The Week That Was, December 9th – December 15th 2018

Politics/Economy:

The Social Democrats’ put forward a wide range of tax proposals aimed at ‘squeezing the rich’ if they, as expected, regain power at next year’s election.

The government is determined to go ahead with its controversial refugee island project despite widespread criticism – after visiting Lindholm Island, Immigration Minister Inger Støjberg said she took local politicians’ concerns ‘very seriously’ but the government wouldn’t be backing down.

Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen rejected opposition claims that the chair of the Danish Council on Climate Change (Klimarådet) was fired because he was critical of the government’s policies.

Despite political opposition in this country Denmark joined the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) – Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen was amongst representatives from more than 150 States in Marrakesh, Morocco, who adopted the treaty by acclamation.

The Danish Tax Department (SKAT) launched a crackdown on Bitcoin investors – according to information shared by the Swedish Tax Agency, a total of 2,700 Danes purchased circa $5.80 million worth of bitcoins from a Finnish crypto exchange between the financial years of 2015 and 2017.

Environment Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen’s credibility was questioned following his U-turn on the government’s pesticide strategy.

Consumer prices fell by 0.3% in November compared to October – on an annual basis prices have increased by a modest 0.8%, the lowest in the EU.

Parliament passed a bill that makes it legal for anyone over 18 to possess a pepper spray in their own home for self-defence.

EU/Foreign Affairs:

Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said Russia’s aggressive behavior makes it difficult to argue why Denmark should grant approval for the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to pass through Danish territorial waters.

Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Britain shouldn’t expect any support from Denmark for a revised Brexit agreement even though a ‘no deal’ scenario would be devastating for the Danish fishing industry – Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said EU countries might be willing to clarify parts of their divorce deal with Britain but would not be prepared to make wholesale changes.

During talks with Morocco’s foreign affairs minister, Nasser Bourita, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen urged Morocco to repatriate convicted terrorist Sam Mansour, known as the ‘Bookseller from Bronshøj’.

Danish lawmakers will continue to challenge EU citizens’ right to immediate unemployment benefits in this country after the EU Parliament adopted a proposal that would give EU nationals the right to Danish dagpenge (unemployment insurance) for 6 months, even though they may have only worked here for one day.

It was reported that Iran declined a meeting with Immigration Minister Inger Støjberg regarding the repatriation of failed asylum seekers due to her use of a drawing of the Prophet Mohammad as a screenshot on her iPad.

Denmark’s Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager ruled that German power company TenneT infringed EU antitrust rules by systematically limiting electricity between Western Denmark and Germany.

Lithuania distanced itself from the Danske Bank money laundering scandal.

Danish pension giant PFA, Europe’s fifth-largest pension fund has bought a whole stretch of a Berlin street, sparking off fears amongst residents that their homes will be turned into luxury apartments.

Social Affairs:

New figures from the Danish Debt Collection Agency (Gældsstyrelsen) showed the public’s collective debt to the state has risen to an all-time high of DKK116bn (€15bn) – at the same time the agency announced 485,000 debtors with low incomes, such as the unemployed or disability claimants, will have their debt wiped out.

A new OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) report showed Danes have the lowest life expectancy rate in Western Europe,  due to excessive drinking and smoking.

Minister for the Economy Simon Emil Ammitzbøll-Bille (LA) accused trade unions of being more concerned about taking care of their own interests than trying to help workers and Denmark as whole.

38,000 new jobs were created during the first nine months of the year, which, if the trend continues, could rise to 50,000 by New Year, the most since 2007 – nearly 36,000 jobs were available in October, the highest level ever and 3,000 more than the previous month.

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Business:

Danish companies collectively paid a total of DKK72bn (€9.6bn) in tax to the state last year – Novo Nordisk topped the list, paying DKK7.695bn, followed by Danske Bank (2.713bn), toy giant LEGO (2.637bn).

ATP, Denmark’s largest pension fund, suspended all new investments with the Australian Macquarie Group pending an investigation of the company’s involvement in the share dividend scandal.

Huawei reached out to Danish lawmakers after the ruling Liberals urged the Justice Ministry to investigate a possible espionage threat from the Chinese telecom giant, which has a close partnership agreement with Denmark’s biggest telecom company, TDC.

Danish cleaning and services company, ISS, announced plans to lay off around 100,000 employees in 13 countries as part of a global restructuring plan.

Dairy giant Arla Foods signed a deal to buy out Mondelez International’s Middle East cheese business.

Carlsberg is one of three major breweries under investigation for price-fixing in India.

Copenhagen Airport enjoyed a 5.2% increase in passengers in November, traditionally a slow month for the travel industry

And That Was The Week That Was, December 9th – December 15th 2018: To read all the above articles in full see: http://seven59.dk/archive (subscription required).