New laws
🔧 Historic boost for vocational education. A broad political agreement will invest nearly 1 billion DKK annually from 2030 to upgrade vocational training. The deal includes better pay for schools, more practical teaching, stronger links between school and apprenticeships, easier access to school housing, and five times more international exchange opportunities for students. Schools get more freedom to decide how to improve quality locally. The goal? More skilled workers for green jobs, healthcare, and industry.
Law proposals
🚫 No rights without legal stay, says government. A new law package aims to bar undocumented migrants from driving, starting businesses, receiving education or healthcare beyond emergencies, and holding yellow health cards. The proposal also expands knife bans to all asylum centers and allows police to create search zones. Ministers argue the changes are about fairness and enforcing rules, with visible flags in the CPR register to identify those without valid residency. If approved, the measures will take effect by the end of 2025.
🌿 Jail time for nature vandalism? After illegal bulldozing of protected coastline near Vejle Fjord, politicians want tougher penalties for landowners who destroy nature to improve their view or property value. Although current law allows prison sentences, most cases result in minor fines. Parties across the spectrum now call for harsher punishments, ranging from doubled fines to mandatory jail time, to protect Denmark’s nature from wealthy offenders.
🚭 Fewer places to buy tobacco? The government wants to limit where nicotine and tobacco can be sold in order to curb youth use. With around 7,000 current vendors, Health Minister Sophie Løhde says everything’s on the table, from licenses to time restrictions. Critics warn of illegal sales and border trade, while supporters argue it’s essential to make changes in order to reduce cancer and addiction. The plan is part of the upcoming Cancer Plan V, with possible future price hikes and tighter EU rules also in play.
🥫 Food waste rising again; new strategy on the way. The food waste in retail and distribution hit 103,906 tons in 2023, a 6,195-ton increase since 2019, prompting Food Minister Jacob Jensen to launch Madspildsstrategi 2.0. The plan will focus on surplus food donations, upcycling, and innovation, aiming to meet EU waste targets without adding red tape. The new strategy is expected to be enacted by the end of 2025.
🕵️♂️ PET (intelligence agency) surveillance law delayed after backlash. The government has postponed a controversial bill that would expand the intelligence agency PET’s access to large-scale data, including health records and social media. Critics warn it normalizes mass surveillance and bypasses privacy norms. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard insists the debate is based on misunderstandings but agrees more time is needed. The proposal will now be reviewed after the summer.
Political scene
🍝 Spaghetti showdown in Parliament. During question time, Inger Støjberg accused PM Mette Frederiksen of breaking her campaign promise not to make everyday life more expensive, using the price of spaghetti bolognese as her example. With minced beef now costing up to 171 DKK per kilo, Støjberg blamed the government’s climate policies. Frederiksen pushed back, saying global factors like the war in Ukraine are driving prices, and noted there’s no beef tax. The debate highlights rising food costs and their political weight.
🪑 One rule for local, another for national? A debate has flared up after it was revealed that independent MP Peter Seier has been absent from Parliament for two years without officially calling in sick or being replaced. Unlike local politicians, who lose their pay or get temporarily replaced if absent too long, national MPs face no such consequences. Critics say the double standard undermines trust in the system.
🌊 Who should pay to protect Copenhagen from flooding? A new study suggests storm surge defenses around the capital could cost up to 13 billion DKK. Current rules say homeowners closest to the water must cover nearly half the bill, but both residents and mayors argue that everyone should contribute, since the whole society benefits. The government promises a new climate adaptation plan that could change the payment model. Urgency is rising as simulations show much of Amager underwater by 2075 without action.
💥 EU finally moves to ban Russian gas. Despite pledging to quit Russian energy after the Ukraine invasion, EU countries still imported 52 billion m³ of gas from Russia last year. Now, Danish Commissioner Dan Jørgensen unveils a plan to fully ban Russian gas, oil, and uranium by 2027. Critics call past efforts too slow and fragmented, but Jørgensen says this will end Putin’s war funding. The plan includes stronger investment in renewables and stricter controls on energy imports via third countries. Not everyone is thrilled, as some member states still rely on cheap Russian gas, but Brussels is pushing ahead.
⚛️ Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats) opens door to nuclear debate. After decades of opposition, Denmark’s ruling party now wants to explore what lifting the nuclear ban would mean. The climate spokesperson says it’s time for a serious analysis, even if nuclear energy isn’t on the immediate agenda. PM Mette Frederiksen echoed the shift, saying nuclear is preferable to relying on Russian gas. While still prioritizing wind and solar, Socialdemokratiet joins Moderaterne (Social Liberals), Venstre (Liberals), and Liberal Alliance (Liberal Conservatives) in a growing political push to revisit the 1985 ban.
⚛️ Konservative (Conservatives) want nuclear research back on the table. Det Konservative Folkeparti proposes lifting the decades-old nuclear ban to revive research at DTU Risø and train new nuclear engineers. The party leader says it’s time for Denmark to explore fourth-generation reactors and become part of global nuclear innovation. DTU backs the move, arguing that the current ban blocks meaningful research and investment. But critics, including Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance), warn about radioactive waste, funding priorities, and a nuclear lobby gaining ground in the debate.
🕵️ US accused of spying on Greenland. A Wall Street Journal report has ignited a diplomatic storm, claiming US intelligence agencies were told to step up surveillance in Greenland to track independence movements and local opinions on American resource interests. Denmark summoned the acting US ambassador, calling any such activity unacceptable between allies. Greenland’s leaders condemned the alleged espionage, and some MPs suggested shutting down the US consulate in Nuuk.
