Centre-left party SF takes huge win in Danish EU election 

The EU elections of the past few days saw the right wing gain ground at the expense of the centre, but the lead story in Denmark is of the Socialist People’s Party (SF), a centre-left party that usually plays second fiddle to the Social Democrats.

A final count of the votes in Denmark early this morning showed SF taking a 17.4 percent of the vote, up 4.2 points from 2019, making them the largest Danish party in the EU parliament and giving them 3 of Denmark’s 15 seats.

That means SF effectively takes a seat from the Social Democrats, who lost 5.9 points to end on 15.6 percent, with their mandate allocation staying at 3. However, they would have been hoping for a fourth seat, with Denmark’s overall seat allocation increasing because of Brexit.

The Liberal (Venstre) party also had a damaging evening. The party, which partners the Social Democrats and the Moderates in the coalition government, lost 8.8 points and is now Denmark’s third-largest in the EU on 14.7 percent and 2 seats – 2 fewer than it had in 2019.

We’ll have more coverage of the EU elections and what they mean for Denmark on our website throughout the day.

READ ALSO: Nordic left-wing parties gain as far-right declines in EU vote, exit polls show

Assault which left PM Frederiksen ‘shaken’ likely not ‘politically motivated’

Authorities said on Saturday that the attack on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, which she said left her “shaken” but “fine”, was not thought to be politically motivated.

A 39-year-old Polish man, apprehended after hitting the prime minister on Friday evening on a Copenhagen square, was remanded in custody until June 20th after appearing before a court in the Danish capital, prosecutor Taruh Sekeroglu told reporters.

“It is not our guiding… hypothesis that there is a political motive here. But that is something that the police of course will investigate,” Sekeroglu said.

Sekeroglu said the man was suspected of violence against a public servant and deemed a flight risk.

In a post on social media platform Instagram on Saturday evening, the head of government said she needed “peace and quiet.”

“I am saddened and shaken by the incident yesterday, but otherwise I am fine,” said Frederiksen, 46.

New documentary reveals sexual harassment in Danish music industry

Thirteen Danish female musicians have spoken out in a new documentary by national broadcaster DR titled Sexisme i musikbranchen (Sexism in the Music Industry), in which they recount episodes of sexism, harassment and a focus on their bodies ahead of their talent in the country’s music industry.

In one instance, a singer says an audition, when she was 17 years old, was interrupted by a producer telling her “we’re not continuing until you show me your breasts”, DR writes.

The first episode of the series is released today and revolves primarily around women’s encounters with a specific male musician.

DR and its production company Impact TV are reported to have spoken with 150 people for the making of the documentary series. A number of people said to have been involved in some of the incidents described by the women took part anonymously, according to programme descriptions.

Vocabulary: strukturelle problemer – structural problems

Cool summer weather to continue this week

It’s been a wet and cool June so far and that will continue this week with lower temperatures and frequent showers according to forecasts.

“It will be a bit mixed. Cool summer weather with rain and showers periodically – but also with some sun,” meteorologist Henning Gisselø of met office DMI told the Ritzau newswire.

But it “won’t be very warm”, Gisselø said, with daytime temperatures hovering around 15 degrees Celsius.

“We won’t have summer heat on this occasion,” he said.