The Week That Was, June 16th – June 22nd 2025:
Politics/Economy:
Moderates leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen was showered with criticism after an audio recording revealed how the former prime minister offered disgraced MP Mike Fonseca DKK370,000 ($57,000) if he gave up his parliamentary seat and keep quiet about his relationship with a 15-year-old girl – eight opposition parties fired off a joint letter to Speaker of the House calling for an inquiry into whether the Moderates’ attempt to buy a parliamentary seat broke the law.
A new poll showed the Moderates would win no more than 3.3% of the vote if an election was held today, only slightly more than the 2% threshold needed for parliamentary representation.
The government is aiming to slash public administration costs by at least DKK5.5bn by 2030, part of a new long-term programme to limit state bureaucracy.
EU/Foreign Affairs:
Emmanuel Macron confirmed France’s and the EU’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Greenland during a short visit to the Arctic Island, Sunday – the French President told reporters that everybody in France and the EU believes that Greenland should neither be sold nor taken and criticised the US for its repeated claims on the territory – however, he came under fire from right-wing lawmakers in Brussels who accused him of promoting ’personal’ or ‘national’ foreign policy ambitions.
Speaking at a press conference in Tórshavn, Tuesday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she’s ‘ready and willing’ to give both Greenland and the Faroe Islands greater investment and autonomy, after Berlingske reported that a majority of parties in the Faroese home rule administration are pushing to phase out the annual DKK 567 million ‘block grant’ the islands receive from Denmark.
The government laid out its priorities for Denmark’s upcoming presidency of the EU Council that gets underway on July 1st: Strengthening EU security, boosting competitiveness, managing migration, and advancing green targets – fifteen ministerial meetings will take place on Danish soil in Aalborg, Horsens, Herning, and Frederiksberg.
International NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to use Denmark’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union to reinforce the EU’s commitment to democracy, accountability and human rights.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said depending on an energy source from a country that’s an enemy is unacceptable, after unveiling legislation to phase out all Russian gas imports to the EU.
Denmark signed a new defence deal with its Nordic neighbours aimed at ‘easing and accelerating ammunition procurement for the armed forces.’
The Danish Navy deployed two more unmanned ‘drone vessels’ to boost maritime surveillance in the Baltic Sea and North Sea.
Passenger ferries carrying carrying thousands of passengers back and forth to Bornholm for the recent Citizens Forum were hit by GPS spoofing attacks believed to originate from Russia.
Eight bishops of the Church of Denmark called on the government to intensify pressure on Israel to halt its military campaign in Gaza and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Social Affairs:
Figures obtained by TV2 under the Freedom of Information Act showed more than 4,400 foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes have avoided deportation from Denmark over the past decade due to human rights conventions.
A new study showed a growing number of teachers avoid controversial subjects in the classroom out of concern for their own or their family’s safety – the Muhammad crisis is the most frequently avoided topic, followed by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Residents of Silkeborg in Jutland and nearby Kjellerup woke up last weekend to find Nazi propaganda plastered across buildings and lampposts, reportedly by members of the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM).
Foreign nationals seeking Danish citizenship will in future be required to pay nearly one thousand US dollars for the privilege, a 50% increase.
Despite a booming labour market and claims of a shortage of manpower, the number of young people without a job has grown by 1,800 over the past year.
Business:
Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk stands to lose billions in revenue because the company overlooked a $250 bill to maintain the patent on wonder weight loss medication Ozempic in Canada.