The Week That Was, May 22nd – May 27th 2018

Posted on 27. May, 2018 in: TWTW

Politics/Economy:

The Social Democrats called for a probe into whether the Muslim Ramadan festival poses ‘safety hazards’, as claimed by Immigration Minister Inger Støjberg who sparked off a controversy by urging all working Muslims to take leave from work during the fasting period ‘to avoid negative consequences for the rest of Danish society’. Ms Støjberg’s controversial remarks were widely reported by leading news outlets in the U.S., Great Britain, Turkey, Australia, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Indonesia, and Sweden as another sign of Denmark’s anti-Muslim bias.

A new opinion poll gave the 4 government alliance parties a majority of voters but a minority of seats – the latest Voxmeter poll for Ritzau indicated a slight 50.1/49.8% lead for the government coalition plus Danish People’s Party (DPP) but a 90/85 parliamentary majority for the Social Democrat-led centre-left alliance.

Liberal Alliance ministers figured poorly in a new popularity poll – party leader, and minister for foreign affairs, Anders Samuelsen, was ranked a lowly 21st while LA’s struggling minister for the elderly, Thrya Frank, came in last.

The Danish state launched 50 court cases around the world against foreign pension funds and other investors in an effort to recoup up to $2bn that was paid out in fraudulent tax refunds between 2012 and 2015.

Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen signed an agreement with his Nordic counterparts that will make it easier for Denmark to collect unpaid debt from Scandinavian nationals who were given a free education in this country, and a student loan, but who returned home and ignored all demands to repay what they owe.

The populist, green Alternative Party distanced itself from a local councillor who equated Donald Trump with Adolf Hitler.

Denmark was ranked the world’s 6th-most competitive by the Switzerland-based IMD World Competitiveness Center.

New figures published by the Economic Council of the Labour Movement (ECLM) and Denmark’s biggest trade union, 3F union, showed financial inequality has risen steadily since 2004 – the number of people classified as living under the poverty level has increased by 28,000 over the 14-year period.

Consumer confidence was better than expected in May, rising to 9.3 points, the highest level since last July – at the same time consumers expect Denmark’s, and their own family’s, economic situation will be better in 12 months’ time than today.

EU/Foreign Affairs:

A new Eurobarometer survey showed Danes’ support for the EU has reached record heights since Brexit – three out of four voters believe the EU is a positive force, the highest ever. The Danish People’s Party’s Kenneth Kristensen Berth said it’s fear and uncertainty about Russia and the U.S. that’s encouraged Danes to look more favourably on the EU.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen and Minister of Defence Claus Hjort Frederiksen held talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence John Mattis in Washington, Friday.

Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen and Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland’s Minister for Education, Culture, Church and Foreign Affairs, hosted a high-level, two-day meeting in Greenland to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Ilulissat Declaration, under which the coastal States bordering the Arctic Ocean agreed to resolve disputes peacefully. Canada and Denmark, alongside the Greenland home rule administration, announced plans to set up a task force to try to solve a longstanding territorial dispute over tiny Hans Island in the Arctic.

The Clean Energy Summit in Copenhagen culminated with few specific results but Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said ministers from the G20 and Nordic countries reached an understanding for the need to invest in more clean energy.

The European Court for Human Rights ruled that ROJ TV’s press freedoms weren’t violated when the Kurdish TV network and its holding company, Mesopotamia Broadcast, were each fined DKK5m and banned from transmitting from Denmark by the High Court four years ago after being linked to terrorism.

A former Danish-born mayor of the town of Ipswich who has lived in Britain for nearly 40 years has been denied citizenship by the UK Home Office following Brexit.

Social Affairs:

A new recruitment report by The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (STAR) pinpointed a lack of electricians, nurses, IT experts, schoolteachers, engineers, and health assistants, leading to fears of a labour market ‘bottleneck’.

The police were accused of ‘racial profiling’ after new figures showing ‘dark-skinned’ suspects are being disproportionally targeted – there’s an 86-88% greater risk of non-western immigrants or their descendants being arrested without being ultimately charged, compared to ethnic Danes.

A new Greenpeace study showed Copenhagen is the best capital in Europe for clean, safe transport,

In an attempt to ease traffic congestion and reduce pollution in Copenhagen a majority at City Hall will request permission from the state to introduce a road pricing system.

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

Business:

Nordea, the biggest Nordic bank, continued to distribute €500 notes to Danish currency exchange bureaus for years despite warnings they were being used by criminals to whitewash drug money or finance terrorism.

A.P. Møller Maersk accused the Chinese authorities of discriminating against its business – CEO Søren Skou said the protectionism of the last decade is disadvantageous for a global company like A. P. Moller Maersk.

And That Was The Week That Was, May 22nd – May 27th 2018: To read all the above articles in full see: http://seven59.dk/archive (subscription required).