Eight weeks until the European Parliament (EP) elections on June 9, 2024. The campaign is in full-swing; even more so for those of us who are non-Danish EU citizens, as we are exposed to campaigns from both Denmark and our home countries. Debates, various events with an EU theme, smiling people with flyers in the streets – you can truly feel the celebration of democracy.
If you want to vote for a candidate from Denmark at the EP elections, you have three weeks left to sign up on the voting list. How do you sign up? Download the application from here (available in six languages), complete it, and then send it via Borger.dk (Digital Post) to your municipality (Borgerservice). If you have previously voted for a candidate from Denmark at EP elections, you should have gotten an e-Boks email notifying you that you are automatically signed up.
Besides voting, you can get a closer look at the process by joining one of the many campaigns as a volunteer. It’s also a great way to get into Danish circles and make friends. If you want to know more about the candidates, listen to our podcast #VOTEHOME. If you want to know what has happened in the last five years at the European level, join our brunch events in Aalborg (April 20) and Aarhus (April 27). We are also considering having a similar event in Odense or Esbjerg. Vote here to help us decide where.
What else happened this week? Former mink fur breeders stand to receive a fortune as compensation for having to close their farms during the pandemic. Of course, it helped that they were part of the compensation assessment commissions themselves. The sober movement is getting bigger, as it has become culturally accepted to give up alcohol. And, a new debate has emerged in the public space: should young people who thrive later in the day start school later? Is it fair that A-type and B-type people go to school at the same time?
Thank you for reading Last Week in Denmark!
P.S. – We continue our call to action to help us find Polish-speakers in Denmark. If you know anyone, please share this link to the Polish-edition of the newsletter with them.
Word of the Week
Regionsråd = Regional Council. Denmark is divided into five regions (North Denmark, Central Denmark, South Denmark, Zealand and the Capital) which are administered by regional councils. The regional council’s main task is to run the healthcare system plus region-wide infrastructure, business, tourism, etc..
