Denmark on track, PM tells parliament
There is no cause for alarm about the state of the nation, the prime minister told parliament during the legislature’s opening day of debate yesterday. Responding to opposition MP Ellen Trane Nørby's (Venstre) suggestion that 2013 would go down in history as the year of living badly, PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Socialdemokraterne) retorted that it would be remembered as the year of changing attitudes. “The housing market is coming alive, we expect growth – slow growth, but growth nonetheless – this year, more people are finding jobs and fewer are going unemployed. We’ve got Denmark on track.” – DR Nyheder

SEE RELATED: A fragile government reopens parliament

Drugs, delivered to your door
Intensified police efforts to end the illegal drug trade have only pushed dealers to become more innovative. Among the tactics dealers have resorted to is home delivery. Orders are placed over the internet, which makes it difficult for police to identify dealers and buyers. Police say this year they have closed two so-called hash clubs, hangouts where drugs are sold and used, compared with an average of 20 in recent years. Even with the migration to the internet, police say there are still plenty of more traditional deals for them to break up. The past three years, 9,000 people annually were cited for possession. Previously, police averaged 5,500 citations annually. – Jyllands-Posten

SEE RELATED: New magazine to fund drug users

Tax collectors back with a vengeance
Tax authorities’ increasing success collecting back taxes is an indication that tax collectors are being too aggressive when they approach debtors, according to critical tax lawyers. Tax agency Skat says it was able to collect 1.3 billion kroner in back taxes by freezing the accounts of 99,000 people last year  – double the number in 2008 – thanks to increased efficiency. Martin Franck, an attorney working for a charity, said in some cases Skat has garnished so much money from people’s wages each month that they wind up having to pay more each month than they earn. Other critics said it seemed tax collectors were making up for lost time after a period when relatively few back taxes were collected. – Erhverv & Økonomi

SEE RELATED: Tax authority shake up after damning report

School dazed
A 12-year-old girl’s letter to the editor comparing Danish and American schools has set the record for the most Facebook shares of any article published by Berlingske. The letter, submitted by Anna Viola Westberg, described Danish schools as far easier than schools in California, where she lived for four years with her parents before returning to Denmark this year. A poll of young people who returned to Danish schools after living abroad found that they generally agreed with Westberg’s opinion. The returning Danish students said they felt Danish schools score highly in a number of areas however, including creative subjects. – Berlingske 

SEE RELATED: ‘Activity’ time cut from school reform

City Ring two years behind schedule
Construction of Copenhagen’s City Ring metro line is two years behind schedule due in large part to bad planning, poor management and an overly optimistic assessment of how much it would cost to build it, according to three experts who have reviewed the project’s progress. They predicted that the City Ring would likely open in 2020, but Henrik Ploughman Olsen, the head of Metroselskabet, which operates the Metro, said the 17-station line will open on time. According to Olsen, the biggest threat to City Ring not opening on time was the potential for delays caused by residents’ complaints over noise. – Politiken

SEE RELATED: Metro construction delays could cost 1bn kr

Editorial Excerpt | Sapped for energy
What’s the point of privatising Dong Energy? Is it because Denmark can’t afford to own and maintain our own energy supply and has to ask other countries to help? Or is it because we think someone else can do it better than us. Or do we feel that an IPO will result in the company developing a more professional management? If that’s the case, then it is only natural to expect that there will be less political involvement in the corporate decision making process. But it also means that Denmark’s national interests will not be considered. – Politiken

SEE RELATED: Dong secures eleven billion kroner investment

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