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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

PM Frederiksen says government will respond to election defeat, Denmark to train Ukrainian women, EV sales motoring and more news on Wednesday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday
The number of EVs in Denmark has surpassed a quarter of a million. Photo: Mathias Svold/Ritzau Scanpix

PM says changes will be made after election defeat 

In an interview with broadcaster DR, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the EU election defeat handed to the Social Democrats on Sunday was a “warning” and a “raised finger” pointed at the government.

The government will listen to the message from voters and make changes as a consequence, the PM said.

Just 15.6 percent of voters chose the Social Democrats in Sunday’s election, compared to 27.5 percent in the 2022 general election.

“I want to say that we are taking it seriously,” Frederiksen said.

“It is not a good result in any way.”

“Of course there will be changes,” she said in relation to the partnership with other coalition parties the Moderates and Liberals.

“What exactly that will be is too early to say,” she said.

READ ALSO: Danish PM Frederiksen ‘still not feeling great’ after assault in Copenhagen

Denmark to help train Ukrainian women for trade work

A new 250 million donation package for Ukraine includes 30 million kroner of funding to train women as builders, tractor drivers and electricians, the international development minister Dan Jørgensen said yesterday to news wire Ritzau.

Women are needed to take jobs in the traditionally male-dominated trades because of the large number of drafted soldiers and the need for reconstruction of cities like Mykolaiv, Jørgensen said.

“The situation is that when most of the men are at the front, there is not enough labour in some of the sectors that are traditionally worked by men,” he said.

The money will be spent on learning materials as well as facilities for the training.

Number of EVs on Danish roads tops 250,000 

Electric cars are increasing their share of Danish road space with the total number of the vehicle type having reached a quarter of a million, around nine percent of all cars.

The figures from organisation Mobility Denmark show that 50,000 more EVs were registered in the last five months alone.

“EV sales have accelerated in the last few years and every few months we see more EVs in both sales and fleet numbers. That’s a big benefit for green energy transition,” the organisation’s CEO Mads Rørvig said in a press statement.

Denmark arrests Russian national on suspicion of spying

Danish intelligence said Tuesday a Russian citizen had been arrested for suspected espionage, with media reports saying it was a woman well known in the Russian diaspora.

The PET intelligence agency said in a statement that the Russian national had been arrested south of Copenhagen and was suspected of “enabling a foreign intelligence service to operate in Denmark.”

It said the suspect was expected to be released after questioning, but added that “the case is still under investigation and PET has no further comment.”

PET stressed the case was not “related to the recent European Parliament elections,” but instead concerned media reports about a Russian sovereign wealth fund.

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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Friday

First case of TBE this year, business inheritance tax slashed, Sankt Hans Aften weather and more news from Denmark on Friday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Friday

First case of tick-borne encephalitis registered 

This year’s first Danish case of tick-borne encephalitis has been registered in northern Zealand, the national infectious disease agency State Serum Institute (SSI) confirmed.

Although the disease is very rare in Denmark, there are usually a handful of cases each year. The forested area around Tisvilde Hegn and elsewhere in northern Zealand are particular risk zones along with parts of Bornholm.

“Infection is usually linked to spending time in risk areas, and typically going off the paths, Peter H.S. Andersen, doctor and head of department at SSI, said in a statement.

“But there have also been cases of TBE where the patient has not demonstrated known risk behaviour by going into in woods or thickets,” he added.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about ticks in Denmark and how to avoid them

Vocabulary: en sti – a path/trail

Government proposals inheritance tax cuts for businesses

So-called “generation change” taxes at businesses are set for cuts worth up to 1.8 billion kroner in a proposal presented by the government yesterday.

Taxation on transferring a business to a family member – bo- og gaveafgift in Danish – will be cut from 15 percent to 10 percent under the proposal.

The plan, which also includes simplification of some tax rules, was praised by business organisations including the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), which said “owners and staff” at family-run businesses would benefit from easier transfers of power.

This provides “certainty about how the next generation can take over a family-owned business without being hit by an unpredictable tax,” the organistion’s CEO Lars Sandahl Sørensen said in a statement.

Vocabulary: uberegnelig – unpredictable

Denmark draw with England, coach says it was a ‘shame’

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said it was a “shame” his side did not make the most of their chances to beat favourites England after a 1-1 draw in Euro 2024 Group C last night.

The Danes were well worthy of at least a point in Frankfurt but did not capitalise fully on an abysmal England performance.

“I can’t say we are disappointed but it’s a shame. There was a result there we could have gotten,” said Hjulmand.

“We believed we could win. We played well but the most important thing is that we play like we did today in the upcoming games,” he added.

Vocabulary: elendig – very bad/poor

Good chance for dry, sunny Sankt Hans Aften

Denmark’s traditional Sankt Hans Aften celebrations on Sunday could take place under clear and sunny skies, according to weather forecasts.

The closest thing Denmark has to midsummer, Sankt Hans involves gathering around a bonfire and singing late into the light evening.

It’s not uncommon for summer rain to put a dampener on things, while some recent years have also seen bonfires banned due to drought.

“Sunday, which is also Sankt Hans Aften, looks set to start nicely with some sunshine for the whole country. During the day there may be a little more cloud, but it looks like that will clear up in the evening,” meteorologist Anesten Devasakayam of national met office DMI told the Ritzau newswire.

READ ALSO: Why does Denmark celebrate Sankt Hans Aften?

Vocabulary: bål – bonfire

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