Denmark
Denmark performs in the high range across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy framework and is among the world’s top 25 per cent of countries with regard to all factors of democratic performance. Over the last five years, it has experienced advances in Basic Welfare. Denmark is a parliamentary democracy with a limited constitutional monarchy; the monarch’s role is purely ceremonial. The territory of the country, the colloquial Community of the Realm, further extends to two autonomous regions: Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The country possesses an advanced, regulated market economy dominated by the service sector.
The Danish political process can be characterized by decentralization, consensus politics, and the prevalence of minority coalition governments – with the country having only seen a single majority government since 1971. This long tradition of minority governments may be further distinguished by its comparative stability and ability to pass legislation – including unpopular reforms. Political power tends to oscillate between the center-right and the center-left and political volatility primarily takes place within (rather than between) these blocs. While this structure of national political competition was originally largely driven by class relations and an urban-rural divide, it now also includes new issue-areas - such as immigration, (the depth of) relations with the EU, and the environment - that have come to re-define the meaning of the right and the left in national political dialogue.
Immigration policy has proven to be particularly decisive in an increasingly multicultural Denmark; polarizing attitudes in relation to it have become a strong force in determining political power since the turn of the century. Its prominence in Danish governance is acutely visible through the lens of the country’s increasingly restrictive immigration policy scheme, its paradigm shift from refugee integration to repatriation, as well as the formal treatment of foreigners in the highly controversial “anti-ghetto” law. This U-turn from the most “people friendly [immigration] law in the world” largely emanates from a negative public focus on ‘ghettos’ and ‘Muslims’, the adoption of hostility as migration control, and the increasing influence of the far right’s conception of immigration as a threat to the success of the country (by conceiving it as dependent upon cultural homogeneity).
With widespread political trust and consistently high levels of electoral turnout, Danish democracy remains comparatively well-functioning – at least in connection to its citizenry. With a view to the future trajectory of its democratic performance, two developments should nonetheless be monitored. The first area to watch relates to on-going discussions about a controversial data retention policy, struck down by the Council of Europe, that may come to formally restrict the civic space in terms of Freedom of Expression. A second area to watch relates to the spread of xenophobic sentiment (and legislation) as identified by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance. While there has been some modest progress in these regards, it will be important to watch the Danish performance in Civil Liberties, especially given the three-year family reunification timeline for those granted temporary protection, the externalization of asylum processing, as well as de facto discrimination for people of “non-western” background in accessing social housing and the labour market.
Monthly Event Reports
December 2023 | Parliament passes amendments against inappropriate treatment of religiously significant writings
Following Quran-burning incidents and protests, the parliament passed amendments against inappropriate treatment of writings with religious significance for any recognized religious communities, including banning the burning of the Quran. The aim of the new law is to protect national security. Individuals found in violation of this law may be subject to imprisonment for up to two years. The change garnered approval from 94 out of 179 members of the Danish parliament, with 77 votes against. Public acts such as burning, tearing, or defiling religious texts could lead to fines or imprisonment. Additionally, individuals who destroy a holy text on video and share the footage online may also face imprisonment. Critics contend that the legislation restricts freedom of expression.
September 2023 | Presidium allows use of Greenlandic and Faroese in Parliament
On 21 September, the Presidium of the Parliament announced that speeches in Greenlandic and Faroese are permitted in the Parliament’s chamber, if the speech is translated to Danish afterwards. To facilitate the translation, funds will be provided for parliamentarians to hire interpreters. Further, the Parliament website alongside records of relevant debates will be translated and all parliamentary staff will receive training in the two regions’ histories, cultures and politics. The decision comes after Danish-Greenlandic parliamentarian Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam spoke in Greenlandic during a debate in May, sparking discussion on the language policy of the Parliament. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are autonomous territories within the Kingdom of Denmark, which classifies Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese as official languages. The decision is widely supported among lawmakers, although some hoped for the introduction of simultaneous interpretation, as is done in the Greenlandic parliament.
March 2023 | Decision to declare parts of Syria safe endangers refugees
The Syrian province of Latakia, a stronghold of the Bashar al Assad regime, was deemed safe to return to by the Danish Refugee Appeals Board. This means that refugees from this province will have their residence permits revoked. Denmark has revoked 150 residence permits of nationals coming from Damascus since 2019. Denmark is unable to deport these asylum seekers due to lack of diplomatic relations with Syria. Most of these asylum seekers were placed in deportation centers and were left in limbo. Both Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International have reported on the human rights abuses and persecution coming from Syrian authorities. HRW has called for the decision to be revoked and has stated the risk in Syria remains high no matter which part the refugees come from.
January 2023 | Quran burned in Copenhagen
Following the Quran-burning protest in Sweden, the Danish-Swedish far-right activist, Rasmus Paludan, replicated the stunt in three separate locations, including in front of the Turkish Embassy (Turkey is obstructing Sweden’s membership in NATO) and a mosque in Copenhagen. He said he will continue every Friday until Sweden is admitted to NATO. The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe has highlighted the Social Rights and Equality environment and the “ghetto policy” as concerning in their report. Paludan’s actions sparked strong reactions by the Turkish authorities as well, who described it as a hate crime that provokes racist, xenophobic and anti-Muslim attacks. The Danish ambassador was summoned in Istanbul, and according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Turkey expects the permission to be revoked. Paludan established far-right parties in both Denmark and Sweden, but failed to win any seats. In a survey, more than half of Danes responded they were in favour of banning Paludan’s Quran-burning protests due to national security concerns.
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