Politics/Economy:

Liberal Alliance (LA) leader Anders Samuelsen upped the stakes in stalled budget negotiations by speculating about the possibility of a snap election if the Danish People’s Party (DPP) refuses to make concessions. The Danish People’s Party (DPP) urged the government to drop tax reform negotiations and concentrate on passing the 2018 budget before Christmas.

A new Norstat survey of cabinet ministers on the first anniversary of the Lib/Con/LA government showed the government’s ‘hardliners’ are the most popular with voters – Integration Minister Inger Støjberg and Justice Minister Søren Pape Poulsen came out joint top.

Ms Støjberg said she would consider relocating failed asylum seekers to a deserted island until they can be safely deported.

Pernille Vermlund, the head of Denmark’s new far-right party, the New Conservatives, urged the ruling Liberals to drop 35 years of ‘failed immigration policy’.

Denmark’s leading immigrant politician, Naser Khader, was accused of threatening to shame a female imam who’s threatened to sue him.

Denmark’s new fleet of JSF-35 fighter jets may have to find a new home when they finally arrive in Denmark – after it was revealed the Ministry of Defence has for the past two years withheld crucial information they will exceed permitted noise levels around the planned location of Skrydstrup Air Force Base near Uldal.

Denmark’s industrial production increased in October, after falling in the previous month.

EU/Foreign Affairs:

Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said Denmark has no plans to follow the USA and relocate the Danish Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – he also urged China to turn up the pressure on North Korea so the nuclear missile crisis ends peacefully.

U.S. Secretary of State Ralph Tillerson warned that Europe – including Denmark –will be making a big mistake if the Nord Stream 2 project is allowed to pipe Russian gas westwards under the Baltic and through 140 kilometres of Danish territorial waters south of Bornholm.

A new study showed Denmark has a huge trade surplus of DKK 61.6bn ($9bn) with America, boosted by pharmaceutical sales – Norway is number 2 (DKK34.2bn) followed by Switzerland, Finland and Sweden.

Over the past 15 months the number of EU citizens coming to Denmark to work has fallen by 65% – 14,500 EU transit workers came to Denmark to work in the second quarter (Q2) of 2016, compared to less than 5,000 in Q3-2017. Employment Minister Troels Lund Poulsen warned the Danish labour market will ‘run out of steam’ if the lack of manpower forces companies to relocate abroad.

Four EU countries have backed Denmark’s call for a change in child benefit rules – Employment Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Germany, Holland, Austria and Ireland now share the Danish view that the benefit should be reduced if the recipient’s children live in a country with a lower cost of living.

A top U.N. representative rejected Defence Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen’s claim that hiring North Korean workers to help build a Danish warship doesn’t violate international sanctions.

Copenhagen was honoured at a ‘green’ awards ceremony in Chicago, attended by former President Barak Obama – the capital was awarded the climate prize for its ‘comprehensive work with strategic energy monitoring, energy management and energy renovation of the municipality’s properties.’

Crown Prince Frederik, Denmark’s member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), applauded the decision to suspend Russia from the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Social Affairs:

A new study by EU statistics agency Eurostat showed Denmark is one of the toughest countries for refugees to seek asylum in – the Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) approved no more than 26% of all applications in the year’s second quarter, compared to 82% in the same period last year.

A new study by right-leaning think-tank CEPOS showed the number of people living in relative poverty in Denmark has risen following the government’s social benefits reform two years ago.

The Danish People’s Party’s (DPP) expressed concern about a growing English-speaking ‘parallel society’ in this country

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 Business:

Business Minister Brian Mikkelsen vowed to fight for homeowners whose mortgages could become more expensive following new banking rules agreed by global regulators on the Basel Committee.

Maersk Oil announced a DKK21bn ($3.3 bn)  investment in the redevelopment of the Tyra gas field by the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC), which comprises A.P. Moller – Maersk, Royal Dutch Shell plc, Nordsøfonden and Chevron.

Danish toy maker Lego won a major legal victory in China in a copyright case against companies making bootleg copies of its iconic coloured bricks.

Canopy Growth Corp, Canada’s largest licensed marijuana producer, announced plans to establish a 40,000-square-metre cannabis production facility in Odense to cater for medical marijuana patients.

A new survey showed Denmark has the most mobile phones per capita than any other country in the world.

Danske Bank, Denmark’s biggest, has developed a computer programme that will allow the homeless to keep a bank account.

Global Danish jewellery brand Pandora pulled an advertising campaign in Italy after being been accused of sexism.

And That Was The Week That Was, December 4th – December 10th 2017: To read all the above articles in full see: http://seven59.dk/archive (subscription required)