The Copenhagen Post: September 23 - 29 by The Copenhagen Post

City’s 2012 budget favours the children

Melancholy life of an artist in love

23 - 29 September 2011 | Vol 14 Issue 38

John Primer headinng city’s Blues Festival

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk SCANPIX

NEWS

Mayor stands firmly behind proposed congestion charge, but says parliament should rethink its boundaries

Cycling crazy Copenhagen may be roadless, but the World Road Championship has captured the hearts of its residents

6 & 14 ‘So says Celia’ Postcard from a general election staycation: tips on what to do with those 12 extra minutes

OPINION | 9

All eyes on new PM after election win

BUSINESS

PETER STANNERS

Nation’s top banker cautions state against fixing an economy that is healing itself

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Lengthy negotiations expected as Helle Thorning-Schmidt attempts to assemble government

AST THURSDAY’S shaky victory by the red bloc brought Denmark only one step closer to a new government. One week later, prime minister-designate Helle Thorning-Schmidt is still negotiating a the policy and form of the new coalition with her allies – a process that some analysts think may take several weeks. Thorning-Schmidt’s job is complicated by the spread of the seats across the centre-left parties with whom she has to form a coalition. The Social Democrats and the Socialist People’s

Party (SF) entered the election with a shared election programme and looked set to be the two dominant parties in a new government. But their disappointing results – the Social Dems lost a seat, while Villy Søvndal and the SF lost seven – means they are increasingly reliant on the support of the Red-Green Alliance and the Social Liberals – who each gained eight seats. Only the SF and the Social Libs have been invited to form a government with the Social Dems. Talks between the parties are expected to be difficult, with the Social Libs and the Red-Green Alliance sharing few positions in common. To prevent media speculation from influencing their dialogue, Thorning-Schmidt told the press the negotiations would be happening behind closed doors.

“We are three parties working together. We are working to create a joint foundation for a government that everyone has to feel comfortable with. Everyone has to have influence and no-one has a veto. It’s the only way to negotiate that makes sense,” she said. “We have decided to negotiate with each other and not in the press.” But already on Sunday, former Social Lib leader Marianne Jelved declared that the Social Dems could not rely on their support if they attempted to roll back reforms to the unemployment system that the party had voted for. Jelved’s decision to speak to the press irritated Social Lib and SF party activists, and resulted in the SF leadership warning its supporters against talking to the press. “We know it can be difficult to resist the media’s questions and the many journalists hovering about trying out

happy hour 17-19 mon - fri

different angles – but every statement risks derailing negotiations,” they wrote. With four parties vying for influence the negotiations may take some time. But with the Liberal Party remaining the largest party after the election, they could easily capitalise on a weak government at the next election should the new government not deliver quick results. And while the centre-left remained sequestered itself, the opposition lost no time in seeking to undermine its leadership. “Helle, Johanne, Villy and Margrethe – that alliance can only bring problems,” Danish People’s Party leader Pia Kjærsgaard told the press this weekend. “Helle is only a beginner.” SEE RELATED STORIES PAGES 45

copenhagen tm

WEEk iN rEViEW

The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011 Jeppe Michael Jensen/scanpix

Hat du jour

The Week’S MoST Read SToRIeS aT CphpoST.dk City archaeologists make filthy find Social dems ‘did it’ election ’11 | Where do they (really) stand? Left out in the cold by citizenship rules Film review | drive thrives on director’s push for tension

FRoM oUR aRChIVeS Ten YeaRS ago. europe’s largest squatter colony, Christiania, celebrates 30 years of alternative living and tax avoidance. FIVe YeaRS ago. The danish Islamic Burial Foundation opens the country’s first Islamic cemetery in the suburb of Brøndby.

MONDAY: TV2 political analyst and former spin doctor Henrik Qvortrup found himself eating more than just his words this week. Qvortrup swore he would “eat his own old hat” if the Liberal Alliance made it into parliament. The party won nine seats, and he got served a straw hat fricassee.

ment’s Foreign Policy Committee on major foreign affairs issues, but a committee cannot be seated until a new government is formed. Espersen said she opposes recognition, but has announced that she would consult with parliament’s eight parties should a vote be called in the General Assembly.

denmark’s only english-language newspaper Since 1998, The Copenhagen Post has been Denmark’s leading source for news in English. As the voice of the international community, we provide coverage for the thousands of foreigners making their home in Denmark. Additonally, our English language medium helps to bring Denmark’s top stories to a global audience. In addition to publishing the only regularly printed English-language newspaper in the country, we provide up-to-date news on our website and deliver news to national and international organisations. The Copenhagen Post is also a leading provider of non-news services to the private and public sectors, offering writing, translation, editing, production and delivery services.

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Fishing trial

TEN COMMERCIAL fishermen from the town of Gilleleje face fines of up to 320,000 kroner each if convicted of fishing in closed waters. The case against the ten will proceed after a court in Helsingør permitted evidence of their whereabouts that was obtained using GPS devices illegally-placed by

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive Jesper Nymark Editor-in-Chief Kevin McGwin Managing Editor Ben Hamilton News Editor Justin Cremer Journalists Jennifer Buley & Peter Stanners

Greenpeace. If found guilty, the fishermen will be fined the value of the alleged illegal catch. According to Greenpeace the fishermen fished in the closed area a total of 24 times in 2010. The fishermen say they were passing through the area, as permitted, on their way to fishing grounds in the Kattegat.

Editorial offices: Slagtehusgade 4 – 6 DK 1715 Copenhagen V Telephone: 3336 3300 Fax: 3393 1313 www.cphpost.dk News Desk news@cphpost.dk 3336 4243 The CPH Post welcomes outside articles and letters to the editor. Letters and comments can be left on our website or at: comments@cphpost.dk

wikipedia

LAST wEEK’S election has left Denmark without a foreign policy at a time when the Palestinian authority is expected to call for the UN to vote to recognise a Palestinian state. Lene Espersen remains foreign minister in the caretaker government until a new one is formed. By law she must consult parlia-

allan nørregaard

scanpix

Palestine

one YeaR ago. For the first time ever the government releases figures on the ethnic backgrounds of prostitutes, revealing that almost half of denmark’s sex workers are of foreign origin.

Lights, camera ...

COPENHAGEN officials announced this week that the city was establishing a 20 million kroner fund to subsidise the cost of filming in the city. The money will be available for the next three years and aims to entice domestic and foreign filmmakers to shoot here. Deputy mayor Pia Allerslev said the goal

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was to increase the funding to 20 million kroner a year. In recent years foreign cities such as Prague and Berlin have stood in for the Danish capital in a number of major films. Studies show each krone spent by the city would generate 3.25 kroner in revenue for the city’s businesses.

Layout and design Justin Cremer Aviaja Bebe Nielsen Logo by Rasmus Koch The Copenhagen Post accepts no responsibility for the content of material submitted by advertisers. The Copenhagen Post is published weekly by CPHPOST.DK ApS Printed by Dagbladet, Ringsted. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited by law.

3 Increased opposition to congestion charge proposals News

The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

Liberals scaring away investors by threatening to eliminate charge if re-elected

he congestion charge proposed by the social Democrats and the socialist People’s Party before the election is running into problems on several fronts. While copenhagen’s mayor, Frank Jensen, has expressed support for charging motorists to enter or leave the city – arguing that too much time and money is wasted by residents waiting in traffic jams – he has expressed concern that the boundaries of the zone pass through school districts and could wind up costing parents. “it’s not surprising that the social Democrats and socialist People’s Party wanted to have a model ready for the election campaign,” Jensen told Politiken newspaper. “now that we have a new government on the way, we should seriously start a discussion about its placement.” Jensen’s decision to review the placement of the boundaries received support from the social Liberal Party, who argued that while they agree in principle with a congestion charge, they disagree with the proposed boundaries. “it’s arrogant of the social

Democrats and the socialist People’s Party that they have simply decided where they will lie,” social Lib city councillor Kasper Johansen said. “it’s going to cut through school districts and increase traffic on side roads. The effect of the planned boundaries on the city’s different neighbourhoods needs to be examined carefully before a decision is made.” With the social Libs looking to play an important role in the government of PM-designate helle Thorning-schmidt, their call to review the zone’s boundaries only complicates the process of setting up a new government. As it stands however, the social Democrats and socialist People’s Party seem unwilling to renegotiate where the boundary is placed. “The decision is based on what 16 mayors around copenhagen have suggested, and that’s what we’ve gone into the election with. so we are not going to alter it significantly,” socialist People’s Party MP Pia olsenDyhr told tV2 news. But while the congestion charge is also facing opposition from the Liberal Alliance and the Danish People’s Party, the Liberals are currently presenting the greatest threat to the project. The party is seeking to warn off potential investors – such as major pension funds – by an-

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peter stanners

The congestion charge border mostly follows Ring Route 2

nouncing that it would remove the zone if it returns to power. “if i were a pension fund in copenhagen, i wouldn’t invest in it if it is only going to be removed again,” Liberal MP søren Pind told Politiken. “i say that just because i want to make it clear to investors that there isn’t a broad political agreement about [the congestion charge]. so now they can’t come and say they didn’t understand the risk that the project would be closed after it had started.” Pind’s statement could either be a fair warning to the investors

that the city needs to fund the construction of toll booths and other infrastructure improvements, or a tactic designed to reinforce the political uncertainty, but neither help sthe project’s ability to draw investors. “Public-private partnerships work best when there’s broad political backing for a project,” Ulrik Weuder from the pension fund AtP said. “When we assess projects we look at whether it will produce a sufficient profit and whether the project overall provides a societally sensible solution.”

City’s 2012 budget prioritises children Capital announces plans for new school and a world-class stadium, plus faster construction

ABies, bicycles and business growth got top billing in the 2012 budget approved by the city council on sunday evening in after-hours budget negotiations. councillors from the social Democrats, socialist People’s Party, social Liberals, Liberals, conservatives, Liberal Alliance and the Danish People’s Party all managed to agree on the budget’s fine points. only the Red-green Alliance voted against it. Under the new budget agreement, 1.5 billion kroner will be set aside in 2012 to address the city’s burgeoning child population. copenhagen has grown by approximately 100 children per month for the past few years and that growth is putting particular pressure on daycare facilities and schools that do not have enough room to accommodate all the pint-sized residents. A new school in the Østerbro district, daycare for 1,900 more children, and after-school spots for an additional 420 school-age children are therefore planned. “seven parties took responsibility at city hall today to ensure that there will be places for the city’s children. i’m re-

ally glad about that. We are also spending more money on professional competence in the public schools, including more hours for Danish and physical education,” copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen, a social Democrat, said. Beyond the spending for daycares and schools, the budget agreement includes a property tax break for businesses: the socalled business ‘shelter tax’ will be reduced by 0.02 percent. For individual businesses the annual savings will vary between 400 kroner and 30,000 kroner per year, while the total tax revenue loss for the city will come to approximately 20 million kroner. Additional funds have been earmarked to improve 20 different bicycle lanes and to speed up citywide construction work in connection with roadworks and infrastructure improvements like the Metro cityring subway line. The deputy mayor for employment and integration, social Liberal Anna Mee Allerslev, expressed her satisfaction with the city’s 2012 budget agreement. “The combination of funding for growth – particularly creative growth – and employment is in keeping with the economically responsible 2025 plan making this a budget agreement after the social Liberals’ hearts. Moreover, it’s a good compromise, so we can look forward to the coming year’s work at city

scanpix

jennifer buley

Commuting to work will cost each driver an extra 11,000 kroner a year

even if the congestion charge is supported by parliament and finds enough investors, calls for a referendum by the Danish People’s Party may scupper the plan. “it will encroach so much on the everyday lives of residents that they ought to be part of the discussion. That is best achieved through a referendum,” Peter skaarup said according to Jyllands-Posten. social Liberal leader Margrethe Vestager has also agreed to a referendum on the charge, though only after the trial period has elapsed, as stockholm did af-

Fondness for fatty food will wallop your wallet jennifer buley Fatty foods are about to get a lot pricier thanks to newest sin tax

No, that’s not sweden – more investment in schools is on the way

hall,” Allerslev said. in related news, the city council is expected to announce on Friday that it will approve the construction of a new sports arena in copenhagen. The long-discussed Ørestad Arena will seat 15,000 spectators and will be built in copenhagen’s new southwest neighbourhood, Ørestad. The arena is projected to be finished by autumn 2015, but first a few details have to be hammered out: the architect and operator, for example. Financing for the billionkroner project is, however, now in place. some 500 million kroner will be fronted by copenhagen council and the philan-

thropic real estate development company Realdania. The other half will be financed and paid by the company chosen to operate it. eight international bidders are reportedly competing for that right. two large international companies with experience running arenas in Berlin, stockholm, London and hamburg are the frontrunners, reports Politiken newspaper. Lars Lundov, who heads sport event Denmark, which is responsible for attracting sporting events to the city, said the arena would benefit copenhagen by putting it in the running for more world-class events.

ter it implemented its congestion charge. to call a referendum on a law after it has been passed requires the support of 60 out of 179 MPs, and then the referendum will only count if one third of the voting population participates. The original plan saw the border running along Ring Route 2, from tuborg harbour past Bispebjerg and Vanløse to Amager. it will cost 25 kroner to enter during rush hour, costing commuters who drive into the city each day about 11,000 kroner a year..

F yoU like to indulge in a schmear of cream cheese on your morning toast, you will soon have to pay a little more for it. not in terms of calories, but in kroner. on october 1, a new ‘fat tax’ comes into effect, and retailers say Danish consumers are going to feel the pinch. “There will be rather significant price increases on some products that, without a doubt, buyers are going to notice,” Morten Petersen, the purchasing manager for Dansk supermarked, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. Dansk supermarked owns some of Denmark’s largest supermarket chains, including netto and Føtex. The biggest price increases will be seen on fatty staple foods like butter, oils and highfat dairy products like whipping cream and crème fraiche. But all products with more than 2.3 percent saturated fat – from staples like butter to processed foods like packaged biscuits, cakes and sweets – will soon be more expensive.

The extra charge will amount to 16 kroner per kilogram of saturated fat. According to the tax ministry’s calculations, a 250g package of butter will wind up costing 14.1 percent more, while the price of a litre of olive oil will rise 7.1 percent. “so many products will get price increases. For some of them, of course, it will just be around 25 øre, but in terms of the whole shopping cart, it’s going to be a bunch of money,” Petersen added. The new fat tax was supported by a wide majority in parliament in hope that it will encourage Danes to slim down to save dough, while simultaneously padding the state’s tax coffers with an extra 1.5 billion kroner a year. But it remains to be seen if it will have its intended effect, and if Danes will drop the fatty foods (and extra kilos) just to save the extra kroner. either way, prepare yourself for a dose of ‘sticker shock’ on october 1, warned Mogens Werge, the vice president of the coop food chain, which owns superbrugsen and Fakta. “i simply don’t think consumers realise just how big the price hikes are going to be,” he said.

ELECTION 2011

The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

Jennifer Buley denmark’s first female prime minister has been called a “right wing-orientated” Social dem; to run her government she may have to be even more so

years she would win seats in the european Parliament and Danish parliament and become the Social Democrats’ first female party chairman. But her path to last week’s victory was not trouble free. She had her first major setback in 2007 when she failed to live up to her promise – made when she became party leader – that she would beat liberal PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen, consigning her party to another four years in opposition. Then, in 2010, with this year’s election on the horizon, she and Kinnock were embroiled in a tax scandal that threatened to end her political career. The tabloid B.t. revealed that Kinnock, who works and lives in Switzerland from Monday to Friday and only stays in Copenhagen (where the couple is raising their two daughters) at weekends, was not paying income tax in Denmark. Thorning-Schmidt quickly laid bare the couple’s financial information and apologised for what she called an honest mistake. After an investigation, the tax authorities found them not guilty of intentional tax evasion. After the tax scandal, critics questioned whether Thorning-

Thorning-Schmidt enjoys the moment she had been visualising for six years as opposition leader

Schmidt could hold onto her party leadership if she failed to win this year’s election. After ten years in opposition – with six at the helm, and one big election failure on her watch – they noted that it was do or die time for the politician. But last Thursday, she won – albeit by a slimmer margin than pre-election polls had predicted. ironically, the very election that cemented Thorning-Schmidt’s

place in Danish history also left her with a weakened hand. The Social Dems lost one parliamentary seat. More significantly, their campaign partners and closest allies, the Socialist People’s Party (SF), lost nearly a third of theirs. With the SF severely weakened, ThorningSchmidt will need to rely even more on the support of the other two left-of-centre parties: the Social liberals and the Redscanpix

little after midnight last week on Thursday, when all but the last of the ballots had been counted, a tall, thin, blonde woman in her mid-40s strode smilingly onto a stage in Copenhagen to acknowledge victory and claim her place as Denmark’s next prime minister. Not only had she broken the liberal party’s ten-year grip on the government and put the Social Democrats back in power after a decade in opposition, she was about to become Denmark’s first female prime minister. “Dear fellow party members,” Helle Thorning-Schmidt told the jubilant crowd of Social Democratic supporters gathered for the post-election party at Copenhagen’s Vega nightclub. “We DiD it!” She ran on a campaign that promised to protect Denmark’s welfare state for the future and stimulate economic growth through social spending. More spending on education, rebates for homebuyers, and investment in business start-ups. More taxation in the form of a toll ring around Copenhagen. She also promised to roll back the strict immigration rules introduced by the previous government, force the unemployed to work for their benefits, and increase the work week by one hour. in her biography, ‘Helle talks to Ninka’ (‘Helle i samtale med Ninka’), ThorningSchmidt described herself as an average Dane who had been “shaped” by the welfare system that has been Denmark’s hallmark since the 1960s – the same system she promised to reinvigorate. “i am a welfare society Dane. Someone before me

made the welfare system i was born into and grew up in. i went to a public kindergarten and school that had just been built, and was in the municipal after-school programme. i am shaped by the welfare society,” Thorning-Schmidt said. Yet despite her self-depiction, many, including some of her own party colleagues, have noted that Thorning-Schmidt hardly fits the mould of a traditional Social Democrat. “Right wing-orientated. An individualist’s – not a collectivist’s woman. Doesn’t represent traditional social democratic values,” the Social Dem’s own spin doctors wrote about her when she ran for party chairman in 2005. She was competing with Frank Jensen, Copenhagen’s current mayor, to lead the Social Democrats. Jensen ran a traditional left-wing campaign, while Thorning-Schmidt’s was more reform-orientated and centrist. Thorning-Schmidt won the contest. it was two of her own Social Democrat colleagues, Ritt Bjerregaard and Freddy Blak, who gave her the now famous nickname, ‘Gucci Helle’, a barbed commentary on her elegant, uber-class style. Thorning-Schmidt was born in 1966 in the Copenhagen suburb of ishøj to solidly middle-class parents with rightleaning politics. Her mother was a business professional, her father an economist. it was only while studying for her first master’s degree in european studies at the prestigious College of europe in Bruges in the early 1990s that she became interested in the traditional workers’ party, the Social Democrats. She had also just met her future husband, Stephen Kinnock, the son of Britain’s former labour Party leader, lord Kinnock. in 1994 Thorning-Schmidt completed a second master’s in political science at the University of Copenhagen and joined the Social Democratic party. in the course of the next eleven

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The unlikely Social democrat

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Margrethe Vestager are the three queens of the new left-of-centre government

Green Alliance. Those parties’ politics are significantly different from the Social Dems’ and after phenomenal elections results they will both be aiming to capitalise on their new power to influence the new PM’s policies. Most important – and dangerous – for Thorning-Schmidt will be the Social libs, whose economic goals more closely resemble those of the new right-of-centre opposition and who now have one more seat than the SF. Thorning-Schmidt will try to form a triumvirate government with the SF and the Social libs. But following the election upset, the contentious Social libs could very well demand a pivotal role in her government. Within an hour of winning the election, Thorning-Schmidt announced that she wanted to work with the new opposition: the liberals, Conservatives, Danish People’s Party and liberal Alliance. Whether she was paying lipservice, or genuinely expressing her more ‘right wing-orientated’ brand of Social Democracy, remains to be seen. But most observers agree that ThorningSchmidt will need all the allies she can muster in order to rule – and that almost certainly means lots of deal-making.

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ELECTION 2011

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 September 2011

PETER STANNERS Outside Helle Thorning-Schmidt’s house on election night

HEY’RE putting on their jackets!” someone calls out. For the last two hours a crowd has been gathering outside Helle Thorning-Schmidt’s terraced home in Østerbro. The election results are still coming through but it looks like the Social Democrat leader is going to be the country’s next prime minister. There are about 200 of us and we are going to be the first people to see her. Helicopters whir overhead while camera crews and photographers line up against the gate a few metres from her front door. Two floodlights light the building’s façade and a few policemen keep watch on the far side of the street. People stand phone in hand checking the election results. A group of 20-somethings sing songs and some pre-teens jostle for a view. “It’s about time we had a fe-

male prime minister. Nobody’s really mentioned it, but it’s a really big deal,” Pie Meulenkamp says. She works as a civil servant at the Agriculture Ministry and said she voted for a red bloc party because she felt it was important to remove the current government. “I’m just really happy to see a new government come to power with new ideas. Right now they’re far too right-wing and they make Denmark look bad abroad. I want Denmark to be seen as the country it was before this government. People are no longer proud to be Danish.” The presence of the Danish media is a signal ThorningSchmidt is indoors, but rumours that she’s snuck out are circulating. “She’s going to sneak out the back,” someone says. “No, there’s only one entrance. This is the only way out,” another answers reassuringly. School teacher Nina Jensen is standing off to the side with a group of friends. They were at an election party around the corner when they decided to try their luck.

NICK BRIDGE/BITCHSLAP MAGAZINE

Waiting for Helle

“Helle might be the first female Danish prime minister, but that’s not the biggest deal – it’s the fact we’re getting a new government,” Jensen said, adding that she was a fan. “I like her a lot and I voted for her personally. What she stands for is important and there seems to be a lot of good will about having a female prime minister.” Jensen talked about how the current government’s education policies were damaging the school system. “I don’t look forward to having 28 children in a classroom. It’s impossible to teach that many children. We don’t have the time or the resources.” By 11pm the crowd has doubled and the temperature starts to drop. Young people gathered behind the photographers chat animatedly, their parents watching on from a safe distance. A father approaches his daughter and offers her a jacket (anorak surely), but she shrugs him off, joining the chant: “Heeeeeelle, he-lle, he-lle, he-lle” to the tune of ‘Olé!’. Some of them are eyeing the

Helle Thorning-Schmidt leaves her home as the country’s prime minister-elect on election night

SCANPIX

Denmark’s first female prime minister waves to a cheering crowd of neighbours and well-wishers

TV cameras. “If we’re going to get on TV we’ve got to do something crazy. How about you film me in front of Helle and we’ll put it on YouTube and say TV2 filmed it!” one boy says to another. I ask if they cared much for politics or whether they are just here to get on television. One of them, 14-year-old Frederik-Emil Scharleng, argues: “Of course, being famous is important and you only ever see people on TV if they’re doing something stupid.” There’s a sparkle in his eye – perhaps he’s being facetious. What about Helle Thorning-Schmidt? “I wouldn’t vote for her but I wouldn’t tell you who I voted for even if I could. That’s my personal preference,” he says. “But she’s super hot and has got great hair. And have you seen those suits she wears? She looks great.” His friend Fini Brandt, also 14, prefers Social Liberal leader Margrethe Vestager. “I like the way that she’s bringing centre-

right politics into the centre-left government and the way they are on their own on the right of the left. She does her own thing,” he says. The TV2 News reporter is interviewing the kids when she stops and declares: “Lars Løkke is making his speech.” She presses in her ear-piece and recites passages from his speech in which he concedes defeat. Then there’s a shout when someone notices activity through the glass front door. “They’re putting on their jackets!” Thorning-Schmidt stands on her doorstep two metres from the crowd, bombarded by flashes and cries from supporters. Middle-aged men brandishing roses shout “Congratulations! Congratulations, Helle!” She waves and smiles; the crowd is buzzing frenetically, screaming, shouting, pushing their way closer. Then it all goes real quick. She walks to the gate, husband Stephen Kinnock in tow, punches the air in victory before the police form a human shield

around them. They start moving towards her car, the TV crews jogging backwards trying to get a live interview. She reaches her car, she waves one final time, she’s bundled in and off they drive. The crowd scatters as people rush home to watch Thorning-Schmidt make her victory speech at Vega. Most of the people I spoke to lived in the neighbourhood and had just come down to offer their congratulations. Some were Social Democrat supporters, many were not. But Thorning-Schmidt represented to most of them a departure from the politics of the last decade. To see her emerge victorious was to be present at a new chapter in Danish politics from the very beginning. But where else can people get so close to their political leaders? And does this proximity increase political accountability? In a country with the lowest political corruption and one of the highest political participations, it’s hard not to see a connection.

Social Dems finally “did it”after ten years in opposition KEVIN MCGWIN

Keeper of the minutes

Speaker’s secretary

Speaker of parliament

Rostrum Members of the cabinet

Conservatives (Konservative) 8 seats

Assistants to the speaker

SP*

Party spokespeople

*SIU Greenlandic representative *TF Faroese representative *SP Faroese representative *IA Greenlandic representative *UFG Independent

Liberals (Venstre) 47 seats Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne) 44 seats

Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) 22 seats Social Liberals (Radikale Venstre) 17 seats

Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) 12 seats

Socialist People’s Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti) 16 seats

The Liberals are now parliament’s biggest party, but is was the smallest parties that saw the most dramatic changes

GRAPHICS BY AVIAJA BEBE NIELSEN

* SIU

IA*

Liberal Alliance (Liberal Alliance) 9 seats

TF*

While it was ThorningSchmidt who claimed victory as the country’s new leader, it was two of her allied parties, the centrist Social Liberals and the farleft Red-Green Alliance whichwere the election night’s biggest winners. Both more than doubled their representation in parliament and will wield significant influence in the new parliament. Also adding seats was the Liberal Alliance, a centre-right party supporting lower taxes and a smaller state. Both the Social Dems and the SF lost seats in the election, as did the Danish People’s Party – the first time it has suffered an electoral setback since entering parliament in 1998. Part of the responsibility for the centre-right’s defeat can be pinned on the Conservatives, which lost more than half of it’s representation and is now parliament’s smallest party.

UFG* UFG*

OCIAL Democrat leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt put an end to a decade in opposition for her party last Thursday night, when her centre-left coalition mustered enough votes to win a slim five-seat majority in parliament. The electoral win put a woman in the prime minister’s office for the first time in Danish history while at the same time ousting the Liberal-Conservative government and its backers, in the right-wing Danish People’s Party Addressing a crowd late on Thursday night, ThorningSchmidt proclaimed: “We did it.” “Today is change-day in Denmark. The Social Democrats are ready to work,” Thorning-Schmidt told party faithfuls gathered at Copenhagen’s Vega concert hall. The centre-left had campaigned on a platform of rein-

vigorating the social welfare state, and in her acceptance speech Thorning-Schmidt pledged to work for a society that “included everyone, and where everyone got a second chance – and another second chance”. Continuing a theme that has laced this general election, Thorning-Schmidt also pledged to seek broad-based compromise and called on “everyone”, politicians and ordinary voters alike, to take part in that effort. The new Social Dem-led government and its allies won control of 92 seats in the 179-member parliament. The Liberal-led alliance of outgoing PM Lars Løkke Rasmusen ended with 87 seats. Election night proved bittersweet for Rasmussen. Despite the centre-right bloc being forced into opposition, his Liberal party surpassed the Social Dems to become parliament’s largest party with 47 seats, one more seat than the party earned in 2007.

coveR stoRy

The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

Spectators and cyclists enjoying World Championships peter stanners

Trial: Roj TV run by pkk claim envoy for accused terror group offered to cancel director’s 500,000 kroner debt to Roj TV in exchange for his resignation

Former cyclist Poul Hansen cheers on fellow Dane, under-23 rider Rasmus Quaade, while watching his progress on the big screen at Rådhuspladsen

peter stanners despite complaints about traffic restrictions, Rådhuspladsen buzzes on first day of races

His Danish girlfriend can sympathise with those who have had to change their travel plans however. “I can understand why people are upset. There are so many offices in the city centre, so if you want to get into town now it’s much more difficult,” Bolund said, but added that she wasn’t surprised by the negative publicity. “It’s typically Danish to find it annoying. Denmark is the biggest village in the world – we’re just not geared up for this.” on tuesday Politiken wrote that so far the World Championship had not, in fact, resulted in traffic Armageddon. The City Council and the Danish Road Directorate both reported that traffic was

moving smoothly while, according to DsB, the public transportation network was dealing with the increased passenger numbers. But while drivers might complain, cyclists have been making the most of the open streets. only certain vehicles are allowed within the city centre, leaving the streets eerily quiet and strangely peaceful. Copenhagen resident and cyclist Mads terkelsen summed up the feeling quite well on Facebook. “I think it’s exciting that a city can be transformed so much simply by closing it to cars. It’s also quite exciting when we cyclists, now unrestrained by the imminent threat of death from steel beasts, can ride even more wild and free.”

peter stanners

otAlly idiotic to trouble thousands of people for a bicycle race.” That was the verdict of Hans lembøl when Politiken newspaper asked whether the UCI Road World Championships was worth the bother. Copenhagen might be a global leader in bicycle culture, but asking its residents to change their routine for a week to cater to the world’s second most important bicycle road race was never going to go down well. Politiken is one of a number of newspapers to question the event. Why choose to hold it when the city is a construction site? We are hardly presenting Copenhagen at its best. And would the public transportation networks be able to cope with the extra numbers? But this Monday, on the first day of racing, it was surprisingly difficult to find discontented Copenhageners. There were no protest groups with banners and chants at Rådhuspladsen, where all the time trials start and finish. Instead, thousands of spectators stood there, lining the course and watching the enormous tel-

evision images of the riders at their various positions on the course. And they’re not all curious passer-bys either. Many are wearing lycra and holding expensive racing bikes, eyes glued to the screen. As Danish under-23 rider Rasmus Quaade crosses the line after the first lap in first place, Poul Hansen raises his fists and shouts encouragement at the young rider. “It’s really exciting!” he said. “I think it’s great that we have this event. I don’t care about the effect on the traffic.” Hansen used to be a cyclist in Amager when he was younger, but has now taken to spectating. Wearing a red ‘Post Danmark’ cycling cap (the Danish national team’s sponsor) and waving a plastic rattle made of two plastic ‘hands’, he seemed possessed, shouting and waving his arms whenever Quaade was shown on the big screen. Anthony Pringle was also watching the screen with his girlfriend Nanna Bolund. Pringle is from the UK and sells bicycles in Copenhagen. Kitted out in a racing jersey, bicycle cap and orange sunglasses, he certainly looked like a bicycle enthusiast. “It’s the first time such a big event has come to Copenhagen, a lot of people are excited about it,” Pringle said. “There’s always going to be people who complain. But it’s only a few days that people get affected so what’s the problem?”

Nanna Bolund and British boyfriend Anthony Pringle (Did he move here for her or the cycling?) soak up the atmosphere

He FoRMeR director of Roj tv, Manouchehr Zonoozi, gave evidence at Copenhagen Municipal Court under heavy police protection on Monday in the ongoing trial against the tv station. Roj tv is being charged under terrorism legislation of being the mouthpiece of Kurdish separatist group, the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organisation. “I’m 100 percent sure that Roj tv is being run by the PKK,” Zonoozi said. “They decide more than simply who’s the station’s management.” Zanoozi came to this conclusion after having visited a PKK camp, though he claims it was against his will. At the camp he met guerrilla soldiers from the PKK. Roj tv covers the armed conflict between the turkish security forces and the PKK. In court on Monday the prosecutors played a recording of a conversation between Zanoozi and a high-profile leader – and global fugitive – of the PKK, codenamed ‘Hamza’. “I arrived at the office at about quarter past seven in the morning and I thought I was alone. suddenly I heard someone in the back room. I was frightened when I realised it was Hamza,” Zanoozi explained. Hamza – otherwise known as Abdullah sen – had travelled to Denmark to fire the director after he refused to step down. In the recording, the PKK envoy explained to Zanoozi that he would be wise to resign. “It’s up to you. We won’t interfere but we want you and your family to live,” Hamza said, who then offered to cancel Zanoozi’s 500,000 kroner debt to Roj tv in exchange for his resignation. But the deal never happened, and Zanoozi has since been found guilty in court of owing money to Roj tv. The defence has used this fact to question Zanoozi’s credibility as a witness. Zanoozi is currently living at a secret address because of the police’s assessment that he is in danger after providing incriminating information about Roj tv. The trial against Roj tv is expected to end in November. (Ps)

online ThiS Week kattegat oil spill threatens nature reserve

soMe 87.7 percent of all Danes with the right to vote showed up at their polling places and cast their ballots last week on Thursday, according to figures released by statistics Denmark. It was the highest voter turnout in 27 years. Not since 1984, when 88.4 percent cast ballots, has the voter turnout been as high as it was in Denmark on Thursday. The official number could be even higher once invalid, blank and write-in ballots are added to the tally. Denmark’s highest ever voter turnout was in 1943, when 89.5 percent of the voting public cast their votes. In the previous parliamentary election in 2007, 86.6 percent of voters took part.

tHe lARgest ever trial involving Danish motorcycle gangs has resulted in 15 out of 16 charged individuals being convicted of attempted murder and assault. The trial of four members of the Hells Angels – including Brian sandberg, one of the gang’s leading members – and 12 henchmen has taken six months and was based mostly on the testimony of a 25-year-old informant. The 16 were charged with having carried out four shootings, planning a further two as well as carrying out an armed assault. Their victims were mostly young men with immigrant backgrounds. one of the shooting targets was ‘little A’ (lille A), who is a leading member of the rival Blågårds

FIve BoAts and a plane worked throughout the weekend to contain an oil spill in the Kattegat between skagen, on Jutland’s northernmost tip, and the council of tjörn on sweden’s southwest coast. officials described the spill as the worst in the region for years. Rescue workers focused especially on protecting stigfjorden, a swedish fjord and marine nature reserve north of tjörn, from the spreading oil slick. According to the gothenburg Bird Centre, hundreds of birds could have been affected by the spill. The suspected source of the oil spill is a Maltese cargo ship. It was in the North sea 20 nautical miles west of Thyborøn,

square group in the Nørrebro district. The court in glostrup recognised that the informant’s testimony was supported by forensic evidence, witness statements, telephone recordings and video surveillance, which the judge said was necessary to convict the accused. The Hells Angels have called the case a “well-planned miscarriage of justice”. The 15 men will be sentenced next week.

scanpix

Bikers convicted of attempted murder scanpix

Strong voter turnout

Denmark, on september 10 when it collided with a small Belgian trawler in clear, calm weather. some 60 cubic metres of oil were collected off Denmark’s west coast following the collision. several days later the oil slick hit the swedish coast near tjörn, some 60 kilometres north of gothenburg. There, 150 cubic metres was collected on sunday alone.

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OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

Wanted: first-rate Euro minister

23 - 29 September 2011

Let us vote on the euro

O-ONE COULD ever describe Denmark’s relationship with the EU as wholehearted. Whether waiting until 1973 to join, negotiating special exemptions from core union policy areas, or this summer’s flap over border controls, the country has always held full union membership at arm’s length. Yet even with the country’s reservations about the union, the new government should include a permanent seat for a full-time Euro minister in its new cabinet. Doing so would serve as a clear sign to the rest of Europe that – despite its exemptions and border controls – Denmark does value the EU. Denmark has a history of regional ministers. It has had a Nordic minister since 1957, and in 2002, when the country last held the European presidency, it had a Euro minister who helped co-ordinate the presidency. But unlike in 2002, when Bertel Haarder held the portfolio alongside his primary role as immigration minister, the 2012 Euro minister should be solely responsible, first for coordinating Denmark’s work during its next six-month presidency that begins in January, and then afterwards Danish EU policy. Part of the reason is that the sheer size of the union now makes co-ordinating the presidency a full-time job. Back in 2002, there were 17 member states and the goal was to include as many new countries as possible. Today, there are 27 members and the goal is the much more difficult one of becoming better integrated. After the presidency ends, a permanent, full-time Euro minister would serve to bridge the gap between Brussels and Copenhagen. Few realise that EU regulations have vast influence on Danish legislation, and the new minister could make sure the public are aware of this. And as with the creation of the last major ministry (the Climate Ministry in 2007) a new Euro Ministry would benefit from the kick-start of a major international event: Denmark’s assumption of the EU presidency. Few expected that the Climate Ministry would survive much past the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference, but it has instead prospered, surviving multiple cabinet reshuffles and increasing its portfolio to include energy policy. Its staying power reflects national interest in climate change and green energy, as much as the charisma and hard work of the first two climate ministers. The EU may not have the urgent appeal that the climate did back in 2007, but that’s perhaps all the more reason why we need a first-rate minister to help us learn to love the EU.

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ERIK BOEL

HE OVERARCHING themes in the Social Democrats’ EU policy are openness to the outside world, a positive and wholehearted engagement in the EU and a readiness to actively take responsibility for international developments. This policy has meant that replacing the krone with the euro has long been a key issue for the Social Democrats, both politically and personally to its members. Given their position, it would suit the Social Democrats to do as parliamentary candidate Yildiz

Akdogan did by showing their true colours and lending their support to a referendum on the euro. The debate over EU policy is all but devoid of politicians of integrity who either dare to lead or not be led by voters, who are willing to take a risk on issues of importance to them. The results of the 2000 euro referendum show the problem with creating policy based on poll results. In March of that year, when the referendum was called, there was a majority in favour of adopting the euro. When all the votes were counted, however, the referendum had been defeated. The main reason for delaying a new referendum is that the polls show that supporters of the euro are in the minorist. My sincere wish is that our politicians for once choose policies that waren’t based on the most recent poll or the latest focus group discussion. Politicians should have enough confidence in their own views of the EU and be ready to convince voters that they are right. Believing that voters will be swayed by the first argument that comes along also grossly underes-

timates them. Ten years have passed since we last voted on whether to adopt the euro, and since 2000, the money – notes and coins – have come into circulation. European co-operation has become codified in the Treaty of Lisbon, which came into force in December 2009.

The main reason for delaying a new referendum is that the polls show that supporters of the euro are in the minority The euro stands strong and is a remarkable success story that has shown itself capable of contributing to growth, employment, low inflation and stable interest rates. It’s true there have been economic problems in Greece and Ireland, among others. But the euro is no guarantee against ir-

responsible governments. What the euro has done is to prevent the debt crisis from becoming a currency crisis. Because of European co-operation, problematic countries have been set back on the right course, and the necessary reforms have been forced through. Co-operation among euro-zone countries is developing rapidly, and today it serves as the framework for the EU’s most important political and economic discussions. This group of countries discusses fiscal policy, employment, research and development, education – and quite possibly trade, development and climate policy as well. Denmark, however, is not a part of this discussion and thus without influence. This is also despite the fact that if there was a country that would benefit from taking part in European political, economic and cultural discussions as an A-list EU country, it would be Denmark. This is something voters should be asked about sooner rather than later. The author is the president of the Danish chapter of the European Movement.

READER COMMENTS New mobile injection room As with all such things, the blinkered morons who occupy the right-wing of Danish politics would rather criminalise every possible aspect of addiction and see children infected, with hepatitis and HIV, through needle-stick injuries from syringes discarded in the streets, parks and playgrounds .. but that is OK, because the lifetime treatment costs of a child infected with HIV is a paltry 10 million kroner, weighed against the immediate 100,000kr saving that can be made by sitting tight and whistling Dixie to drown out the sound of common sense and reason. And God forbid that anyone should actually use their initiative to do anything positive. Thank goodness we are rid of the uncaring attitude of the last shameful decade. Hopefully with the new government in place we will see a truly common sense policy with properly equipped shooting galleries/injection rooms and outreach services focused on the long-term possibilities, rather than shortterm savings. 2830 By website This article made me wonder: is it legal, or even reasonable, for any society at all, anywhere in the world, to facilitate people in addiction and most certainly slow death? Is it legal, or even reasonable, to facilitate people in missing out on their lives, prospects of happiness and development and contribution to the society? Is it legal, or even reasonable, for any society to approve budget expenses for needles, methadone, injection

rooms and first-aid services for drug use while insisting on depriving the old, sick and other vulnerable groups of financial aid on the grounds that they slow down the economy? Why not spend the same and even more money on psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, therapists and the appropriate facilities and programmes to drag addicted people out of their addictions and bring them back to real life? Why not give incentives to addicted people to quit their addiction, and to employers to hire them once they are ‘clean’, and to universities to teach them, and to volunteers’ organisations to use their services. Scorpio77 By website Born and bred here, but still no vote I will never understand why the Danes are so antisocial. But in the long run it will be Denmark who will suffer when good, smart and talented people decide to leave. She was born in a Danish hospital and educated in Denmark and that’s not good enough? This is crazy. She’s as Danish as any Dane. If you are born and raised in a culture and have lived there your whole life, that’s who you are. Sunnchilde By website Of course, if she had just studied a little harder then none of this would matter. Seriously, are we supposed to feel bad for her? Hundreds of people who weren’t even born in DK and don’t have Danish as their first language pass this test and get citizenship why should we feel sorry for her or feel there is a political scandal

when she fails? After all, she is “as Danish as (her) friends”, so one would assume that passing the test should have been relatively easy for her. Frankly, none of us expats, foreigners, immigrants whatever have the right to complain to Danes about how they allow people to gain citizenship. We are guests here, some with a season pass and others just for the day, figuratively speaking, so let’s not forget our place in this society. JFD By website What’s worse is scaring away the foreigners who bother to try the test with such tactics that will leave Denmark with the foreigners who would not care less. Imagine a French (motor) driving license test where several questions are about events in... prewar Tour de France contests. A citizenship test should focus on questions relevant to citizenship, not ramble over unrelated trivia. If this test has any logic to it, it must be the kind of logic in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ dialogue. Loroferoz By website It is well documented that many Danes would fail the test, not only daughters of immigrants. It is therefore not about the granting of citizenship, but about the unacceptability of new blood. Npandjmclay By website Without any special preparation I would have passed the test with 34/40. Many of the questions can be logically derived, others are principles that are the same in any democratic country. The ones I got wrong were mostly names of various people, such as the former DR director, fi-

nance minister and party leader. IMHO one can only fail this test if they lack primary school education and show no interest in DK life and history in general. No point feeling sorry for this girl! Bluetooth By website City archaeologists make filthy find You study hard for years, get good grades. Get an advanced degree. Work for years for other people, gradually building your resume. Now it’s here. You can finally strike out on your own and reap your rich rewards excavating an exciting find! Only to find that you’re hip deep in crap. Sunnchilde By website We’re missing the main point here. First, how does an apple core pass straight through someone’s system whole, and second, how does it then survive for hundreds of years? Jens Jensen By website Citizenship requirements too demanding “Citizenship is not something you will just be given. You have to earn it.” Why does that requirement not apply to the members of the ‘Danish’ Royal family? How did they earn Danish citizenship? Just marrying princes who are half French fulfils the requirement. Amber By website Kurt Vile lives up to the hype When I go to prison put him in my cell. Skovhjerte By website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 September 2011

So Says Celia BY CELIA THAYSEN Celia Thaysen is a British love refugee who landed on these shores six years ago. With below-par Danish, a tendency to tardiness, and a fondness for Marmite, she spends her time fumbling her way through unfamiliar territory as a working mother-of-two with a house in the ‘burbs.

Nine parties, two blocs and 12 minutes MARLENE EGERUP

HE FAMILY have been home enjoying a ‘staycation’ - a sign of the financial times I’m afraid - and have been swept up by election fever this past week. If you’re not familiar with Danish politics, it can be a bit confusing. For starters, there are nine main political parties. They then divide themselves into two blocs, red and blue. Once you overlay the blocs and issues, things become infinitely more complicated. So for those new to this, here’s my quick introduction to the Danish political parties. The Liberals or Venstre, which means left in Danish, are in fact, to the right of centre. The Conservatives lean slightly to the right of the Liberals. The Liberal Alliance lie slightly further to the right than the Liberals and Conservatives in their politics but are more left-wing in their values. Following me so far? And Radikale Venstre are not radical at all but centrist liberals, and are known in English as the Social Liberal Party. The Social Democrats are a traditional workers party, while the Socialist People’s Party are a more intellectual workers party leaning further to the left. The Red-Green Alliance is, as their name suggests, an amalgam of communist, socialist and environmental politics. And the scary grandma with her Aryan sons? Oh, they are a nationalist right-wing party. During the run-up to the elections, I brushed up on my Danish politics via a very informative app and checked out the candidates’ posters. Ooh, he looks just like Donald Pleasance. You know, the actor from Halloween. He’s quite handsome … I’d vote for him. Why

Don’t spend your 12 minutes drawing a venn diagram with a coffee stain to illustrate Danish politics

have they cut off half his face? Doesn’t that make him look untrustworthy… what’s he hiding? On election night, the hubby and I microwaved some popcorn and settled down in front of the telly. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of technological wizardry accompanying the coverage – not a swing-o-meter in sight. Where were all the jazzy graphs showing all the variables at play, the correlation between issues, regions, and parties with historical data? All we saw were red Helles and blue Larses, perpetually spinning. We avoided the channel with the

pundits, given that it would only have annoyed the husband if I kept on sensechecking my Danish. “So did he say, ‘…’? What does ‘…’ mean? So why does he think the SF will have to work closely with that other party with the young blonde? Oh, isn’t that what he said? So what did he say then? Oh right. And remind me, who is that again? Not sure I know him.” I cheered when I saw Gentofte had a 90.5 percent voter turnout. Well let’s face it, there’s not much to get excited about after an hour of watching election results come in … But it was an

impressive statistic and was reflected in the national average of 87.7 percent compared to a lethargic 65.1 percent turnout at the 2010 UK elections. Bravo Denmark! So Gucci Helle is now PM, and one of her party’s proposals is to add ‘12 extra minutes’ to the Danish working day to increase productivity. This has unsurprisingly caused a furore, with one poll citing that 81 percent of Danes are against it. Help is at hand though - I’ve come up with ten suggestions for how people can effectively utilise that time. 1. Find out where the nearest fire exit

is from your desk, or from the canteen, toilet, etc. This can easily use up a week’s worth of 12 minutes. 2. Clean the coffee machine. Hang on, that would take longer than 12 minutes. Clean your coffee mug instead. 3. Time to finally take that stroll over to HR to clear up that pensions query you had. 4. Get out the alcohol wipes – IT has been pestering you to clean the dust and Friday slik from your keyboard for months now. 5. Update the office notice board. Jakob’s leaving do was two years ago … those faded photos, amusing as they are, can surely be taken down now. 6. Follow through on those actions from your time management course. Use those 12 extra minutes to plan tomorrow’s schedule and job list … it will make you far more effective in your work. 7. Diligently complete that canteen survey. Do you consider the frikadeller inedible, bland, solid, good with lashings of remoulade, or just like Mum makes? 8. Find out where the office fax machine is located and how it works. It may come in handy one day. 9. Time to organise those 14,379 unfiled emails in your inbox. Assuming it takes 12 seconds to open, scan and decide where to file each email, you can clear 60 emails per day… as long as you’re not interrupted and you don’t receive any more. 10. Once you’ve done that, follow up on sent mails and issue reminders for the 3,862 emails that you have not yet received a reply to. But before people start panicking, the ‘12 extra minutes’ proposal is not due to come into practice until 2015, by which time we will probably have a new government.

CPH POST VOICES

‘PERNICKETY DICKY’

‘STILL ADJUSTING’

‘TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK’

‘MACCARTHY’S WORLD’

English by nature – Danish at heart. Freelance journalist Richard Steed has lived in Copenhagen for nearly five years now. “I love this city and want Copenhagen to be a shining example to the rest of the world.”

A proud native of the American state of Iowa, Justin Cremer has been living in Copenhagen since June 2010. In addition to working at the CPH Post, he balances fatherhood, the Danish language and the ever-changing immigration rules. Follow him at twitter.com/justincph

Born in 1942 on the Isle of Wight, Englishman Frank Theakston has been in Copenhagen 32 years and is on his second marriage to a Dane. Frank comes from a different time and a different culture – which values are the right ones today?

Clare MacCarthy is Nordic correspondent for The Economist and a frequent contributor to The Financial Times and The Irish Times. She’ll go anywhere from the Gobi Desert to the Arctic in search of a story. The most fascinating thing about Denmark, she says, is its contradictions.

news

The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

negotiating with danes: how to catch curveballs and make hard calls Cultural expectations play an important role in all kinds of negotiations; do you know how danes negotiate differently than people from other cultures?

or foreigners in Denmark, unspoken rules and subtle cultural differences serve up curveballs in all kinds of negotiations, whether it be about a pay raise, the selling price for an apartment, or a détente with a noisy neighbour. “Generally speaking, culture is a huge filter and misunderstandings happen very easily because the parties have different interests. So you have to take cultural differences seriously – but in a curious way,” negotiation expert and author Malene rix told The Copenhagen Post. rix’s clients include some of Denmark’s biggest companies, unions and cultural organisations. But above and beyond her professional credentials, she has a personal outlook on how cultural differences affect negotiations, because she lived abroad for years before returning home to Denmark. In multicultural situations, as in all negotiations, rix said, “the job is to find out how you and I, as different as we may be, can still find a way to proceed together. In a negotiation, you are sitting across from somebody who is different, who wants something different, who thinks differently, and who has different interests.” At a workshop she gave in June to women from around the world who have settled in Denmark rix began by asking them about their own experiences negotiating. one participant from Spain explained that when negotiations in her country get tough, it is not unheard of for people to yell and shout, jump up, stomp out, and slam the door. But that is just par for the course – blowing off steam – and in the end, they return to the table to deal. “If you grow up that way, then you see through it,” rix explained. “But if someone did that in Denmark, we would think: ‘Whoa! That is way out.’ But perhaps not as much if we realise that someone is from another culture. Then we might say: ‘oh, well, she’s got Spanish blood.’” She gave another example: “It is very un-Danish to promote yourself wildly. But if it is an

American who is doing it, well, we perceive Americans as being very upfront and quite ambitious and not afraid to promote themselves. So perhaps the cultural filter helps there.” “In a sense, when you’re coming from the outside you have a license to be different,” rix added. “We wouldn’t be as shocked if someone from the outside broke the Jante Law [unofficial Danish rules about modesty and humility] as we would be with a Dane.” rix emphasises the importance of reaching out to your negotiation counterparts consistently in the period leading up to the ‘real’ negotiation meeting and letting them know precisely what you want in order to ‘plant the seed’ and influence them. In Denmark, with its famously flat, anti-hierarchic and casual business culture – where the boss’s door is open, everyone eats lunch together, and many leaders are just a telephone call away – accessing and influencing your counterpart beforehand might be more doable than in more hierarchic cultures. “In certain cultures because of hierarchy, it is hard to take official control. But I would still try it anyway. Work with the techniques of interviewing, asking questions, planting ideas – and trying to make trade-offs.”

perhaps we have the advantage that we think it’s not so dangerous to let someone else get something too “It could be that [Danes] don’t think about the obstacles,” because of the flat work culture, rix added. “They might not be so put off beforehand and they might try it. Still some people might avoid being clear about what they want because they are worried about getting a ‘no’ to their demand, which is something many find hard, especially when asking for something for themselves!” A well-known adage is that people from Asian cultures sometimes say ‘yes’ in negotiating situations, even when they mean ‘no’, because they believe that saying ‘no’ insults the other person and humiliates the speaker. It is called ‘losing face.’ Danes have likewise earned

a reputation for trying to avoid public conflicts. But does that therefore lead them to say ‘yes’ when they really mean ‘no’? “Generally speaking, we’re not as worried about conflict as some other cultures are, but I don’t know a lot of Danes who really enjoy a good fight, or throwing the furniture around,” rix said. “A lot of them will try to avoid an open conflict. And in some situations that can mean saying ‘yes’ to something that you don’t really want to say ‘yes’ to, because you worry about the other person becoming angry or

I don’t know a lot of danes who really enjoy a good fight, or throwing the furniture around upset.” In the book ‘Negotiating International Business – The Negotiator’s reference Guide to 50 Countries Around the World’, author Lothar Katz characterises Danes as “moderate risk takers” who shun “aggressive tactics” in negotiations and absolutely hate to haggle. “Since the Danes believe in the concept of win-win, they expect you to reciprocate their respect and trust,” Katz writes. In contrast, in some countries, such as Spain, negotiations tend to be seen as win-lose situations, where the winner takes all, and that can lead to more aggressive and confrontational tactics. “As Scandinavians, we have a strong focus on egalitarian society; perhaps we have the advantage that we think it’s not so dangerous to let someone else get something too – an approach that lies at the heart of constructive negotiation,” rix added. But while egalitarianism and a win-win mentality tend to take a lot of the risk out of asking for what you want – that is not necessarily as true for women, rix warned. “Men have had the licence to ask for what they want, but women are still expected to look after the group,” rix explained. “So, when a woman says: ‘Fine, but I still want this for myself,” it jars, and there is the risk that she will be punished for it.’ To help even the playing field and overcome the gender bias that still exists – even in

egalitarian Denmark – rix wrote the book ‘Når kvinder forhandler’ (‘Women Negotiating – in the workplace and at home’). In it she explains how women can strengthen their innate negotiation skills, while using, and even improving upon, a few tricks from the boys. A final cultural trait that has a surprising effect on negotiations in Denmark is the traditional emphasis on group consensus. While such an emphasis would appear to be an aid to constructive negotiation, rix says that’s not necessarily true either. “A drawback in being consensusorientated is that we talk and talk and hope that a consensus will fall from the sky. Being consensus-orientated can be an obstacle in negotiations, because it implies that we don’t have an agreement until everyone is on the same page. But that doesn’t happen and you then need to negotiate your way to an agreement.” “How can we progress while allowing everyone to disagree?” is a more constructive question, rix suggested. “Then we’re back to one of the key skills that you really, really need to cultivate as a negotiator: you have to be curious. Because curiosity is the first step towards accepting differences and still being able to work together.”

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Malene Rix’s book ‘Når kvinder forhandler’ is available at www.gyldendalbusiness.dk. The English version ‘Women Negotiating – in the workplace and at home’ is available at www.malenerix.dk.

negotiation expert Malene Rix says negotiations should be win-wins

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The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

expats descend on City hall for handshakes with clubs and pancakes with buds Photos: hAssE FERRoLD & WoRDs: BEn hAmiLton

The annual expat fair at City Hall on Tuesday 13 September was once again a well-attended affair, with more than a thousand visitors turning up to learn more about the 40 Danish and international clubs present … and to tuck into those nationwidefamous pancakes. Ooh, Mr Mayor, you are really spoiling us!

The occasion included a number of addresses from keynote speakers like Niels Nygaard, the president of the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark.

Pictured here are two of the British representatives of the Copenhagen International Parents Meetup group (left to right): Charmien with Sahara, who is four months old, and Sarah with Viola, who is 15 months old.

Expat in Denmark was well represented by (left-right) Dana Tanch from Romania, Sheila Inkoom Larson from Ghana and Denmark’s Stefan Pedersen, seen here helping out Stephanie (from the Ny Dansker organisation), Ximena, Guichi and Hosie (all from Bolivia), and Natasha, who was very clear that she was from both Russia and the Ukraine.

AOF, the adult education course provider, proved to be a popular stand with (left-right) Grace from Ecuador, Charmelaine and Wiko from the Phillipines, and Jana from Germany. AOF’s Susan is doing her best to distract them, but a photo call is a photo call.

They gathered like sharks at feeding time around Kids Scuba Denmark. Pictured here (left-right) are Dancetide, the Scottish dancing club, is clearly reeling them in. Pictured here are (left-right) Zurab from Conor from Ireland, Miguel from Chile, Rozalina from Poland, KSC’s Rene with Toufan from Brazil, Miriam from Spain, Mick from South Africa and KSC’s Christoffer. Georgia, Kristian from the US, and club organisers Kirsten and Leon from Denmark.

It wasn’t just the adults having a good time. Whether it was the pancakes or plain mischief, the kids were clearly in their element.

Caught here tucking into the pancakes are (left-right) Hallie from the US, Roman from Germany, Lilia … Sheng and Xiaomin from China, Mark, Eduart and Alex from Romania, and Mangal from India. from France, Lis from the US …

The Copenhagen Post stand gave readers an opportunity to give their feedback on this page, and (left-right) Sunhil from India, Juan Miguel from Spain and Niki from Canada (third from right) gave editor-in-chief Kevin McGwin, salesman Mark Millen, and distributions team Erik Pontoppidan and Bjorn Erik Ekstrom a right earful.

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 September 2011

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

Niels Hulgaard was the big winner on the day at the British Chamber of Commerce’s function at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel last week on Friday – as was the planet. The student hopes to be a leading environmentalist and has won a place to study engineering, economics and management at Oxford University. Photo: Hugh Mayo

Dr Lars Bangert Struwe from the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen spoke to the BCCD about Denmark's anti-piracy operations. Photo: Hugh Mayo

Hulgaard is the first undergraduate to ever be awarded a BCCD scholarship. Pictured here is BCCD president Mariano Davies handing him a cheque for 50,000 kroner to help cover his first year's costs – or at least enough to see him through freshers week. Photo: Hugh Mayo

The Indian Embassy hosted a meeting of International Club Copenhagen last week on Thursday, which included a briefing about the BRIC nation by its ambassador, Ashok Kumar Attri (centre with wife), and the consumption of some delicious dishes.

Slovakia celebrated its national day last week on Wednesday with a gathering at the residence of the ambassador Radomír Boháč, who is seen here addressing the gathering.

The American Club welcomed Mariann Albjerg, a former flight integration manager at Nasa, to speak about her 30 years working for the organisation. Pictured here are (left-right) American Club secretary general Spencer Oliver, US ambassador Laurie S Fulton, American Club honorary treasurer Morten Riise-Knudsen, Albjerg, and American Club member Erik Nørgaard.

AN ACTOR ’S LIFE A resident here since 1990, Ian Burns is the artistic director at That Theatre Company, and very possibly Copenhagen’s best known English language actor thanks to roles as diverse as Casanova, Oscar Wilde and Tony Hancock.

Communication Breakdown September 14: the day before the Danish election

Mexico celebrated its national day with a reception at the Culturecenter Gjethuset Frederiksværk that included a concert by Ensamble Centenario and the opening of an exhibition of Mexican carpets and photos. Pictured here are South Korean ambassador Geun-hyeong Yim, US ambassador Laurie S Fulton, Mexican ambassador Martha Bárcena Coqui, the former Danish ambassador to Mexico, Johannes Dahl-Hansen, and his wife, and Coqui’s husband Agustín Gutiérrez Canet, who himself is the Mexican ambassador in Finland.

A dinner was held at Imperial Hotel Copenhagen in honour of the visit of Edward Yau (middle), the secretary for the environment of the Hong Kong SAR government, last week on Friday. Pictured here with him is Danish-Chinese Business Forum chairman Nils Foss (right) and Denmark-Hong Kong Trade Association vice-chairman Nils Carlsen.

CAN’T vote here because I’m British. My crystal ball is a bit cloudy but I sincerely hope the Danish People’s Party (DF) will have less influence on the way Denmark is run. Their view of the world and therefore of the arts is blinkered. No wonder then that Copenhagen as an international cultural city ranks very lowly. They don’t care about Englishspeaking tourists and don’t care who knows it. I am trying to change all that. A question of watch this space dear reader, but if the impossible happens and the DF gets more votes, then what do we do? Panic and leave? Or do we try to engage these narrow-minded bigots in discussion?

We may despise them, but surely it’s better to talk than not to do so? There must be some things that we have in common? Basic life experiences could be a place to start. Things like raising children, trying to keep them safe, keeping them warm, and trying to make them smile. I’m sure DF politicians and their followers try to do this with their children. They have to realise that we all try to do that regardless of what colour we are and where we come from. Most capital cities these days are multicultural, multilevelled places that have to deal with issues of human isolation, loneliness, class differences, and the dangers of inaction. Can’t be avoided. King Canute (Knud) the Great once sat on his throne on a beach and tried to stop the sea to illustrate a point that kings had no special powers. The

There must be some things that we have in common?

DF could maybe ponder on that historical fact for future reference and focus on the need for people to acknowledge and understand each other’s differences as opposed to peddling fear, misunderstanding and isolationism. Or maybe they could just do a bunk and do the rest of us a favour? I’m simply trying to sow the seeds of communication. That’s my job as an actor and this issue of communication breakdown is the springboard for Edward Albee’s first play, ‘The Zoo Story’. He’s the man who also wrote ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf ’. Watching that was one of the reasons I became an actor. Anyway, ‘The Zoo Story’ has become a classic of modern American drama. It’s a small slice of the human-zoo-story, showing the differences between the haves and the have nots, the rich and poor, the old and young. It is as absurd, funny and relevant today as when it was written in 1958. It also happens to be my next production dear reader. See www.that-theatre.com for production information.

13 Students from abroad broaden our learning, says rector COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 September 2011

JENS FINKJENSEN

University of Copenhagen stresses role international students play in keeping country outward-looking

JENS FINKJENSEN

JESSICA SLICER

Rector Ralf Hemmingsen personally greeted students with a handshake and a smile as they filed out of the ceremony to a celebratory party in the courtyard JESSICA SLICER

HE University of Copenhagen has welcomed a group of new international students with its annual enrollment ceremony, which included a speech by Rector Ralf Hemmingsen in the historic Ceremonial Hall followed by a festive reception held in the courtyard. With more than 1,300 new students from all over the world, the university opened its doors to a group that has doubled in size since the year 2000. In his address, Hemmingsen stressed the important role international students play in helping Denmark to remain an open society. “Denmark is a small country. We need new ideas from the outside world. We need you to question how we see the world and we need knowledge to flow freely across borders.” International student Evelyn Salazar from Granada, Spain said she was looking forward to experiencing the freedom of exchange by meeting new people from different countries and working to improve her English through these new types of friendships. Edgar Tardáguila, also from Spain, said he was looking forward to living in a city he described as having a “comfortable atmosphere, high quality of life and free lifestyle”. Describing the university’s learning environment, Hemmingsen said one of

Rector Ralf Hemmingsen introduces the deans of each faculty to a crowd of newly enrolled international students at the decorated Ceremonial Hall

the most important characteristics of the school was its attitude that students should “study just for the sake of studying”. However, he added that with international career fairs, mentor programmes and courses in entrepreneurship, the university did its best to prepare its students for future careers. This learning environment is one of the many factors that attracted international students to the University of Copenhagen.

“I like that the university emphasises studying for yourself and the actual act of learning. It’s really nice that it’s not just to get a job,” said Anna Prell from Sydney, Australia. With mounting anticipation and high expectations among both the international students and University of Copenhagen staff, they pledged to each other to make this year a successful one. “Copenhagen is the type of city that you go to and then you fall in love with it,” Prell said.

Evelyn Salazar and Edgar Tardáguila of Spain look forward to meeting people and taking advantage of the city’s comfortable atmosphere during their exchange year

COMING UP SOON Whisky Tasting

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ørestads Boulevard, Cph S; Fri 30 Sep, 19:00– 21:00; 350kr for BCCD members and guests, 400kr for non-members; sign up before Fri 23 Sep via email to event@bccd.dk or phone 3118 7558

Sample some of Scotland’s finest whiskys at this event hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark. Experts from Whiskymessen (the whisky fair) will guide participants through the tasting of seven different single malts hailing from a bottler in Perthshire. Follow along with a tasting map to see the origins of each drink, in between cleansing your palate with Highland spring water. Leave the car keys at home and arrange alternative transportation to enjoy a night of relaxed and social whisky sampling Plant Swap

Bibliografen, Bagsværd Hovedgade 116, Bagsværd; Sat 24 Sep, 10:0014:00; free adm

A great event for plant lovers to share knowledge, experiences and tips about gardening. Bring along your surplus plants to exchange them with others. From shrubs and perennials to seeds and seedlings, the options will be plenty - the more, the merrier. The day is organised by Gladsaxe Libraries in collaboration with Gladsaxe Garden Friends and Vegetable IDEcenter. Escape the city and meet other plant enthusiasts!

EPWN Copenhagen seminar with Claire Clausen

Dogenhagen Meetup

Join the European Professional Women’s Network of Copenhagen to share the wisdom and expertise of journalist Claire Clausen. There will be opportunities to share stories, ask questions and network at this event while meeting some of the most dynamic professional women in Copenhagen.

Both the two-legged and the four-legged are welcome for a walk around Sondermarken Park and Frederiksberg Have right across the street. Dogenhagen’s a group where pet owners can meet other dog owners, and find out about affordable dog food, pet care and more. Expats and their expat dogs are especially welcome. Bring coffee, tea and snacks to enjoy a relaxed afternoon hanging out in the park.

UCB offices, Arne Jacobsens Alle, Cph S; Thu 29 Sep, 18:30-21:00; members free, non-members 150kr

CBS Conference

Copenhagen Business School, Dalgas Have 15, Frederiksberg; Fri 23 Sep & Sat 24 Sep, 09:00–18:00 each day; participation including dinner, lunch and refreshments: 850kr, students 550kr, participation alone costs 250kr per day, students 100kr per day; contact arc@cbs.dk to register

Not a day goes by without a mention of India and China. At this two-day conference, entitled ‘Globalisation and Public Sector Reforms in India and China’, come and hear about their developing and emerging economies and their impacts on globalisation and the public sector. Researchers will present empirical papers designed to address the significance of public sector reforms in India and China and their wider economic, political and social contexts. There will be seven keynote speakers sharing their knowledge and research on the issues.

Sondermarken Leash Free Park & Frederiksberg Have at the fountain, Frederiksberg; Sun 25 Sep, 13:00; contact Andrew Madsen at 2763 5110

Academic writing course Nimbusparken 16, Frederiksberg;Thu 29 Sep, 09:00-16:00; contact DM Efteruddannelse at 3815 6668; course fee 11,800kr

Why do so many research papers start with “A number of studies have shown…” and why should you avoid it? Find out the answer and more by taking this academic English-writing course. This course is designed especially for researchers who present papers to international conferences and those who publish papers in English-language journals. Because the course is held in English, participants must be able to use at least an intermediate level of English.

JESSICA SLICER

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

Optimizing VC/PE Portfolio Companies for Exit 29 September 2011 The British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark is working with the Danish American Business Forum to bring you this joint seminar. Growth companies expend a lot of effort attracting Venture Capital. However, a VC firm enters a relationship with a company expecting a significant Return On Investment upon exit. The key to profitable Venture Capital / Private Equity deals is “beginning with the end” - from the very beginning. You have to think exit throughout the whole process. These issues will be discussed by a cross border panel consisting of experienced VC and PE legal and accounting advisers from the US, UK and Denmark: • • • • • •

Albert Sokol, (USA), Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge (Panel chairman) Jens Christian Rasmussen (DK), Bech-Bruun Jacob Holm (DK), Transaction Services, Deloitte Niall McAlister (UK), Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Shawn Atkinson (UK), Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Jan Johan Kühl (DK), Polaris Private Equity

Seminar Agenda: 08:30 09:00 09:15 10:45 11:00 11:30 12:00

Registration Welcome Investing, carrying and managing a portfolio Networking Break Preparing for and doing the exit After the exit Refreshments and networking

Host: Bech-Bruun, Langelinie Allé 35, Copenhagen If you would like to attend please sign up online (www.dabf.dk/optimizingVCPE), This event is free of charge for all attendees. • official media partner

sport

The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

Riders celebrate golden (and silver) days in Copenhagen Two young danish riders are making the most of performing in front of a home crowd in this year’s cycling world championships

Ben Hamilton Meanwhile in the Champions League, anders Lindegaard shines in goal for Man United

hILe FC Copenhagen as expected beat Ukrainian minnows FC Vorskla Poltava 1-0 last week on Thursday night at Parken in their first game of the europa League group stage, it was their Superliga counterparts OB that grabbed the headlines with an impressive 3-1 win away at Polish champions Wisła Kraków. The Odense side’s triumph was only the second time that a Danish side has ever won a european tie in Poland. Wisła had only lost one of their last ten european home games heading into the game, winning seven, including the last three. OB in contrast had only won one of their last five european away ties. Two goals in the last ten minutes from Peter Utaka and Rasmus Falk secured the three points from a game that OB deservedly led 1-0 at half-time thanks to an opener from Andreas Johansson in the 35th minute.

Utaka, the younger brother of former Portsmouth striker John Utaka, was guilty of spurning several chances, and when Andraž Kirm equalised with a weak effort at the start of the second half it looked like the game might be slipping away from OB despite their initial dominance. It was then end-to-end stuff with both sides fashioning chances, but in the end Utaka finally found the target, and Falk added a third in injury time. The Lions, meanwhile, made heavy work of seeing off their Ukrainian opponents in a low-key game at Parken. Morten Nordstrand’s second-half penalty proved to be the difference, and although the Ukrainians enjoyed plenty of possession, they created few chances and only seriously threatened FCK’s goal once over the remaining third of the game. With captain Mathias Zanka sidelined due to injury, it was another experienced player, Cristian Bolanos, who was the star performer for the home side: he created the first half’s best chance with a low cross for Dame N’Doye, went close himself after 50 minutes, and four minutes later was involved in winning the penalty. A one-two with Johnny Thom-

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schmidt: tailwind and home crowd helped

sen led to the full-back being fouled in the area. Following a 0-0 draw between group rivals hannover 96 and Standard Liege, FCK top their group, as do OB after a 1-1 draw between Fulham and FC Twente. The solid start is at least some consolation for the clubs’ disappointment at not making the group stage of the Champions League. One Dane who is competing is Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard, who boosted his chances of ousting Spanish rival David de Gea from the first team with an impressive display in his side’s battling 1-1 draw at Benfica last week on Wednesday night. The Spaniard, who has started every Premier League game this season, has looked shaky dealing with crosses thus far and already conceded a number of goals that pundits agree he should have saved. United rested eight players going into the Benefica game (ahead of their Premier League clash with Chelsea on Sunday) and struggled to contain their Portuguese opponents for long periods of the game at the estadio da Luz – most notably the opening and closing 20 minutes. While Lindegaard could do little about Benfica’s opener in the 24th minute, he made some superb stops thereafter, which might explain why he

Quaade collapsed with exhaustion after completing his time trial scanpix

oB impress in poland

tory over second-placed James Oram of New Zealand came thanks to an especially strong second lap on the 13.8km course. After the race, he credited the win to a good tailwind and the support from the home crowd. While Denmark’s medals so far have been won by men, Kamilla Vallin also put in a strong performance in the women’s juniors on Monday, finishing eighth in the 39-rider field. scanpix

FTeR TWO days of racing, Danish riders have recorded a first and a second place finish in the time trial events, currently being held on the streets of central Copenhagen. During the first day of racing on Monday, 21-year-old Rasmus Quaade took home silver in the under-23 category after a ride that saw him collapse after crossing the finish line. At the time of his finish Quaade was the fastest rider to complete the 35km course, but his time of 43 minutes and 22 seconds proved 35 seconds too slow to hold off the eventual winner and favourite Luke Durbridge of Australia. Quaade had established his position as the country’s fastest time trial rider earlier this year when he won the national championship, beating a field of professional riders that included Tour de France riders, an Olympic medallist

and a four-time world champion. even with the win in June under his belt, and a pre-race prediction that he could compete for the gold, Quaade said he was concerned that an injury suffered this summer could prevent him from maintaining a competitive tempo. however Quaade, riding on what he called a “simple” route, was able to power his way to the fastest time of the day after the first five kilometres. Although he completed the last part of the course in a slower time than the bronze medallist, Michael hepburn of Australia, Quaade put in a sprint in the final metres that secured him second and the silver. And then on Tuesday, Quaade’s performance was outdone by 17-yearold Mads Würtz Schmidt, who rode his way to gold and the coveted rainbow jersey handed out to world championship winners. The Randers native was expected to finish in the top-15 among the youngest participants of the World Championships, though he was not considered a medal hope. his surprising four-second vic-

peter stanners

Kevin mcGwin

oB will take confidence from their dominant display against the polish champions

has told media he wants the number one jersey for himself. In a post-match press conference, his manager Alex Ferguson backed his rival De Gea and confirmed he would be playing against Chelsea on Sunday – United won 3-1 partly thanks to two standout saves from the Spaniard in the first half. “If you expect me to say I am happy to be number two, that is not how it is,” Lindegaard told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. “I have not had many opportunities to show who I am, but this was one of them and it was a big game.” Lindegaard said he did not question Ferguson’s decision. “he has proven he is

the best manager in the world and I will always respect and accept his decisions,” he said. “I think we have good competition. We have at least two top goalkeepers and Ben Amos as well, who is very promising. It is like that in all positions with United and that is how it should be.” Finally, in other news, it has been confirmed that defender Daniel Agger will miss Denmark’s crucial euro 2012 qualifiers against Cyprus and Portugal on October 7 and 11. The Liverpool player fractured two ribs in Sunday’s game against Tottenham hotspur and will be out for four weeks.

business

The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

hands off the economy, central bank warns game’s up for state monopoly on betting

economic stimulus packages could do more harm than good, says nationalbanken governor

He BeSt thing the new government can do to help the economy is to not do anything at all, according to the central bank, Nationalbanken. In its quarterly review of the economy, released on tuesday, Nationalbanken lowered its predicted growth rate for 2011 from 1.7 percent last quarter to 1.4 percent. for 2012 and 2013, it said growth rates would rebound to about 1.6 percent. Though marginal, the predictions showed that the nation was on the road to financial health, and that economic stimulus packages only risked spoiling the recovery, according to the review. Along with slower growth

this year, Nationalbanken also forecast increasing unemployment for the rest of 2011. By 2013, the report said, employment levels should be back to normal. The review was originally due out on election day, but was postponed to avoid influencing the final day of campaigning. In his comments, Nationalbanken governor Nils Bernstein cautioned that excessive government spending could scare off foreign investors by undermining their confidence in the economy. That, in turn, would lead to higher interest rates, making it more expensive to borrow money. Increased spending, Bernstein said, “offered more risk than benefit”. With sales down this year, a number of major retailers have expressed concern that

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Opening up the Danish gaming industry to foreign competitors will increase tax revenues

jennifer buley eU opens country’s door to international gaming companies

fter dozens of complaints and years in the courts, the european Commission ruled on tuesday that protectionary laws that prevented foreign betting services from operating legally in Denmark violate eU treaties. The european Commission noted in its ruling that existing state gaming operators, such as Danske Spil, which runs lotto and sells scratch cards, could no longer be regarded as nonprofit organisations, “given that they are subject to strict annual revenue targets and often rely on commercial retail outlets to market their various gambling services”. finland and Hungary were cited on similar grounds in the ruling, alongside Denmark, for violating the eU’s free movement of services. As a result, from 1 January 2012, foreign gaming companies will be allowed to operate legally in Denmark as long as they file for a proper business licence and pay taxes. Under the new regulagraf by marlene egerup

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scanpix

Central bank governor bernstein warned against government stimulus

the economic slump could continue into 2012. Their concerns seemed to be supported by reports showing weak consumer confidence, record high savings rates and a rush to pay down debt. However, the review predicts that the high levels of savings would, on their own, generate as many as 25,000 jobs over the next two years, and pull the economy back onto its feet. representatives from the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), the nation’s largest business interest group, applauded the report’s hands-off recommendation. “We need to stop talking about pumping money into the economy as the solution to all our problems,” said Kent Damsgaard, an economy policy specialist with DI. “There is only one thing to do and that is follow the hard road of reform, reform and more reform.” Damsgaard said reforms such as this spring’s agreement to eliminate the nationally funded early retirement programme would help the economy by expanding the workforce, but added that lowering taxes and initiatives that made it easier for companies to do business were also needed. “The economy is growing. It’s going slower than we wanted it to, but there’s no doubt it’s going in the right direction,” he said. (KM)

tions, both foreign and domestic online gaming companies will pay a 20 percent flat tax on gross earnings. British gaming company Ladbrokes is among those expected to apply. The ruling will also give the tax authority, Skat, the right to go after foreign businesses operating in Denmark without the proper licence and collect taxes from them or block their websites. Since 1949, the 80 percent state-owned company Danske Spil has, on paper at least, held the exclusive rights to betting in Denmark. In reality, however, increasing numbers of foreign online betting companies have been operating unregistered in the country over the past decade. reactions to the ruling were overwhelmingly positive – and not just from foreign gambling companies. Organisations as diverse as Danske Spil, Skat, and a support network for gambling addicts, all welcomed it. Berlingske newspaper reports that Danske Spil, which will continue to operate lotto and sell scratch cards, saw it as a positive opportunity to diversify into online gambling services at a lower tax rate. “We are really looking for-

ward to being able to offer [online] games. The players have been asking for them for many years, but it wasn’t possible for us because of the previous tax,” Danske Spil’s communications manager Thomas rørsig said. Before, Danske Spil would have had to pay up to 75 percent tax on online games. richardt funch, the manager of the Danish subsidiary of the international betting company Betsson Group, said the new liberalisation would lead to broad regulation. “It will be historic for the Danish gaming industry, which has been profoundly unregulated for ten or 15 years,” he said. even those trying to help gambling addicts overcome their addictions were positive about the ruling. “for the first time in many years the gambling market is becoming more transparent. And with it comes the possibility for greater accountability in relation to gambling,” Michael Bay Jørsel, the leader of the Center for Ludomani, told Politiken newspaper. Nearly 100,000 Danes suffer from varying degrees of gambling addiction, according to a 2006 study.

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Date: 21 September 2011

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OKTOBERFEST WITH BAND, BEER AND SAUERKRAUT • 23 September 2011, from 5.30 pm at Store Vega, Copenhagen V • Live-music, Bavarian beer ad libitum, traditional food • Lederhosen and Dirndl-Competition, Oktoberfestquiz • For tickets please contact Ingrid via email ir@handelskammer.dk or phone 33 41 10 39 • For further details check www.handelskammer.dk

Ein Prooosit, ein Proooosit der Gemüüüütlichkeit! Deutsch-Dänische Handelskammer Kongens Nytorv 26, 3. Stock, 1050 Kopenhagen V Tel. +45 33 91 33 35, info@handelskammer.dk www.handelskammer.dk

THE COPENHAGEN POST 23 - 29 September 2011 SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE SPOUSE: Clémence Arnal FROM: France SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen; Region Sjælland QUALIFICATION: Wastewater/drinking water (processes and treatments, building design, water sampling and pollution rate measurement) ; environment protection ( river basin management, waste management). EXPERIENCE: Waste sorting representative (Office “Communauté du Pays d’Aix”, France) ; Leaks investigation on drinking water networks, Help to communes to deal with their drinking water system, Control operation of individual sanitation systems (Office “G2C Environnement”, France) ; Drinking water stations security : putting the Antiterrorist security plan in practice, employees security , Distribution network security : determining the cost of a network re-chlorination unit (“Drinking Water” administration of Aix en Provence, France) LOOKING FOR: Water treatment assistant / engineer LANGUAGE SKILLS: French (mother tongue) ; English (Fluent) ; Danish (Prøve Dansk 3) IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office ; AutoCAD (basic) ; Mapinfo (basic) CONTACT: clem.arnal@gmail.com / tlf: 23 34 63 22 SPOUSE: Laxmi Chawan FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Sjælland, as an architect/ interior designer or as a logistic co-ordinator. QUALIFICATION: Masters in Design Sciences and Sustainable Design, University of Sydney, Australia; Bachelors in Architecture, University of Mumbai, India EXPERIENCE: Design development, Drafting, Working drawings, Planning and scheduling of projects, Report compilation, Invoicing and Administrative works. LOOKING FOR: Part time /Fulltime work in Architecture/Construction /Interior Designing Firm or Supply chain management field. IT EXPERIENCE:AutoCAD 2009, Adobe In Design, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Project management softwares LANGUAGE SKILLS: English,Hindi CONTACT: lchawan@gmail.com Mobile : +45 5253 2498 SPOUSE: Raffaele Menafra FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: A degree as Prevention techniques in Work and Workplaces. EXPERIENCE: I worked 4 years in a rehabilitationclinic LANGUAGE SKILLS: Italian (native), English, Danish (currently learning) IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office CONTACT: menafra1@yahoo.it SPOUSE: Isaac P Thomas FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: East Juthland preferably Århus QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science) EXPERIENCE:Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition, Software testing, software development, data analysis, best practice sharing, quality gap analysis LOOKING FOR: Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition LANGUAGE SKILLS: Danish beginner, english, malayalam, hindi tamil IT EXPERIENCE: 8 years experence in IT Industry in software quality assurance, software quality control, software development. CONTACT: isaacpthomas@gmail.com, +4552225642 SPOUSE: Maihemutijiang Maimaiti FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Aarhus area, Denmark QUALIFICATION: M.Sc. In Computer Science, Uppsala University, Sweden; Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Southwest University; LOOKING FOR: IT jobs LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Chinese, Uyghur. IT EXPERIENCE: 1 year experience in Java programming and modelling in VDM++. CONTACT: mehmudjan@live.se SPOUSE: Sarah Andersen FROM: United Kingdom SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: BA Honours Design Management EXPERIENCE: Creative and versatile Project manager with experience of working in both agency and client environments on projects including; digital, print and event management. Worked with a range of international clients, including Panasonic and Disney. Previously employed by NMA Top 100 Digital Agencies and D&AD Awards in London. Able to manage projects from concept to production and to meet tight deadlines. LOOKING FOR: Digital Project Manager or Event Production Manager (full, part time or freelance) LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (native), enrolled for Danish language class IT EXPERIENCE: Office, Project, Visio, FTP and CMS CONTACT: www.sarahandersen.net for portfolio, CV and contact SPOUSE: Lorenzo Albano FROM: Venezuela (with CPR number) SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København and Hovedstaden QUALIFICATION: PhD in Physics EXPERIENCE: I have wide experience as an university lecturer in physics, physics laboratory, mathematics and informatics. I have done research in theoretical quantum optics and quantum information. I have done research and development / programming of numerical methods applied to geophysical problems, such as tomographic inversion and wave propagation, independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams. I have participated in gravimetric and magnetometric geophysical surveys LOOKING FOR: Short and long term work in education in science and mathematics / research / scientific computing / oil exploration or other geophysical applications LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in Spanish (native), English and Italian. Basic Danish IT EXPERIENCE: OS: MSDOS, Windows, Linux (Ubuntu), Solaris, incl. shell scripting. Programming Languages: BASIC, ANSI C, C++, FORTRAN. Web: HTML, CSS, Joomla!. Typography: LaTeX2E. Software: Mathematica 7, MS Office and OpenOffice suites, several Windows utilities CONTACT: lorenzoalbanof@gmail.com. Tel: +45 50 81 40 73 SPOUSE: Kamali Ganesan SEEKING WORK IN: Jylland, Denmark QUALIFICATION: IT engineer EXPERIENCE: LEGO systems LOOKING FOR: IT and Multimedia jobs LANGUAGE SKILLS: Tamil, English and Danish IT EXPERIENCE: 3 Years in LEGO systems. CONTACT: anbukamali@gmail.com

FROM: India

SPOUSE: Rita Paulo FROM: Portugal SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Architect EXPERIENCE: I am an architect and I have experience in Project and in Construction Supervision. In the past 7 years, I have worked mainly in housing, masterplanning and social facilities buildings. My last employer was a Project and Construction company where I had the opportunity to complement my experience in projects together with construction related tasks, developing myself as a professional. LOOKING FOR: Job in Architecture or Construction Company LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native Portuguese, Proficiency in English, Basic user of Spanish and Danish IT EXPERIENCE: Strong knowledge of AutoCad and ArchiCad. Experience in Studio Max, CorelDraw, Photoshop, Office tools. CONTACT: rita.vaz.paulo@gmail.com +45 2961 9694

PARTNERS:

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK SPOUSE: Anisha Kanjhlia FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Arhus in Teaching/Training/Administration/Media/Public Relations QUALIFICATION: Post Graduate in Advertising & Communication EXPERIENCE: 6+ years of professional experience in Training, Customer Service, Promotions, Brand Marketing, Content Analysis and Team Management. Strong experience in planning and executing initiatives. Extensive training experience and influencing skills that will assist me in building a high potential, motivated and an effective team. Hands-on training in soft skills like crucial conversations and people management Branch Manager & Head of Training for Cosmo Aviation Training School in New Delhi, India. Proficient in analyzing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision making and formulating training strategies. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus IT EXPERIENCE: Comfortable with all the basic computer knowledge like Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet browsing… CONTACT: anisha.feb@rediffmail.com P: 4522305837 SPOUSE: Malgorzata Tujakowska FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Aarhus and the surrounding area QUALIFICATION: Masters in Ethnolinguistics with major in Chinese and English, Chinese HSK and Business Chinese Test certificates, 2-year long studies at Shanghai International Studies University and National Cheng Kung University,Taiwan LOOKING FOR: Working for companies hiring Polish and Chinese employees, teaching Chinese, Polish, Business English, linguistics, translation and interpretation, proofreading, Chinese business and culture consulting, administrative work LANGUAGE SKILLS: Polish (native speaker), Chinese – simplified and traditional (fluent), English (fluent), German(intermediate), Danish (intermediate-currently learning) IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office CONTACT: Tel:+45 28702377, m.tujakowska@gmail.com SPOUSE: Mohammad Ahli- Gharamaleki FROM: Iran SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master degree in chemical engineering EXPERIENCE: 5+ years as a chemical engineer in R&D oil/gas projects as a team leader or member in Iran. LOOKING FOR: A position in an Intrnational company to expand my experience and expertise. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Azeri (native), English (fluent), Farsi (fluent), Arabic (good), Turkish (good), Danish(beginner) IT EXPERIENCE: Professional (MATLAB, Hysys, Aspen plus, Auto Cad, others (Office, Minitab). CONTACT: mohammad_ahli@yahoo.com, (+45) 71 63 12 85 SPOUSE: Christina Koch FROM: Australia SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Drama, 1997 University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Experienced actor and voice coach for speakers, with parallel high level experience in written communications. LOOKING FOR: Voice coaching for corporate presenters and speakers, Writing and Communications work, work in theatre organisations. IT EXPERIENCE:Microsoft Office, Office for Mac. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English - Native speaker, excellent written and oral expression. German – good reading and listening skills. Spanish – fluent oral communication, good reading and listening skills. Danish – beginners level speaking and writing skills. CONTACT: Tel: +45 52 77 30 93 Christina@hermionesvoice.com, www.hermionesvoice.com. SPOUSE: Debjani Nandy Biswas FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Would like to join in kindergarten, School teacher in English, official work in English. QUALIFICATION: B.A., M.A in English literature and language (American, European and Indian). EXPERIENCE: Temporary school teacher in Bongaon, India and involved in social work (handicapped society). LOOKING FOR: A possibility in getting practical experiences in kindergarten or any international school, official work (administration) in English, voluntary work also. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, little Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: Diploma in basic computer applications. CONTACT: E-mail: debjaninb@gmail.com, Tel: +45 50219942. SPOUSE: S.M. Ariful Islam FROM: Bangladesh SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: PhD student (2nd year) in Language Policy and Practice in Aalborg University, MA in Bilingualism, MA in English Linguistics, BA in English EXPERIENCE: 18 months as a University lecturer in English in Bangladesh. Taught advanced grammar, four skills (listening, speaking, reading & writing), ELT courses, Second Language theories, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics. LOOKING FOR: A position of English teacher/lecturer in English Medium Schools, Colleges and Universities. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Bengali (mother tongue), English (second language), Danish (fluent), Hindi and Urdu (Spoken) and Swedish (basic). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: Mail: ariful@id.aau.dk, arif401@yahoo.com, mobile: +45 42778296 SPOUSE: Lorena Augusta Moreira FROM: Brazil SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Interior Designer EXPERIENCE: + 3 of experience with interior design and sales of furniture and decoration products. LOOKING FOR: Position in an Organization/Company in the fields of: Interior design, lay-out and organization of vitrines, sales and assistance management IT EXPERIENCE:Microsoft office (word, excel, outlook, access and power-point) access to internet LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), Portuguese (native) and Spanish (pre-intermediate) CONTACT: lorena-augusta@hotmail.com, + 45 52177084 SPOUSE: Bhargavi Lanka Venkata FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: IT industry- Software - Manual & Automation Testingr QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering EXPERIENCE: Part Time/Full Time work in Software Testing, 4yrs and 9 months experience as Senior Software Engineer – Testing in a U.S based MNC in Bangalore, India LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Enrolled for Danish classes IT EXPERIENCE: Manual testing, Automation Regression testing using QTP, Web service testing using SOA Tool, HP Quality center, Unix, SQL, XML, Basic shell scripting CONTACT: bhargavipsk@gmail.com; Mobile: 50376689 SPOUSE: DANIEL JONES FROM: UNITED KINGDOM SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Qualified Teacher Status, UK; Bachelor of Science Degree (1st Class), UK EXPERIENCE: Enthusiastic , hands on teacher with 8 years teaching experience of Mathematics and Science in UK and International Schools. IB, GCSE and A-Level, including as Head of Department with excellent feedback from pupils, parents and teaching colleagues. LOOKING FOR: Teaching positions in secondary schools; Private tuition; Education related roles LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mother tongue English, fluent in Italian IT EXPERIENCE: MS-office. CONTACT: daniel_glyn_jones@hotmail.com

SPOUSE: Francis Farias FROM: Venezuela (CPR number) SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København QUALIFICATION: Master in Spanish Studies from Universidad de Cadiz, Spain, as a Spanish Teacher and BA in Teaching English as a Second Language. Diplomas in Digital Photography (from Venezuela and Spain) EXPERIENCE: 7 years experience as a teacher of English and Spanish at JMV University. Academic translator (Spanish-English/English-Spanish) and freelance photographer LOOKING FOR: Spanish language teacher, translator, interpreter, photographer. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (native). Basic Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: Office tools, Photoshop. CONTACT: carolina1928@gmail.com, +45 50814073 SPOUSE: TEJA PRIYANKA FROM: INDIA SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: MBA in Finance and marketing , bachelor in Biotechnology LANGUAGE SKILLS: Telugu(mother tounge), Hindi, English, Danish(biggnier) IT EXPERIENCE: Familier with Microsoft office(word, excel,powerpoint,access, ), photoshop. CONTACT: teja.priyanka.n@gmail.com SPOUSE: VIDYA SINGH FROM: INDIA SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Arhus, Aalborg or nearby areas. QUALIFICATION: Master in Computer Management, Bachelor of Science, Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Professional. EXPERIENCE: Total 8 years (4 year in telecommunication as customer care + 4 year as HR recruiter consultant) LOOKING FOR: HR (Trainee/Assistant/Recruiter/consultant), Customer service, office work, IT LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi and Danish (currently learning) IT EXPERIENCE: MS-office, Hardware, Networking, Intranet and Internet. CONTACT: vidya.singh37@gmail.com, Mobile: +45 71443554 SPOUSE: Debasmita Ghosh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmachemistry specialization) EXPERIENCE: 4 years in Clinical Research (Pharmacovigilance/Safety and Medical Coding) in a leading CRO (Quintiles) and 6 months experience as a lecturer for bachelor degree students in Pharmacy College. LOOKING FOR: Job in pharmaceutical industry, CRO or any vocation suitable per qualification and experience. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent written and spoken), enrolled for Danish language classes, Indian Languages (Hindi, Bengali, Kannada). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Applications i:e Microsoft office word, excel, outlook, power point and tools, lotus notes, medical and drug softwares like micromedex and ISIS draw. CDM systems like ds Navigator-Medical coding tool and AERS database. CONTACT: ghoshdebasmita@gmail.com, Mobile No. +4571488438 SPOUSE: Ying Yuan FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Medical Degree & Master in Human Nutrition EXPERIENCE: Practiced medicine for 2 years China 2000-200. Conducted a clinical trial for ½ year England 2008. Work in nutrition, pharmaceutical industry, food industry and health secto IT EXPERIENCE: I am experienced in Statistical software SPSS and MINITAB, Nutritional software NetWISP/WISP LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English and Danish CONTACT: yuanying118@hotmail.com +45 31 36 92 58 SPOUSE: Chao Wen FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Language teacher (German, Chinese) EXPERIENCE: Teaching Chinese as a foreign language by offering company-course for 2 years, in Germany; teaching Chinese to native speaker in private school for 4 years, in Germany; teaching German as a foreign language by offering private course; exhibition interpreter; translator. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus, Language teacher, translator or interpreter LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, German, Danish IT EXPERIENCE: Windows, Open office, Powerpoint CONTACT: wenlily80@googlemail.com tel.: 48417526 SPOUSE: Sadra Tabassi FROM: Iran SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master of Business Administration (MBA) LOOKING FOR: Any full time job related to my qualification field LANGUAGE SKILLS: Languages Fluent in English; Native in Farsi (Persian) and elementary level of Arabic. IT EXPERIENCE: Basic knowledge about computer (Windows), Office 2010 (Word, Excel, Power Point),Statistical software (SPSS) CONTACT: sadra.tabassi@gmail.com , Tel:+4550337753 SPOUSE: Weihua Xiao FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master in American Studies from University of Southern Denmark. Master in Education and B.A. In English. Diploma of Secretary. Certificate of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from East China Normal University EXPERIENCE: Work in the fields of education, training, translation, interpretation, administration, Chinese (business) culture consulting. 8 years of full-time English language teacher in China. Work for a global company in Shanghai and Copenhagen as Personal Assistant to General Manager/ Secretary for about 2 years from 2009 to 2010. LOOKING FOR: Chinese Language teacher, translator, interpreter, administrative position LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, basic Danish IT EXPERIENCE: A good user of Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel...) CONTACT: weihua06@gmail.com +45 5048 9667

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs. If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a profile to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your profile on the spouse job page when possible.

CULTURE

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 September 2011

JENNIFER BULEY Government-appointed council recommends total overhaul of state arts foundations

The new system would change how the arts are funded in Denmark

ic changes to the arts funding system, it’s important that the milieux affected get the chance to express themselves on the recommendations,” he told Berlingske. Annual state funding for the arts is currently some 2.7 billion kroner per year. Some 275 artists in the visual arts, writing, translation, music, film, design and architecture receive the state’s lifelong grants. The chairman of the Council for the Arts is Lars Liebst, who is also the chief executive of Tivoli amusement park in central Copenhagen.

MORTEN STRICKER

FTER NINE months of analysis and just two days before the general election last week, the government-appointed Council for the Arts (Kunststøtteudvalget) presented a dramatic recommendation to overhaul the state’s half-century-old arts funding system. Kunststøtteudvalget’s controversial proposal calls for the total elimination of the Danish Arts Agency (Statens Kunstfond) and the Danish Arts Council (Statens Kunstråd), implementing in their place a single, non-political entity called the Arts Institute (Kunstinstitut). The proposed Arts Institute would be run by an independent seven-person council made up of leaders with relevant arts knowledge and experience. The council would have the power to decide where the state’s arts funding for all areas of the arts except film should go. In order to encourage diversity and independent thought, council terms would be limited to four years. Professor Jørn Langsted, of the Aarhus University, said the idea was intriguing, even though he doubted it would happen. “It will be insanely interesting if politicians surrender their power over such a large part of art policy,” Langsted told Politiken newspaper. “It sounds refreshing, but I don’t think it is realistic.”

The Council for the Arts proposed increasing the controversial ‘lifetime stipend’ for artists. Today the maximum yearly allowance is 151,508 kroner. The Council for the Arts would like to raise that to a ‘liveable wage’. However, the artists who accept it would then be barred from seeking additional art grants from the state – something they are currently allowed to do. The departing Conservative Party culture minister Per Stig Møller, commissioned the Council for the Arts report some nine months ago in the hope of streamlining the current arts funding system, which he characterised as a “house with way too many cornices, balconies and bay windows”. Møller himself called the recommendation “exciting”. “The council has had the guts to be really innovative,” he told Berlingske newspaper.” It confirms that it was a real decision, based on a thorough look at the arts funding system.” Whether their recommendation will be accepted by the new Social Democratic-led government is, however, uncertain. The Social Democrat culture spokesperson, Mogens Jensen, called the proposal “dreadful”. “It is centralising the process in the hands of fewer people. You are stripping away the representative councils where the discussions happen,” he told Politiken. Møller added that the report should, in any case, be presented to the arts organisations, MPs and the general public for broad debate. “As the council is proposing dramat-

LARS KRUSE

Arts funding up for debate

Artwork from Illustrated Children’s Books (‘Den Illustrerede Børnebog’), an exhibition organised by the Arts Council

VICTORIA STEFFENSEN

SCANPIX

Titanic artefact stolen Who is ... Louise Wolff? She is a TV presenter on DR1 Is she any good? She’s very professional, and also very watchable. The stolen necklace is valued at € 14,000

JENNIFER BULEY An irreplaceable necklace belonging to a passenger on the doomed liner was stolen in Copenhagen on Saturday

VALUABLE and historically significant necklace worn by a woman who was on board the Titanic when it sank in 1912 was stolen from an exhibition at Tivoli amusement park in Copenhagen on Saturday. The stolen necklace is worth about €14,000, according to its owners, the Spanish travelling exhibition company Musealia. But it is too recognisable to be resold easily on the black market, they said. Until Saturday, the precious necklace was part of the travelling history show, ‘Titanic – The Exhibition’, which has been touring the world for more than 35 years. Through original artefacts, like the necklace, plus replicas of the staterooms, and narratives, the exhibition gives visitors a virtual experience of what it was like to be on the doomed luxury liner the night it struck an iceberg and

sank in the north Atlantic. More than 50,000 visitors have seen the exhibition at Tivoli since it opened in April. Torben Plank, a Tivoli spokesperson, said the exhibition’s security was approved back in April when it opened. Nevertheless, those security measures did not stop a thief from making off with the valuable jewel on Saturday. “We are in the process of deciding whether to tighten security. But it was already very high because the items on exhibition are really worth a lot of money,” said Plank. Police are investigating the theft, but there is little indication that it was a professional job. Another valuable piece of jewellery lying just beside the stolen necklace was left untouched. A €1,000 reward has been posted for the return of the necklace or any clue leading to its recovery. Musealia has guaranteed that ‘Titanic – The Exhibition’ will continue as planned at Tivoli until Christmas, despite the theft.

Is she professionally trained? She started to study media knowledge at Aarhus University, but when she went on work experience at DR, it seems it was a match made in heaven, because she never left and, as a result, didn’t complete her course! Where would I have seen her? If the only time you’re tuned into DR is to catch an episode of ‘Midsummer Murders’ aka Barnaby (an episode that has probably been shown for the fourth time!), you might not have seen her at all. She is, however, a presenter on the primetime evening show, ‘Aftenshowet’. I saw Aftenshowet last week and there was no-one named Louise on it. That’s because she’s been on a couple of months’ leave. She only returned to Danish television screens this past Tuesday. Why was she on leave? Various things: she travelled with her boyfriend to Vietnam, plus she’s been filming another series of ‘Sporløs’. What on earth is Sporløs?

The Copenhagen Post Quick Crossword No 364 No 364

It’s a popular TV programme where they help unite people with missing family members, such as a person who would like to find a sibling that went awol. What if the family members in question don’t want to be united? Funnily enough, we don’t seem to see any of those people, although I’ve often thought they must exist. So do they neglect to show those ‘failed’ reconciliations? While some people might find these situations the most entertaining of all, DR1 has prevented them ever happening. In January 2010, tabloid newspaper B.T. wrote that DR actually sent researchers out beforehand to ask the relevant people if they wished to be found. Isn’t that kind of deceitful? Yes, some people do think this is cheating the viewers. But would it really be fair to take a person desperately looking for a family member to Outer-Mongolia, only for them to be told: “I’ll say this slowly. I-DON’T-LIKE-YOU!” Mind you, it would make good television!

Across 1. 3. 8. 9. 11. 13. 14. 17. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Remedy (4) Fruit (8) Pinches (4) Authorise (8) Mirror (7, 5) Soak (6) Correct (6) Doubts (12) Felonious (8) Eager (4) Stretched (8) Commotion (4)

Down 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 10. 12. 15. 16. 18. 19.

Finish (8) Censure (7) Fruit (6) Go faster (10) Leaves out (5) Transmit (4) Prudence (10) Captive (8) Defend (7) To fly (6) Decree (5) Pain (4)

Post Quick Crossword No 363 Across: 1 Furtherance; 9 Outlast; 10 Touch; 11 Rural; 12 Curtail; 13 Secure; 15 Absent; 18 Maestro; 20 Regal; 22 Nurse; 23 Madness; 24 Predicament. Down: 2 Utter; 3 Trailer; 4 Entice; 5 Actor; 6 Courage; 7 Nourishment; 8 Philatelist; 14 Clearer; 16 Boredom; 17 Cosmic; 19 Trend; 21 Green.

Denmark through the looking glass The Copenhagen poST CphpoST.dk

23 - 29 September 2011

her art endured despite patriarchal prejudice and the Skagen scandal Marie, the talented wife of pS krøyer, led a colourful life before, during, and after their marriage – both on the canvas and in the society gossip pages

Ps krøyer’s most famous work ‘hip, hip, hurrah!’ (1888), a scene from his bachelor days – how they used to party! of the men standing, he’s the third from the left

Unfortunately, the romance soon fell apart. PS Krøyer was a manicdepressive and while he was active, painting and celebrating with friends when gripped by his mania, when he was depressed he could not work. at first, Krøyer was happy but as the years progressed, the dramatic mood swings

took their toll on her ability to support him. She eventually learned of her husband’s syphilis, which caused further angst. in 1900, PS Krøyer was referred to hospital after a mental breakdown, and things were never the same between the couple after his stay there. in 1902, Krøyer travelled with Vibeke to italy to take some time away from her troubled family life. There she met her second great love, the Swedish composer alfvén. Krøyer asked PS Krøyer for a divorce, but the mentally-unstable painter would not grant one. Krøyer returned to Skagen but was incredibly depressed. Seeing her sadness, PS Krøyer invited alfvén to visit, which caused great scandal in the tiny Jutland town. Krøyer and alfvén continued their romance with the awkward permission of PS Krøyer, who did not grant a divorce until 1905, when Krøyer became pregnant with alfvén’s child. The divorce from her miserable first marriage did not bring Krøyer happiness, however. She soon discovered alfvén’s numerous affairs with other women, and PS Krøyer insisted on keeping Vibeke in Skagen with him. Krøyer gave birth to her second daughter, Margita, in 1905 and moved to Sweden with alfvén, but didn’t marry

skagensmuseum.dk

him until 1912 when Margita was due to start school. Meanwhile, PS Krøyer died in 1909 from the complications of syphilis and his mental illness. in 1928, alfvén asked Krøyer for a divorce, which ironically she did not want to grant him, even though they were no longer living together as a married couple. She finally agreed to end the tumultuous relationship in 1936. alfvén promptly married another woman several years his junior, while Krøyer died alone, from cancer, in Stockholm in 1940. Krøyer only wanted to be in love and make art, but her tragic relationships brought complications and sorrow throughout her life. her scandalous romantic life, and perhaps her lack of confidence in her ability to paint, led to Krøyer devoting her considerable creative energy to interior decorating and furniture design. her work on the interiors of her home in Skagen and the home she shared with alfvén near tällberg in Sweden was highly respected and admired. today, one can visit the Skagen Musuem (www. skagenmusuem.dk) to see examples of her paintings and her interior designs, as well as the paintings of PS Krøyer, which depict his beautiful, but melancholic wife.

skagensmuseum.dk

aria Martha Mathilde triepcke wanted a life full of passion and art. She got it, but perhaps not quite as she imagined. Born in 1867 to German parents in Frederiksberg, she would grow up to become the beautiful but scandal-ridden Marie Krøyer alfvén, a significant member of the Skagen artists’ community in northern Jutland. From a young age Krøyer showed talent as an artist, but unfortunately the 1800s was not a time when women studied art in a professional capacity. Women were not admitted to the royal Danish art academy until 1888. Even then, the popular artists of the day, like Kristian Zahrtmann, actively supported a masculine attitude in painting, considering this a sign of creative innovation. Despite the dominant views, Krøyer remained passionate about art. her parents and art world patrons supported her in her efforts. her dedication led her to study at the age of 16, when she started taking drawing and painting classes in private homes. taking classes and attending museum exhibitions in Copenhagen introduced young Krøyer to the art world, bringing her into contact with the painter Peder Severin Krøyer. PS Krøyer, 16 years Krøyer’s elder, would become her first great love. She was initially introduced to the celebrated painter through an exhibition at Charlottenborg art Museum, where she saw one of his paintings. Krøyer eventually began studying painting under PS Krøyer in 1887. She also sat as a figure model for several of his paintings, including, ‘a Duet’. But he paid little attention to her at the time and she was focused on her own painting. She did not want to be married because she saw that as an end to her life as an artist. Krøyer began travelling to the Danish countryside to paint, visiting the small town of Skagen that was gaining a reputation around Denmark as an artist colony. artists began coming to the area in the early 1870s to paint in the open air, motivated by the concurrent French impressionist movement. The distinctive light in the coastal community inspired the artists. Their paintings evolved into a unique style that blended the impressionist influence with a modern realism, capturing bits of everyday rural Danish life, such as fishermen at work by the sea. Krøyer continued to study painting in Copenhagen; always self-critical, she still wanted more from her art. So, at 21, she travelled alone to Paris to continue her education. in Paris, she quickly became associated with other Nordic artists in the European art capital. She studied at a French atelier (workshop), the Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, where she met the Danish artist anna ancher, who had grown up in Skagen and married the Danish painter Michael ancher. The two women would become lifelong friends. ancher remained supportive of Krøyer when her marriage with PS Krøyer began to deteriorate. PS Krøyer, before marrying Krøyer, was a ladies’ man, uninterested in marriage. in fact, through his many love af-

Wikipedia

fairs he had contracted the most feared sexually-transmitted disease of the day: syphilis. he did not envision meeting a woman who would inspire him to settle down when he went to Paris in 1888. in Paris, PS Krøyer met Krøyer for what he thought was the first time at a popular café. Struck by her beauty, he was surprised to realise that she was his former figure model from Copenhagen. after a whirlwind Paris romance, they married in Germany in the presence of Krøyer’s parents. PS Krøyer did not tell Krøyer he had syphilis or his family’s history of mental illness. For her part, Krøyer did not question their rapid leap into marriage, an institution of which she had previously been sceptical. Krøyer was in love and enjoyed the dynamic social life of being part of an art world power couple. The newlyweds moved to Skagen, marking the beginning of a prolific time for the artists. PS Krøyer painted signature paintings that captured the Skagen mood like ‘hip, hip, hurrah!’ (1888), which depicted the artists’ friends celebrating at an outdoor summer meal. Krøyer continued to practice her own painting skills, exhibiting work in Copenhagen at the opening of the artist-run exhibition space, Den Fri Udstilling, in 1891, but she was plagued by constant selfdoubt in her artistic ability. They had their first and only child, a daughter they named Vibeke, in 1895.

Bonnie Fortune

‘Civita d’antino’, a painting by marie krøyer of a young italian girl

The krøyers in love, but something was amiss: namely syphilis

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