The Week That Was, August 22nd – 28th 2026

Posted on 29. Aug, 2016 in: TWTW

Politics/Economy

A new poll indicated the centre-left opposition would win power if an election was held today, led by the Social Democrats who have gained 2.7 percentage points, the equivalent of five seats – the Conservatives are slipping perilously close to the 2% threshold needed for parliamentary representation.

Justice Minister Søren Pind vowed to come down hard on ‘those who wish ill upon Denmark’ with a new anti-terror bill – however, a proposal to imprison anybody found guilty of distributing online propaganda from the Islamic State (ISIL) or other terror organisations for six years was criticised by civil liberties organisations as an attack on freedom of speech. Mr Pind also warned that right-wing politicians and commentators who constantly warn that Denmark and the west are at war with Islam are fuelling the threat of a terrorist attack – he said the discourse has become ‘so extreme’ that it’s time for the ruling Liberals to ‘draw a line’.

Countries throughout Europe have joined together to help Denmark find the missing billions in the share dividend tax refund scam – the State Prosecutor’s Office for Serious Economic and International Crime announced the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) under the jurisdiction of Eurojust, the pan-EU agency that helps national authorities work together to combat serious organised crime affecting more than one EU country. At the same time a new a new Gallup poll 52% of the electorate said they don’t trust the Tax Authority (SKAT). In the wake of a series of tax scandals the national auditors – ‘parliament’s watchdog’ – are considering the unusual move of summoning Tax Minister Karsten Laurtizen to a specially convened ‘closed door’ consultation, a political implement that hasn’t been utilised since 1989, Berlingske reports.

A new study by right-leaning think tank Cepos revealed the top-10 per cent earners in Denmark pay a collective DKK214bn (€29bn) annually in tax, around one third of all tax revenue – Tax Minister Karsten Lauritzen said the figures illustrate very clearly that the ‘rich’ have nothing to be ashamed of.

The government published its long-awaited anti-cancer package, Wednesday, with the aim of creating the ‘first smoke-free generation’ by 2030 – however, it was immediately dismissed as ‘cancer lite’ by health officials who dismissed the planned restrictions as far too lenient.

New Ministry of Education figures showing expenditure on the student grant (SU) scheme has increased dramatically over the past decade provoked calls for cutback in the generous system – the number of SU recipients rose from 315,000 to 486,000 in the ten-year period between 2006-2016 as expenditure doubled to DKK20bn annually, putting a further strain on education spending,

Greenland MP Aleqa Hammond wasexcluded from her own Siumit party for misusing a credit card issued by the Danish parliament, after tabloid daily Ekstra Bladet revealed she had, in violation of the rules, used the card to buy groceries and building materials in June and July.

The government launched a new website – regeringen.dk – as part of a new ‘communication strategy’ with the aim of ‘bringing Danes together’.

Foreign Affairs/EU

The Danish People’s Party’s defence spokeswoman, Marie Krarup, was heavily criticised for claiming that the ‘EU is a bigger threat to Denmark than President Putin.’

A delegation of Danish MPs announced a fact-finding trip to the much-criticised Australian detention centre on the Pacific island of Nauru – recently published documents revealed widespread abuse of asylum seekers and their children at the centre, seen as a ‘model’ for refugee policy by some Danish MPs.

The initial draft of Denmark’s new development aid strategy suggested Yemen, Libya, and Syria should be removed from the list of so-called ‘focus countries’ under the Arab Initiative and called for future development efforts to be centered on Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan ‘where there’s potential for reforms under more stable conditions.’

Morten Messerschmidt stepped down as chair of the Danish People’s Party’s (DPP)parliamentary group in Brussels after being accused of identity theft.

(Radikale) are determined stop the  passing through Danish territorial waters.

The Social Liberals urged Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen to lobby the EU to reject the €11bn Russian gas pipeline project, North Stream 2, which if approved would pass through Danish territorial waters.

Mexico refused to extradite Mogens Amdi Perdersen, founder of the the global Danish humanitarian organisation Tvind, often referred to as a cult.

To read all the above articles in full see: http://seven59.dk/archive (subscription required)

Social Affairs

Justice Minister Søren Pind acknowledged that the government misjudged the potential reaction to the controversial jewellery law, which gives immigration officials the right to seize cash and valuables from refugees in excess of DKK10,000. Only 62 refugees or migrants applied for asylum in Denmark the previous week, the fifth week in a row that the figures have failed to hit one hundred.

Turkish-Danish supporters of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara has accused of being the architect of last month’s attempted coup, have been threatened with violence and even death – TV2 News reported that around 30-40% of pupils at Turkish private schools have failed to return since the summer break after a document circulating on Facebook listed 14 private schools in Denmark as being linked to Gulen and urged parents to ‘Save your children.’

The Mariam Mosque in Copenhagen, Scandinavia’s first female-led mosque, hosted its first women-only Friday prayers session

Denmark’s biggest media organisation, Aller Press, was hit with a DKK10m fine by Copenhagen District Court for illegally buying credit card information that gave journalists access to sensitive information about royals and celebrities.

Business

In a new report published Thursday, the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI),lowered its growth projection for 2017 to 1.3% as a result of Great Britain’s impending exit from the EU and a sluggish world economy.

Defence Minister Peter Christensen and Business Minister Troels Lund Poulsen will take a trip to Lockheed Martin’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, next month in a bid to secure lucrative contracts ‘quid pro quo’ contacts for Danish companies.

Denmark’s retail sales dropped 0.6 percent month-over-month in July, reversing a 0.2 percent increase in the previous month – despite this, Denmark’s consumer confidence improved in August to the highest level in four months.

A red-hot housing market boosted by record-low interest rates and a quick turnover has kept the nervous mortgage lenders at bay throughout the country. In the capital region the number of repossessions has fallen by 71% since 2010.

 And that was The Week That Was, August 22nd – 28th 2016 – To read all the above articles in full see: http://seven59.dk/archive (subscription required)