This morning, parliament began debating the budget, and Enhedslisten (EL) is calling on the finance minister, Bjarne Croydon, to invite parties for negotiations on the unemployment benefit (dagpenge) system.

Dansk Folkeparti (DF), Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF) and EL are all in agreement that one of the cornerstones of the 2010 reform of the system – the doubling of the amount of time one needs to work before acquiring the right to the benefit from six months to one year – should be reversed.

Change of direction for DF
DF was part of the 2010 agreement that resulted in the current regime, but announced today that it had changed its position.

“The prerequisite for the reform has changed,” Rene Christensen, the party’s finance spokesman, told parliament today during the first debate of the budget act.

Socialdemokraterne (S) had previously rejected renegotiating the benefit provisions on the grounds there wasn’t a majority in support of it, but hadn't categorically stated its position.

EL argues that with DF’s support that would no longer be the case.

The pressure is now on S to take a position on whether or not it will deliver the votes to change the rules.