Danish parliament votes to join EU ammunition-to-Ukraine scheme

A broad majority in the Danish parliament voted on Thursday for the country to join the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco), meaning Denmark will be able to take part in the EU’s joint scheme for buying and delivering ammunition to Ukraine. 

The move was made possible by the referendum decision last June to end Denmark’s opt-out from the European Union’s defence policies. 

“One of the arguments for abolishing the defence reservation was that we should have the opportunity for greater, active participation in European defence policy,” Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s acting Minister of Defence, said in a press release. 

Danish vocab: fælles – common/joint

Mette Frederiksen ’rounded on EU council president’ over inept chairing of summit

Danish Prime Minister gave EU Council President Charles Martel a public dressing down at a European Council summit in February, the Politico newspaper has reported. 

“In a rare interjection,” the newspaper reports, “the Danish prime minister took to the mic to voice her displeasure. But the target of her ire wasn’t the subject of the debate; rather, the way it was being conducted. Charles Michel, the president of the Council and the man responsible for running it, was allowing too much time for the discussion of specific texts instead of steering the debate toward a conclusion.” 

When Frederiksen was asked about the episode on arrival at a new EU summit on Thursday, she played it down, but did not deny it. 

“Ah, now that’s been twisted a little,” she told TV2, reportedly with a lopsided smile. 

Danish vocab: skæv – lop-sided 

Denmark to introduce new fee for repeated citizenship applications

The Danish government will ask persons applying for citizenship for the third or subsequent time after previous rejections to pay additional fees, the Ministry of Immigration and Integration has announced.

Under current rules, a person whose application for citizenship is rejected can apply again in future without paying an additional fee.

The government has decided to change this so that a third or subsequent application by the same person will incur an additional fee, the immigration ministry said in a statement.

The fee for applying for citizenship is currently 4,000 kroner. When a person submits an application, they can apply again at no extra cost should their application not be successful under the existing rules.

There are a number of reasons a Danish citizenship application can be rejected, including criteria related to residency, language, criminal records and financial self-sufficiency. A Danish citizenship test must also be passed before applying.

Danish vocab: et gebyr – a fee

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe to return to public duty on 83rd birthday

Queen Margrethe is scheduled to return to public duty on April 16th, her 83rd birthday, following a period of convalescence after a back operation.

The Queen’s return to public duty on her birthday was announced in a palace statement on Thursday.

“On this occasion, Her Majesty and The Royal Family will appear on the balconies at Christian IX’s Palace at Amalienborg at 12pm,” the palace said.

“It is expected that The Queen will resume her duties as the country’s sovereign the same day after her successful back operation in February,” it continued.

“The Queen’s physical rehabilitation is going well, but there will continue to be a number of major tasks that The Queen cannot carry out as planned in the coming months. Information about this will be shared on an ongoing basis,” it said.

Danish vocab: at genoptage – to resume 

Danish hospital made 293 cancer patients wait too long for surgery

Some 293 bowel cancer patients at Aarhus University Hospital waited longer than they should have to undergo surgery.

The Central Jutland health authority, which administrates the hospital in Aarhus, gave the figure in a review it released on Thursday.

The admission from the regional health board comes after broadcaster DR had reported that 182 patients with serious bowel cancer had waited too long for an operation at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH).

The period covered by DR’s reporting is May to December 2022, while the figure from Region Central Jutland is for January 2022 until February 2023.

Danish law requires cancer patients to be operated on within two weeks of the decision to operate being made.