A victory for Europe
Three former Danish prime ministers – Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Lars Løkke Rasmussen – also expressed their joy over Macron’s victory.
The latter two leaders mentioned that, unlike the Kremlin, it was a good result for Europe.
“Facilitated by re-election to Macron and election against right-wing nationalist populism. Good for Europe, back for Putin,” Rasmussen wrote on Twitter.
More flexibility for Ukrainian children
A new government agreement seeks to give municipalities greater maneuverability in helping refugee children from Ukraine. One aspect of the agreement is to enable schools and vocational schools to teach displaced children and adults in their mother tongue Ukrainian and English. A broad majority in the Folketing agreed to the new agreement.
Huge influx of volunteers
The conflict in Ukraine has triggered a massive increase in volunteers giving a hand to aid organizations. The Danish Red Cross and the Danish Refugee Council have both reported an increase in the number of volunteers offering assistance. From receiving about two to five applications a week before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the Danish Refugee Council now receives 30 to 50 applications a week. The Danish Red Cross reported that the number of volunteers has doubled to over 10,000 since 24 February.
Danish defense is lagging behind
According to a new report from the organization People and Security, Denmark’s Defense is weaker than its Nordic neighbors. In contrast to Sweden, Norway and Finland, Denmark lacks the necessary submarines and ships needed to carry out military operations along coastal areas. And the number of tanks, fighter jets and conscripts is also significantly lower in Denmark than the other nations. Finally, Denmark may soon be the only Nordic country that does not spend at least 2 percent of its GDP on defense, despite its NATO membership.
Bangladeshi climate challenges
In cooperation with the royal family, the government is sending a delegation to Bangladesh to take first-hand reports on climate vulnerability challenges. Led by Minister for Development Aid Flemming Møller Mortensen and Crown Princess Mary, the delegation will also sign a cooperation agreement focusing on sustainable development. Bangladesh is located in a river delta and most of the country is below 10 meters above sea level, making it the country in the world where most people are threatened by the consequences of climate change.
New tax agreement with Sweden?
News Øresund informs that the Øresund Agreement, the Danish-Swedish tax agreement in 2003, will be renegotiated in the near future. The negotiations seek to break down barriers and make life easier for border commuters, but Sweden has also expressed a wish that a larger part of the border commuter tax funds be sent back to their place of residence.
New Øresund transport declaration
Denmark and Sweden have entered into an agreement on a joint transit declaration in the Øresund region. The COVID-19 pandemic led to major transit demands in the area, and the two countries will now look at creating a more free and fluid transport corridor to Bornholm, Kastrup Airport and up through Sweden. However, the joint declaration will not change the possibility for the two countries to announce travel-related restrictions in future pandemic situations.
Less dependence on Russian gas
The government has presented its ‘Denmark can do better II’ strategy, which seeks to accustom the country and the EU to its dependence on Russian gas. The plan offers five concrete tracks that will move Denmark in a greener direction and out of the gaping belly of Russian energy sources. Among other things, green district heating must be announced by 2028, as Denmark seeks to quadruple its land-based sustainable energy production by 2030.
German agreement slowing down wind
An agreement between German consumers of Danish wind energy and Danish wind turbine owners temporarily closes turbines in Denmark. When there is excess wind-based electricity in northern Germany, the Danish wind turbine owners receive compensation that is so high that it is not economically profitable to sell the green electricity in Norway or Sweden instead. The downtime for the wind turbines means that the turbines have missed out on producing electricity that can power 300,000 homes annually.
Source: The Nordic Page