New laws
Psychiatric emergency hotline: The government will invest 113 million DKK in 2025 to establish a psychiatric emergency hotline. The hotline will be integrated with the 112 emergency service from 2026. Instead of calling a long number that is only available during certain hours and different in every region, it will be just 112 — accessible anytime, day or night — making it easier and faster for people in crisis to get the help they need.
12 initiatives to combat discrimination against Greenlandic people: Among the most notable ones, you can find the right to a Greenlandic passport, the introduction of mandatory lessons about Greenland and Faroe Islands during history classes throughout the kingdom, new funding for civil society projects that combat discrimination, money to train more Greenlandic translators, and a dedicated phone line in Greenlandic at the Institute for Human Rights, where discrimination can be reported. Read more about Greenland and how you can support the Greenlandic people here.
Increased military presence in the Arctic region: Denmark is stepping up its game. The government signed off on a 14.6 billion DKK defense upgrade for the Arctic and North Atlantic, featuring three new Arctic ships, long-range drones, and boosted satellite surveillance. And this is just phase one — another major agreement is expected in mid-2025 to further ramp up deterrence and defense.
On January 1 this year, a new law prohibiting the flying of most national flags in Denmark came into effect. Our lead reporter Ali Lewis delves into what the law means for you and the surprising story behind its introduction.
Law proposals
“It should be easier to sue in case of defamation on social media,” says the Committee for Media Responsibility. The committee was established two years ago to propose updated media legislation. They also want to expand the criminal code on defamation to include new media actors (influencers, bloggers, etc.) and establish a media ombudsman. A media reform is expected to come later this year, and it will likely contain these proposals.
Reform of the Religious Communities Act: A law that contains several changes to the way religion is organized in Denmark will be debated in Parliament this spring. Among the expected changes, religious communities can lose their recognition if they invite foreign speakers who are on the “hate preachers” list. Also, foreign funding will have to be disclosed. As part of the reform, a working group has been established to propose initiatives to address unlawful religious marriage and divorce practices.
Denmark’s face-covering ban in public places could soon extend to schools and universities. That’s one of 13 new recommendations from the Commission for the Forgotten Women’s Struggle, which argues that educational institutions shouldn’t enable honor-related social control.
Political scene
Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, traveled this week to Berlin, Paris, and Brussels to ensure European support in the Greenland situation. France offered to deploy soldiers in Greenland. Other EU foreign ministers mirrored the French sentiment and sent the message to Copenhagen that they are also ready “to deploy troops” if necessary.
