Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Denmark's parliament shuts after record-long closing debate, tougher green regulations for construction, funding for 'Art Barns' in Lolland, and other news from Denmark on Thursday morning.
Parliament shuts for summer after record-long closing debate
Denmark's parliament closed for the summer on Wednesday after a record-long closing debate that lasted 17 hours and 41 minutes and ended at 2.41am on Thursday morning.
"This must not happen again," said Pia Kjærsgaard, the Danish People's Party co-founder and former speaker of parliament, as she ended the night's debate as the last person on the podium. "It does not work. You talk about stress. You talk about illness. To sit until almost 03 o'clock, where we have been since 09 o'clock this morning, is not worthy of the people's government."
The previous record for the longest closing debate took place in 1994, when Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (S) was prime minister. Back then, the debate lasted 16 hours and 41 minutes.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Søren Gade (Liberals), argued that the closing debate had gone according to plan and as expected.
Danish vocabulary: afslutningsdebat - closing debate
Government agrees much tougher rules for construction industry
Denmark's three-party government has struck a deal with five opposition parties to tighten regulation of the building and construction industry, to reduce national emissions by the equivalent of half a million tonnes of CO2 a year.
Denmark's Social Affairs and Housing Minister, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, said that the new rules would require up to 85 percent of construction to be carried out in a more climate-friendly way.
"Contrary to the view in many other countries, we believe that the green transition and economic growth are not opposed to each other. We get jobs out of the green transition. So there has been a lot of support for it," she said.
The new requirements will apply from July 2025 and will apply to all new buildings apart from so-called "socially critical buildings", such as prisons, waterworks, defense buildings and hospitals.
Danish vocabulary: klimavenlig - climate-friendly
Government to cut tax for youth with side jobs
Denmark's government has announced plans to exempt people under the age of 18 from paying the 8 percent 'labor market contribution' tax, in the hope of drawing more of them into part-time work.
"I think that this will succeed in creating many more spare-time jobs, by making it more attractive to have a spare-time job," Minister of Defense and Liberal leader Troels Lund Poulsen told the Avisen Danmark newspaper.
"That is what should drive young people - that they can get several different leisure jobs, and that this can lead to other job opportunities later."
The proposed tax cut is part of an upcoming proposal on leisure jobs, which the government is expected to present next week.
Danish vocabulary: en skattelettelse - a tax reduction
'Art barns' to turn Lolland and Falster into international art centre
A municipality in Lolland and Falster has decided to invest 20 million kroner over four years in turning the islands into an international art destination, with one million kroner earmarked for a new Art Barns museum initiative, which intends to offer world-renowned artists the chance to exhibit large art installations in old deserted buildings on the islands.
"This both an investment in our local cultural heritage and cultural life and an investment in cultural tourism in Guldborgsund Municipality," said Ole K. Larsen, the committee chairman for Rural Districts, Culture and Leisure in the municipality, who approved the spending decision.
Danish vocabulary: verdensstjerner indenfor samtidskunsten - world stars in contemporary art
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Parliament shuts for summer after record-long closing debate
Denmark's parliament closed for the summer on Wednesday after a record-long closing debate that lasted 17 hours and 41 minutes and ended at 2.41am on Thursday morning.
"This must not happen again," said Pia Kjærsgaard, the Danish People's Party co-founder and former speaker of parliament, as she ended the night's debate as the last person on the podium. "It does not work. You talk about stress. You talk about illness. To sit until almost 03 o'clock, where we have been since 09 o'clock this morning, is not worthy of the people's government."
The previous record for the longest closing debate took place in 1994, when Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (S) was prime minister. Back then, the debate lasted 16 hours and 41 minutes.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Søren Gade (Liberals), argued that the closing debate had gone according to plan and as expected.
Danish vocabulary: afslutningsdebat - closing debate
Government agrees much tougher rules for construction industry
Denmark's three-party government has struck a deal with five opposition parties to tighten regulation of the building and construction industry, to reduce national emissions by the equivalent of half a million tonnes of CO2 a year.
Denmark's Social Affairs and Housing Minister, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, said that the new rules would require up to 85 percent of construction to be carried out in a more climate-friendly way.
"Contrary to the view in many other countries, we believe that the green transition and economic growth are not opposed to each other. We get jobs out of the green transition. So there has been a lot of support for it," she said.
The new requirements will apply from July 2025 and will apply to all new buildings apart from so-called "socially critical buildings", such as prisons, waterworks, defense buildings and hospitals.
Danish vocabulary: klimavenlig - climate-friendly
Government to cut tax for youth with side jobs
Denmark's government has announced plans to exempt people under the age of 18 from paying the 8 percent 'labor market contribution' tax, in the hope of drawing more of them into part-time work.
"I think that this will succeed in creating many more spare-time jobs, by making it more attractive to have a spare-time job," Minister of Defense and Liberal leader Troels Lund Poulsen told the Avisen Danmark newspaper.
"That is what should drive young people - that they can get several different leisure jobs, and that this can lead to other job opportunities later."
The proposed tax cut is part of an upcoming proposal on leisure jobs, which the government is expected to present next week.
Danish vocabulary: en skattelettelse - a tax reduction
'Art barns' to turn Lolland and Falster into international art centre
A municipality in Lolland and Falster has decided to invest 20 million kroner over four years in turning the islands into an international art destination, with one million kroner earmarked for a new Art Barns museum initiative, which intends to offer world-renowned artists the chance to exhibit large art installations in old deserted buildings on the islands.
"This both an investment in our local cultural heritage and cultural life and an investment in cultural tourism in Guldborgsund Municipality," said Ole K. Larsen, the committee chairman for Rural Districts, Culture and Leisure in the municipality, who approved the spending decision.
Danish vocabulary: verdensstjerner indenfor samtidskunsten - world stars in contemporary art
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