The Week That Was, October 23rd – October 29th 2017
Politics/Economy
A new Megafon poll for Politiken indicated the centre-right alliance would remain in power if an election was held today.
Integration Minister Inger Støjberg told a parliamentary hearing that Denmark won’t be accepting more UN quota until the integration situation is under control – the embattled minister could be facing a new parliamentary grilling over her attempt to block a DKK680,000 grant to Exit Circle, a project that helps Muslim women to escape from religious and social control.
The government will give the National Tax Department (SKAT) DKK 5bn over the next four years to employ an extra 1,000 ‘tax snoops’ throughout the country.
The Social Liberals called for more funding for Muslim grass-roots movements.
Beleaguered City Hall Labour & Integration Administrator (burgermeister) Anna Mee Allerslev, who has suffered a storm of criticism since it was revealed how she was allowed to rent City Hall’s prestigious ballroom free of charge for her wedding reception last year, withdrew from the municipal election campaign, Wednesday, and announced she was quitting Copenhagen politics – the Social Liberals’ chairman in Copenhagen, Bo Nissen Knudsen, also quit because of the wedding reception controversy.
Denmark’s consumer confidence weakened for the third straight month in October, while the retail sales index rose 1.7 percent in September.
EU/Foreign Affairs:
During a visit to Iraq, Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen warned that Danish troops could remain in the war-torn country for a long time despite the Islamic State’s (ISIS) retreat.
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen expressed concern that Russia will use the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a way to cut off Ukraine, but said it’s the Merkel government that ‘holds the key to all this’ – in an interview with Berlingske, Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Mikhail Valentinovich Vanin, called Denmark ‘one of the most anti-Russian countries in the EU.’
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen came under fire in Turkey for disparaging President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his country’s EU bid.
Denmark was named as one of eight EU countries demanding that Israel reimburse them for the demolition and confiscation of solar panels and other school facilities donated to a Bedouin village in the West Bank.
The government announced a new DKK32m (€4.3m) package of emergency aid for refugees fleeing Myanmar and seeking refuge in Bangladesh.
Great Britain’s Prince Harry enjoyed a 2-day trip to Copenhagen on behalf of the British Foreign Office, to strengthen the ties between the UK and Denmark as Brexit negotiations continue with the EU.
Crown Prince Fredrik represented Denmark at the funeral of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Thailand.
Climate and Energy Minister Lars Christian Lilleholt said Denmark is heading for a ‘green windfall’ in the USA after signing a deal with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in Washington DC to expand cooperation on offshore wind power.
The Danish People’s Party (DPP) deputy leader, Søren Espersen, said his party would support moves to rescind Greenland’s home rule act and bring the country back under Denmark’s control.
In an op-ed article in Jyllands-Posten, China’s ambassador to Denmark, Deng Ying, said there are ‘unique opportunities’ right now to promote the relationship between the two countries.
Social Affairs:
A Danish People’s Party politician running in next month’s local government elections called for a ban on halal meat in the public sector.
Despite the oft-repeated claims of the world’s highest social benefits, biggest public sector, or most expensive health system, a new report ranked Denmark 10th in a new comparison of international welfare expenditure.
A 52-year-old female care worker was given a 3-month suspended prison sentence for having sex with a 17-year-old refugee boy.
To read all the above articles in full see: http://seven59.dk/archive (subscription required)
Business:
Nordea, the Nordic region’s largest bank, announced plans to cut at least 6,000 jobs over the next four years across its home markets of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Eight leading Danish pension funds have collectively invested more than DKK140m ($21m) in electric car maker Tesla even though the Californian-based company has banned unions, allegedly underpays employees, and has experienced persistent problems with workplace injuries.
Lars Rasmussen, CEO of global medical supplies company Coloplast and one of Denmark’s top business leaders, was ranked no.15 on Harvard Business Review’s 2017 list of the world’s best performing CEOs.
Alipay, China’s online and mobile payment platform giant is now available in Denmark.
And That Was The Week That Was, October 23rd – October 29th 2017: To read all the above articles in full see: http://seven59.dk/archive (subscription required)