Law proposals
💼 Reform of job centers. Negotiations for the future of job centers have started. The goal? To save three billion DKK and simplify the municipality’s task of getting people into employment. However, we should keep in mind that we have had the best employment support system in Europe for the last 13 years and the lowest unemployment rate. P.S. A market is opening up for the private sector in providing support for the unemployed with job search, CV and interview preparation, upskilling, etc.
🗳️ Foreign donations to be banned in elections. A broad political majority backs a ban on foreign donations to Danish election campaigns, aiming to prevent outside influence. Inspired by Greenland’s swift action, the Folketing has instructed the government to draft a bill ASAP.
⚖️️ Stealthing to be criminalized. The government plans to criminalize stealthing — the non-consensual removal or tampering of a condom — punishable by two-four years in prison. A bill is expected in 2025 to strengthen protection against sexual assault.
⚖️⏳ Faster guardianship processing on the way. A new bill aims to cut long case processing times for vulnerable citizens needing guardianship. Currently, it takes over ten months to appoint a guardian and three and a half years for financial gifts to be approved. The proposal simplifies rules, giving guardians quicker access to funds and allowing relatives to assist loved ones without lengthy bureaucracy.
💰⚖️ Debate over patient compensation deductions. A controversial personal contribution of 8,930 DKK is deducted from patient compensation, even in serious malpractice cases. While some parties push for abolition, others suggest a percentage-based system. An evaluation is expected within six months to guide future legislation.
Political scene
“Denmark is not a good ally,” says vice president of the US, JD Vance. Words that triggered a wave of anti-American sentiment in Denmark. From calls to close the U.S. military base in Greenland to boycotting American products to refusing American customers.
🇫🇴 The Faroe Islands want more self-governance. The Danish Kingdom could face internal fractures if it doesn’t modernize, warns Sambandsflokkurin (liberal, pro-union with Denmark). The Faroe Islands want more autonomy, including control over foreign policy and trade agreements, while keeping a shared monarch and constitution.
🐺 Denmark pushes EU for wolf regulation. The wolf debate in Denmark has reached new heights, with people divided between protection and culling. After sightings near homes and livestock attacks, Minister Jeppe Bruus is in Brussels, lobbying for EU rule changes that would allow wolf population control.
⚖️ The government aims to ban religious polygamy. They want to ban polygamy in religious circles, calling it a “medieval practice.” While civil polygamous marriages are already illegal, religious marriages create a loophole. An expert group will be formed in 2025 to explore legal solutions, aiming to prevent women from being trapped in unofficial unions.
💸 War tax or political fear-mongering? A Liberal Alliance ad claims that we face a war tax of 43,500 DKK per year, sparking backlash from the Minister of Economy, who calls it misleading. The government hasn’t ruled out tax increases to fund defense spending but insists no such bill has been decided.
