New laws
🧠 The government is investing 35 million DKK in 2025-2026 to speed up dementia diagnoses and improve treatment. More than 8,000 people are diagnosed with dementia yearly, but many wait too long, increasing uncertainty for patients and families. The funds will boost hospital capacity and explore alternative diagnostic options, such as screenings at home or with GPs, aiming for earlier intervention to slow disease progression. Denmark expects 134,000 people to be living with dementia by 2035.
📺 Starting March 31, we will gain access to nearly 1 million archived DR broadcasts through the Royal Danish Library. A new agreement ensures that historic TV and radio content from 2006–2024 will be made publicly available, with older material gradually added until the full archive of 4 million programs is online by 2026.
🚫 Denmark is banning PFAS in clothing, shoes, and consumer waterproofing sprays from July 1, 2025, with a one-year transition for businesses before sales and imports are fully restricted. Private imports from online marketplaces like TEMU will also be illegal. The government is pushing for an EU-wide ban and funding alternatives to PFAS. France is following suit with similar restrictions, while experts are mapping out further action against PFAS pollution in water, agriculture, and air.
Law proposals
🗳️ A new proposal from DF (Nationalist Conservative) would restrict local and regional election voting rights to Danish citizens only, removing the right from internationals. Supporters argue it ensures democratic integrity, while critics say it weakens democracy and discourages integration. Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats) warn it could exclude voices from local decision-making, while proponents claim non-citizen votes tilt elections left.
Political scene
🇬🇱 Denmark is upgrading its Arctic Command HQ in Nuuk with a major investment to improve security and facilities. The current rented location has long been criticized as inadequate. While experts call for a new HQ, the government is prioritizing immediate improvements to the existing structure. The upgrade is part of a broader military expansion in Greenland.
⚔️ Europe must prepare for war to avoid war, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Denmark, emphasizing the need for urgent military buildup. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, she praised Denmark’s decision to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, calling it true leadership. Von der Leyen stressed that European countries must buy more European-made defense equipment.
🛡️ Mette Frederiksen wants Europe to be fully self-reliant in defense within 3-5 years, urging South European countries like Spain and Italy to increase military spending. She argues that Europe can no longer rely on past security structures and must act urgently. While Denmark supports large-scale defense investments, leaders like Spain’s Pedro Sánchez resist using the term “military buildup,” and suggest broader security spending, including climate threats.
🛒 Finland is launching 300 emergency grocery stores that will stay open even during total power outages, ensuring food and fuel access nationwide. The country, already 80% self-sufficient for food, takes crisis preparedness seriously due to its long border with Russia and its historical experience with war and economic instability. Denmark is now looking to learn from Finland’s approach.
🇩🇰 The government’s plan to cut 3 billion DKK from the job centers faces backlash from local mayors. Critics argue that reducing support for vulnerable jobseekers, such as young people with social anxiety, will leave many behind. The reform aims to streamline the system, but opposition parties and municipalities warn that it prioritizes savings over effective employment support.
📊 Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats) are seeing a voter comeback. Now polling at 23.8%, they’ve seen their best result since the Great Prayer Day controversy. Mette Frederiksen is benefiting from global uncertainty, while Venstre (Liberals) stagnates at 9%, and Moderaterne (Social Liberals) continue to lose ground at 3.9%. With 67 seats, the government still struggles in the polls. Moderaterne remain weakened by internal turmoil, while Venstre faces a voter exodus. Meanwhile, Lars Boje Mathiesen’s Borgernes Parti (Nationalists who believe in conspiracy theories) sits just below the 2% threshold to gain parliamentary seats, causing potential disruption for the right-wing bloc.
🇩🇰 Liberal Alliance (Liberal Conservative) has presented a financial plan to fund Denmark’s defense buildup without loans or new taxes, challenging the government’s delay in outlining a budget. Their proposal includes cuts to public spending, such as halving the unemployment benefit period and reducing support for job seekers, freeing up 8.6 billion DKK.
