Early ‘Arne-pension’ less expensive than feared 

Denmark’s finance ministry believes that the so.called Arne-pension, which allows people who start work at a young age to retire earlier, will be cheaper for the Danish state than expected in the years up until 2030. 

According to the Ekstra Bladet newspaper, the government is likely to spend 1.4 billion kroner less than expected in 2023 alone, as more workers than expected opting to retire at a normal time despite being eligible. 

The ministry told the newspaper it expects to save 10.8 billion between 2022 and 2030 on what had initially been expected. 

The Arne pension allows people to retire up to three years early depending on how many years of work they have done. 

Danish vocab: oprindeligt – originally 

Half the cannabis stalls in Christiania run by residents: police

Police in Copenhagen estimate that roughly half of the cannabis stalls operated in ‘Pusher Street’, the open drug market in Christiania, are run by residents of the famed ‘freetown’ commune. 

“We recognise that officially Christiania distances itself from the brutality in Pusher Street, but it nevertheless seems hypocritical when we can ascertain that some of the residents are involved, and there are children under the age of 13 selling hash,” said Tommy Laursen, who leads the police’s efforts to stamp out the organised hash business. 

Hulda Mader, a spokesperson for Christiania, blamed the police’s attempts to shut down Pusher Street had led to increased criminalisation. 

“Intensive efforts made by the police last year have meant that the hashish market has gone from bad to worse,” she said. 

Danish vocab: hyklerisk – hypocritical

New ‘super hospital’ opens outside Copenhagen two years late

The new so-called ‘super hospital’ that was supposed to open two years ago in Køge, a satellite town of Copenhagen, took its first 80 patients on Sunday. 

The new building, Wing R, which opens on Sunday, contains both surgical and medical departments for highly specialised treatment, as well as 200 private rooms spread over eight floors.

Hospital director Niels Würgler Hansen told TV2 that the hospital’s ability to provide specialised treatment will prevent patients from having to travel to the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. 

Despite the delays, the project stayed within budget. 

Danish vocab: forsinkelser – delays

Rainy week ahead in Denmark 

Get your anoraks and rubber boots ready. Denmark is expected to see heavy rainstorms every day for the first half of this week, clearing on Thursday for a dryer and sunnier Friday. 

“It looks like it will be a relatively grey week with a lot of rain,” Erik Hansen, the meteorologist on duty at Denmark’s Meteorological Institute, told Ritzau on Monday morning. 

But it will be much warmer, with temperatures of between 7C and 12C, with a lot of fog on Monday. 

Danish vocab: en ganske våd uge – a pretty wet week