Morning Briefing – Wednesday, May 8

The Copenhagen Post’s daily digest of what the Danish press is reporting

Companies’ queuing up for North Sea oil

The recent oil discoveries in the North Sea led to 31 international companies being present yesterday at the seventh bidding round of Danish oil-drilling licences, which are set to kick off later this year. The preliminary interest from the oil companies is double what it was at the sixth bidding round in 2006. – Berlingske

New museum lacking millions

The new museum about maritime travels, Museet for Søfart is set to open at the end of June but is already experiencing financial woes. The museum is short by 4.5 million kroner, a figure that could rise to eight million kroner in 2014. The 300 million kroner museum was designed by architect Bjarke Ingels. – Politiken

Danske Bank’s image is bankrupt

A new image analysis has indicated that two out of three Danes would not recommend Danske Bank to anyone and about half would ”actively” make an effort to discredit the bank. The analysis, compiled by Reputation Institute, also conveyed that on a scale from 1 to 100, Danes rate Danske Bank a 36, a massive fall from last year’s 53. – Børsen

Thorning-Schmidt in new dagpenge dilemma

PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt’s (Socialdemokraterne) arguments in the unemployment benefit (dagpenge) drama wave been shot down from a number of sides, including 3F union and Enhedslisten (EL), which calls the PMs reasoning as “completely incorrect”. Thorning-Schmidt rejected the idea that it would spur employment by being able to earn the right to unemployment benefits quicker than before. – Jyllands-Posten

Søvndal criticised for Palestine handling

Opposition leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Venstre) has said that Denmark, with Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal (Socialistisk Folkeparti) at the helm, has made a diplomatic blunder by not informing the Israeli Embassy that Palestinian representatives in Denmark are to gain full diplomatic status. Søvndal was also criticised for not meeting with Israel's ambassador to discuss the Palestine issue in person. – DR News

Denmark could have Mediterranean climate in future

Global warming means that seasonal divides are reduced significantly, thereby pushing Denmark and its Scandinavian neighbours towards a climate akin to that in southern France. New research by 21 scientists from 17 universities and NASA, published in the periodical Nature Climate Change, showed that the climate in the north could reach Mediterranean standards by 2100. – Videnskab.dk

Danes get first points at World Championships

Denmark came from behind twice to finally beat Slovenia 3-2 in overtime at the IIHF World Championships in ice hockey yesterday in Stockholm. After losing to Canada in the first game and then falling to Norway in the second, the Danes were under pressure to beat the Slovenians, who now sit at the bottom of the preliminary group. Denmark is second last. – Sporten.dk




  • Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    A Wall Street Journal article describes that the US will now begin spying in Greenland. This worries the Danish foreign minister, who wants an explanation from the US’s leading diplomat. Greenlandic politicians think that Trump’s actions increase the sense of insecurity

  • Diplomacy meets Westeros: a dinner with the King, Queen – and Jaime Lannister

    Diplomacy meets Westeros: a dinner with the King, Queen – and Jaime Lannister

    What do King Frederik X, Queen Mary, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Jaime Lannister have in common? No, this isn’t the start of a very specific Shakespeare-meets-HBO fanfiction — it was just Wednesday night in Denmark

  • Huge boost to halt dropouts from vocational education

    Huge boost to halt dropouts from vocational education

    For many years, most young people in Denmark have preferred upper secondary school (Gymnasium). Approximately 20 percent of a year group chooses a vocational education. Four out of 10 young people drop out of a vocational education. A bunch of millions aims to change that

  • Beloved culture house saved from closure

    Beloved culture house saved from closure

    At the beginning of April, it was reported that Kapelvej 44, a popular community house situated in Nørrebro, was at risk of closing due to a loss of municipality funding

  • Mette Frederiksen: “If you harm the country that is hosting you, you shouldn’t be here at all”

    Mette Frederiksen: “If you harm the country that is hosting you, you shouldn’t be here at all”

    With reforms to tighten the rules for foreigners in Denmark without legal residency, and the approval of a reception package for internationals working in the care sector, internationals have been under the spotlight this week. Mette Frederiksen spoke about both reforms yesterday.

  • Tolerated, but barely: inside Denmark’s departure centers

    Tolerated, but barely: inside Denmark’s departure centers

    Currently, around 170 people live on “tolerated stay” in Denmark, a status for people who cannot be deported but are denied residency and basic rights. As SOS Racisme draws a concerning picture of their living conditions in departure centers, such as Kærshovedgård, they also suggest it might be time for Denmark to reinvent its policies on deportation

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