, while critics warn it could limit access to further education, since many upper secondary and higher education programs still rely on Danish. Business leaders also question reducing total teaching hours for younger pupils, arguing it may affect long-term competitiveness.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
❄️ Snow outside your home comes with legal responsibility. Property owners are generally required to clear ice and snow from the pavement next to their building within a reasonable time, often before morning rush hour. If someone slips because it was not properly cleared, you can be held liable, though most home insurance policies include coverage for such cases. If you are the one who falls, photos and witness details can make a big difference in any compensation claim.
📊 Men’s life expectancy in Denmark has now passed 80 for the first time, reaching 80.3 years in 2025 and 83.9 for women. Fertility also rose slightly to 1.506 children per woman, with the biggest increase among women aged 30 to 34. The population grew by 32,869 people to just over 6 million, mainly driven by net immigration of 31,691, while biological growth remained modest with 1,258 more births than deaths.
🏆 For the eighth year in a row, Denmark ranks as the least corrupt in the world in Transparency International’s latest index, scoring 89 out of 100, despite dropping one point from last year. The ranking reflects low levels of corruption in the public sector, meaning residents generally do not face bribes when dealing with authorities. Globally, however, the trend is negative, with several democracies, including the United States, seeing declining scores in recent years.
💧 Up to 250,000 people may have drinking water with nitrate levels above a newly recommended limit of 6 milligrams per liter. The proposal follows evidence linking nitrates to a small increased risk of bowel cancer, and the environment minister supports lowering the limit. Water utilities warn it could cost billions to fix through new wells or advanced treatment, meaning households may face higher water bills in the coming years.
See the map here.
📬 Dao may struggle to deliver more than four million election cards ahead of the 2026 parliamentary election after taking over national mail distribution from PostNords. In January alone, the company received over 15,000 complaints about late letters, raising political concerns about whether voters will receive their cards on time. Even if your card does not arrive, you can still vote by bringing valid ID such as a passport or health card to your polling station.
🗣️ The government has launched a new language package aimed at limiting the growing use of English words in everyday Danish and strengthening the role of the Danish Language Council. The council will receive extra funding and take a more active role in advising institutions and media on using Danish alternatives. Meanwhile, a public campaign called “Can we say it in Danish?” will invite suggestions for replacements.
👉 Read more from our team: The Danglish Invasion: Does the Danish Language Need Protection from English? ✍️ Ali Lewis
🐟 A new three-volume atlas documents all 214 known saltwater fish species found in local waters after 16 years of research. The 2,000-page work maps where each species lives and explains changes in marine life, including the rapid spread of invasive round goby and the growing presence of warmer water species. It also highlights concern over the sharp decline of cod, once one of the most common and iconic fish in surrounding seas.
Danish Economics HQ
Our money
⚡ Electricity bills are falling sharply this year after parliament cut the electricity tax to the EU minimum, lowering the price per kilowatt hour by 89 øre in 2026 and 2027. A household using 4,000 kilowatt-hours annually can save around 3,560 DKK per year, roughly 300 DKK per month. Together with lower waste fees, this has pushed inflation down to 0.8% in January, giving many households more room in their budgets.
👩⚖️ About 200,000 state employees have a new three-year collective agreement, including a 6.37% general pay raise within an 8.7% total economic framework. The deal introduces a flexible benefits scheme where employees can choose extra pay, a pension, or time off and allows leave on a child’s third sick day by agreement. Soldiers will collectively receive an additional 275 million DKK annually, though some representatives say the increase is still too small to match private sector salaries.
State of the markets
🏬 While nearly 20% of physical shops nationwide have disappeared over the past decade, Næstved has reversed the trend with more openings than closures since 2023. In the past two years, 76 new shops have opened in the town center, while 30 have closed. Local leaders say the focus has shifted from pure shopping to experiences such as cocktail bars, live music, and events, drawing visitors who also support traditional retail and helping revive the city center.
♻️ After years of criticism, Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has agreed to pay for the waste handling of products sold to customers in Denmark. Under a new agreement with the collective scheme Retur, Temu and its sellers will contribute to the same producer responsibility system as local companies. Authorities and business groups welcome the move, saying it creates fairer competition, though many other foreign platforms still do not pay into the scheme.
International Community HQ
Got a business that’s doing good for internationals here? Let us write about it and help us while we’re helping you! We’re committed to keeping our newsletter, podcast, and website paywall-free. Sponsoring content with us helps keep the LWID universe going!
Read about other businesses we’ve worked with here.
Interested in sponsoring content with us? Get in touch here.
Community Noticeboard
💼 Danish Labour Market & Workplace Culture (Esbjerg) 📅 February 26 | ⏰ 17:00-20:00 |📍 Esbjerg International House, Torvegade 23, Esbjerg | 💸 Free - Limited spots, sign up in advance to newcomer@esbjerg.dk
🌍 EGN Global Live Webinar: Scaling Collective Superpowers (Online) 📅 February 26 | ⏰ 09:00-10:00 | 💻 Online | 💸 Free - Register here.
🧑🍼 Identity After Parenthood | February 18, February 25, March 4 | ⏰ 10:00-11:30 | Café Sweet Surrender, Copenhagen | Register here.
➕ Hosting something relevant to internationals in Denmark? Send it to us at noticeboard@lwid.dk
Denmark in Global Headlines
🇺🇸 “Massachusetts makes deal with Denmark amid Trump Greenland tensions” – Enterprise News
🇨🇦 “Canada and France open consulates in Greenland following tensions over U.S. push for control” – NBC News
🛡️ “Defending Denmark against foes and fickle friends” – DW
📱 “Apps to boycott US goods gained traction in crisis over Greenland” – ABC News
🏘️ “What the troubling use of the term ‘ghettos’ reveals about Denmark’s attitude towards immigration” – The Conversation
🏴 “Should Denmark take over the Shetland Islands” – Monocle
🎖️ “Denmark expands conscription amid tensions with US” – DW