Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Job: Prime Minister
Age: 48
When: Jan 1 at 19:15
Where: Chistiansborg Palace
How long: 15:42 minutes (mostly autocue)
Main focus: children and solidarity
Appearance: simple red suit jacket with minimal accessories; hair down
In a nutshell: More personal than in previous years and less controversial; it was criticised for being vague and containing childlike vocabulary
Main points: investment in children (particularly in daycare); economic growth in Denmark; the need to reform the unemployment benefits system; more jobs for refugees and immigrants; solidarity; emphasis of people’s choices (elections)
Sample quotes: “It goes fast in Denmark. It may go faster.” and “Refugees should not be turned into clients. As many as possible should start working.
Margrethe II of Denmark
Job: Queen
Age: 74
When: Dec 31 at 18:00
Where: Fredensborg Palace
How long: 12:18 minutes (read from notes)
Main focus: young people and refugees
Appearance: festive, violet dress with purple jacket and bold accessories; hair up in a chignon
In a nutshell: Most Danes are privileged and should help the large numbers of refugees arriving in Denmark who need their support.
Main points: the need to step up at school and at work; welcoming and integrating refugees into Danish society; greetings to Greenland, Faeroe Island and South Schleswig; remembering the past; saluting Danish soldiers and doctors serving abroad
Sample quote: “We should not just take them [refugees] by hand, we must help them to find their place in our society, so that they can gain a foothold and fend for themselves.”
