The Copenhagen Post: 16 - 22 December

New government, same policy of separating families

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16 - 22 December 2011 | Vol 14 Issue 50

Performance of this Christmas classic is sure to drive you nuts

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

NEWS

Helle’s got her hands full Proposed European fiscal treaty causes inner rift just weeks before Denmark takes on EU presidency

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Looking for independence, Scotland eyes its Nordic neighbours

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OPINION

Legalise it Parliament should act on City Council’s recommendation to legalise cannabis

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SPORT

Does the lack of available skating rinks hurt Denmark’s chances of success in ice hockey?

14 CULTURE

When bigger isn’t better New hotel wants to give guests a true Vesterbro experience – but book fast, there’s only one room

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Praise for Connie amid malaise for climate deal PETER STANNERS 192 countries sign on to deal forged by former environment minister Connie Hedegaard

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FTER a marathon 60-hour negotiation session this weekend, an agreement paving the way for a global deal to tackle climate change was finally struck at the COP17 conference in Durban, South Africa on Sunday.

Connie Hedegaard, the EU’s climate commissioner and Denmark’s former environment minister, was commended for her role in forging the deal, dubbed the ‘Durban Platform’, which sets a 2015 deadline on negotiating legally-binding emissions targets to come into force in 2020.

“She is very, very good and we are lucky to have her,” Chris Huhne, the

UK energy and climate change secretary, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper.

“She held everything together in a very impressive manner – a class act.”

With four years of difficult negotia- A deal alone won’t keep the tions set to start about the exact emissions rise in temperature within limits, Hedegaard’s deal is being considered a diplomatic success compared to two degrees the outcome of COP15, which was held in Copenhagen and resulted in an agreement that was not legally binding and “Seen from the climate’s point of view, therefore widely considered weak. it’s a very unambitious deal – we should “It’s the first time that the USA, In- have started today,” Lidegaard said, acdia and China have declared that they are cording to Jyllands-Posten. “I’m happy willing to participate in a legally binding that we have a deal. But a deal alone won’t agreement,” Hedegaard said. “There were keep the rise in temperature within two many people who thought we would not degrees. But it is a diplomatic victory.” get a result. It’s been hard work. But we’ve Previous deals to reduce carbon emistaken a big step forward.” sions faltered when developing nations Despite Hedegaard receiving praise argued that they should be exempt in for her diplomatic coup, the Danish cli- order to reach the same industrial levels mate minister, Martin Lidegaard, said athe West has achieved thanks to 100 years Organise personal meeting he was disappointed by the deal. of industrialisation without having limits

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placed on their carbon emissions.

In turn, countries such as the United States argued that there was no point in reducing their emissions if developing nations were exempt.

Despite Lidegaard’s criticism, he told Jyllands-Posten that the Durban Platform was “historic” for managing to secure the backing of all of the world’s 192 countries.

The European Commission also praised the deal, stating in a press release that “the EU bids welcome to a historic breakthrough in the fight against climate change”.

But far-left government support party Enhedslisten was critical, arguing that it was too little too late.

“The Durban Platform is a catastrophe for the climate,” MP Per Clausen

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Week in revieW

The Copenhagen posT CphposT.Dk

16 - 22 December 2011 Scanpix

And so it begins

The Week’s MosT ReaD sToRIes aT CphposT.Dk Denmark may join fast lane of two-speed europe Foreign investors speculate in Danish bankruptcy Living in an expat world | Challenges of expats It doesn’t always pay to work Fears of vigilantism after rape of young girl

FRoM oUR aRChIVes Ten YeaRs ago. Israel is hesitant to send politicians and military personnel to Denmark due to the lack of diplomatic immunity.

FIVe YeaRs ago. The City Council pledges more money to help clean up the mess from street parties. one YeaR ago. Denmark is reported to have the fourth highest number of crimes per capita in the world.

Commuters faced chaos on Monday as the second stage of construction on nørreport Station got underway. nørre voldgade street, which runs on both sides of nørreport Station, was shut down to vehicle traffic and will remain closed until the project is finished in 2014.

For the seventh year in a row, the price of Christmas trees has risen. And according to the national consumer council, Forbrugerrådet, illegal price-fixing is the culprit. According to a statement on the website of the Juletræsdykerforening, the national association of Christmas tree growers, growers get together to

Plan working?

discuss price formation and tree sorting each year. to Forbrugerrådet, that sounds a lot like illegal price-fixing. The tree grower’s association, however, claimed the admission on their website was outdated and included in error.

Juletræsdykerforening was fined 500,000 kroner last year for making illegal pricing agreements.

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.

Additionally, 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.

Visit us online at www.cphpost.dk

Oh, baby

the NAtioN’s ‘vulnerable areas’ – don’t dare call them ‘ghettos’ – are less rough than five years ago, new statistics show. According to research by the Center for Boligsocial Udvikling, youth criminality has fallen significantly in 13 of the areas. All of the areas were targeted by a local council

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

all photoS: colourbox

Price-fixing

CoRReCTIon: We erroneously reported last week that there was no professional lacrosse in the Us. There are two professional american lacrosse leagues.

initiative that included drop-in centres, job offers, and tutoring. Minor crimes such as theft and vandalism among residents under the age of 18 have nearly halved since 2006. in the same period, the number of charges on more serious crimes including drug dealing fell by 21 percent in the targeted areas.

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

CopeNhAgeN is booming with babies and young families.

New figures from Danmarks statistik reveal that 6.8 percent of the capital city’s population is between the ages of zero and four – one of the highest percentages of little people in the country.

Young people aged 18-24 occupy one quarter of all Copenhagen

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apartments, and young couples with just one child tend to remain in the city. Baby number two, however, tends to send the family to the ‘burbs. By contrast, the city’s percentage of senior citizens has dropped 13 percent in just 25 years—from almost one quarter of the population in 1986 to just over one tenth in 2011.

Layout and design Justin Cremer Aviaja Bebe Nielsen Logo by rasmus Koch

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COVER STORY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

New European fiscal union splits government Questions arise whether increased budgetary discipline would stop government’s stimulus plan

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HE DANISH government has not ruled out joining the new European fiscal compact treaty that was agreed last week by the Eurozone’s 17 members, though some economists and politicians worry the plan could inhibit Europe’s economic growth.

The fiscal compact treaty is designed to increase budgetary discipline and prevent Eurozone members from suffering the spiralling debt problems that are currently plaguing countries such as Greece and Italy.

“The treaty is about reinstating trust in the euro. In order to create growth and jobs, we need to get the euro under control. That’s where it starts,” PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt said at her Tuesday press conference.

So far the UK is the only EU member state to have pulled completely out of negotiations after it was not given any guarantee that its London-based financial sector would be protected.

But concern about the wider effects of the treaty have also been voiced in Denmark. Villy Søvndal, the foreign minister, told TV2 News on Saturday that it could inhibit Denmark’s growth stimulus package.

“There are some parts that will be very difficult for Denmark,” Søvndal said.

The caution expressed by Søvndal seemed to contradict remarks made by

Margrethe Vestager, the minister for the economy and interior, and ThorningSchmidt, who both stated after last week’s deal was struck that the government would consult legal experts and parliament before coming to a decision.

Søvndal’s concerns lie in the diminished budgetary control that Denmark would have to accept in order to join the treaty. One of its main points would be a requirement that governmental budgets either remain balanced or in surplus, and that governments who breach a three percent budget deficit would face automatic penalties.

SCANPIX

PETER STANNERS

The question will be whether it will mean giving up sovereignty from a constitutional point of view

Foreign minister Villy Søvndal was quick to cast doubt on Denmark’s likelihood to accept the conditions of the fiscal treaty

“It’s clear that it will limit our budgetary freedom,” Bo Sandemann Rasmussen, an economics professor at Aarhus University, told Berlingske newspaper. “The downside is that we won’t be able to keep as large a deficit as we would like. The advantage, on the other hand, is that it sends a clear message to the markets that your government is putting forward healthy policy.”

But while budget discipline might assure the markets, it might prevent the Danish government from carrying out its promised economic stimulus package, or ‘kickstart’, in which planned public infrastructure investments are intended to create jobs and growth.

On Tuesday, Søvndal explicitly told

journalists that Denmark would have difficulty joining the fiscal compact treaty unless the government’s ability to invest in its economy was respected.

“Two things are essential for us: one is full respect for our euro opt-out and the other is that we can proceed with our kickstart as it is laid out in the common governmental policy.”

Søvndal’s party, Socialistiske Folkeparti, is the most EU-sceptical of the three government parties, sitting in stark contrast to the centrist and pro-EU Radikale on many Europe-related issues.

Should Denmark be perceived to lose any more sovereignty to Europe, while also being prevented from enacting its economic stimulus – a policy high on the government’s priority list –

SF’s position in government would be seen to be massively weakened.

But at Tuesday’s press conference, Thorning-Schmidt argued that Denmark would still be able to boost the economy while also following tighter budgetary guidelines.

“Do we have the opportunity to kickstart the economy? Yes we do, if we follow a responsible economic policy.

It’s not up to the EU, it’s up to us,” Thorning-Schmidt said.

Should the government decide that joining the fiscal compact treaty would not prevent their stimulus from going ahead, they still face the challenge of whether joining would mean a loss of sovereignty, in which case a referendum would be required.

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Opinions on this issue are split, with Peter Nedergaard, an EU expert from Copenhagen University, telling Jyllands-Posten newspaper that he did not think it was likely.

“The question will be whether it will mean giving up sovereignty from a constitutional point of view,” Nedergaard said. “The most likely scenario is that the Justice Ministry will reach the conclusion that it doesn’t.”

Thorning-Schmidt also dismissed the likelihood of a referendum on Tuesday, despite pressure from parties such as Dansk Folkeparti and Liberal Alliance to put it to a vote.

“I have a hard time believing that it will lead to a referendum,” she said.

Regardless of whether a referendum is deemed necessary, a study published this week in Jyllands-Posten showed that 53.9 percent of Danes want to be consulted on joining a new treaty.

And while 45.1 percent of Danes felt that Denmark ought to join, only 22 percent thought it would lead Europe out of its economic crisis.

Scepticism about the success of the plan has been growing, with former PM Poul Nyrup Rasmussen telling Information newspaper on Tuesday that he was disappointed the plan made no effort to stimulate growth.

“I think the deal is too small in that it does not even consider how to get Europe moving again,” he said. “First and foremost, we need to get green growth moving and create new jobs. There is no mention of this in the plan as it stands now.”

EU president Herman Van Rompuy said this week that the fiscal compact treaty would be signed in early March at the latest. Denmark will take over the EU presidency on January 1.

Danes swindle state for 12 Explosion claims three lives in murder-suicide billion kroner per year Councils’ efforts to crack down on welfare cheats are only marginally successful, says study

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HE AMOUNT of welfare money paid out each year to Danes who do not actually need it is enough to pay the yearly budget for one quarter of all Denmark’s primary schools, or to foot the entire bill for one year of the government’s touted economic kickstart.

Each and every year about three percent of the Danish population cheats the social system, receiving between seven and twelve billion kroner in welfare benefits that they are not actually entitled to, according to a new study by KMD Analyse, an IT firm specialising in large public data systems.

KMD found that 3.2 percent of Danes interviewed admitted to collecting welfare benefits they did not actually need. Examples of cheating schemes include accepting cash welfare benefits while neglecting to report one’s actual (and sufficient) income, or collecting unemployment benefits while not actively looking for a job or having turned down job offers.

In 2010, local councils identified and recouped welfare fraud to the tune of 350 million kroner. But KMD estimates that the sum accounts for just four to seven percent of the actual fraud.

One reason councils are not more

effective at catching the cheaters is that they rely primarily on anonymous tip-offs from other citizens to identify them. It’s a terribly inefficient way to identify and catch cheaters, according to KMD. Improving the cross-coordination of digital records between different government agencies would reap better results, the analysts said.

Appointing more council employees to carry out random checks on citizens suspected of cheating the system was also recommended.

KMD also noted that the criteria for allocating benefits ought to be based more on objective benchmarks, and less on subjective evaluations that provide charlatans with opportunities to trick welfare counsellors. Finally, KMD recommended that council employees and managers be better informed about the rules for awarding welfare benefits.

Managers from three quarters of all the Danish councils reported that simpler, more straight forward rules would help to reduce mistakes and save money.

The vast majority of citizens questioned for KMD’s study supported the idea of increasing the efforts to collect digital data on citizens’ incomes and expenditures to determine who actually needs welfare benefits. However, only a third approved of the physical surveillance of suspected welfare cheaters in and around their homes. (JB)

SCANPIX

JENNIFER BULEY

Earlier family tragedy may have driven “good man” to kill his ex, her father and himself

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BENZENE-FUELLED explosion in a Copenhagen apartment on Sunday afternoon claimed the lives of a well-known restaurateur, her architect father, and her estranged American husband.

Maj Kaltoft, her father Ole Kaltoft, and her husband Kirk Smith all died of extreme burns. Maj Kaltoft, 34, was found dead on the scene, while Ole Kaltoft, 69, and Smith, 38, died shortly afterwards at Rigshospital.

The couple, who had recently separated, are survived by a three-year-old daughter, who was not at the scene.

Investigators quickly determined that the explosion and fire were planned

by Smith in an apparent murder-suicide.

According to relatives, Maj Kaltoft was going to the estranged couple’s apartment at Rahbeks Allé 5 to retrieve some of her belongings. She brought her father with her because she felt

The midday explosion could be heard from up to a kilometre away

threatened, they said.

Witnesses confirmed that Maj and Ole Kaltoft arrived at the apartment building at 11:45am on Sunday. Less than 30 minutes later, the Copenhagen fire department was alerted about a loud explosion and fire.

Firemen found Maj Kaltoft’s severely burned body on the third floor landing. Her father Ole was found, barely alive, on the fifth floor. Smith was found, also barely alive, in the first-floor entryway. The two men died shortly afterwards at the hospital.

Investigators found empty and full bottles of benzene strewn throughout the apartment. Video footage from a

nearby petrol station showed Smith buying five litres of benzene in a spare tank, just an hour before the explosion.

The autopsies confirmed that all three were doused in benzene. However, there were no signs of a physical struggle prior to the explosion.

Family members announced on Monday that Kaltoft and Smith had recently suffered a family tragedy – the loss of their three-month-old son to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) eight months earlier.

Psychologists with expertise in SIDS, but no connection to the Kaltoft-Smith family, told Ekstra Bladet that severe depression was typical after the loss of a child, and often led to complications including divorce, job loss, and an increased risk of death.

A shocked friend of the family told Ekstra Bladet that there was “nothing aggressive” about Smith.

“He was really caring, a really good man. It’s horrible that he now seems like such a monster. He wasn’t that at all.”

Maj Kaltoft was part-owner with her brother, the chef Morten Kaltoft, of the four Famo restaurants in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. Their father Ole Kaltoft designed Famo Metro, the newest of them.

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The Copenhagen posT CphposT.Dk

16 - 22 December 2011

new government continues policy of denying residency to children jennifer buley

jennifer buley new government continues policies that got predecessor into trouble with human rights organisations

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hatteera, a seven-year-old girl from herning, was on the verge of being deported to Thailand last week when incredulous citizens, a lawyer, and a local politician stepped in at the eleventh hour and convinced the Justice Ministry to review her case. to anyone following Danish family reunification cases over the past couple of years, the fact that the government planned to forcibly separate a sevenyear-old from her mother, sister and step-father and send her halfway across the world, where she has no-one to care for her, was not shocking.

No, the shocking part was that it was the new, left-of-centre government that was doing it.

When the Socialdemokraterneradikale-Socialistisk Folkeparti (SrSF) coalition assumed power in early October, they promised a clean break from the inflexible immigration policies of their predecessors, the VenstreKonservative (VK) government and its right-wing ally, Dansk Folkeparti (DF).

DF is generally credited with authoring Denmark’s existing immigration rules, although VK did the implementing. however, three months on, recent immigration rulings under SrSF look much the same as they did under VK. In addition to continuing to deport children, it now also appears that S and SF (but not r) are ready to keep in place an unlawful policy pursued by the previous government that creates citizenship hurdles for stateless youth.

In 2009, in direct violation of UN convention, the Immigration Service denied citizenship to hundreds of eligible stateless youth born to refugees in Denmark. after the scandal broke, Venstre’s immigration minister was fired, and VK promised to grant all of the youth citizenship.

One of those youth, however, is still being denied his citizenship. The domestic intelligence agency Pet alleges that he is a threat to national security, even though he has not been charged or convicted of a serious crime. Nor will Pet divulge – even to the politicians – how or why he is a threat.

Nevertheless S and SF – along with V, K and DF – agreed to withhold his citizenship so long as the government is

Despite the attention received by high-profile cases, such as the plight of eight-yearold Ripa (pictured), Denmark continues to deny residency to children

Until they investigate the rules, all the children’s cases should be put on hold deciding how to handle his particular case. That’s unlawful, according to human rights experts.

UN convention “declares unequivocally that a stateless person born in Denmark cannot be denied citizenship if that person is in Pet’s spotlight but has not been convicted of a crime against the state”, eva ersbøll, a leading expert from the Institut for Menneskerettigheder, told Information newspaper. ersbøll added that Denmark under SrSF – as under VK – was once again violating international human rights law by failing to award him citizenship and by treating his case as an exception. another area in which the new government has continued the previous government’s immigration policies concerns the cases of 75 immigrant children denied re-entry after spending extended periods of time in their home countries.

The issue came about after the european Court of human rights ruled last summer that Denmark, in 2005, infringed on the human rights of Sahro Osman, a young Somali woman raised

in Denmark.

In 2003, when she was 13, Osman’s family sent her to Somalia to get to know her relatives and learn their customs. But when Osman was ready to return to Denmark two years later, immigration authorities refused to let her come back, on the grounds that she was no longer able to be integrated into Danish society.

The case went to the european Court of human rights, which ruled that the Immigration Service had infringed on Osman’s human rights. The state was forced to pay her 150,000 kroner in compensation and reinstate her residency. after the verdict, S, r, SF and enhedslisten (eL), which were then the opposition, all demanded that VK reopen similar cases; the Immigration Service under then-immigration minister Søren Pind (V) identified 75 similar ones, but Pind argued that it was unfeasible to reopen them.

The new justice minister, Morten Bødskov (S), however suggested this week that reopening the cases was a Pandora’s Box, while SF’s civil rights spokesperson, anne Baastrup, added that the government did not dare open them “because of the risk that there are many more cases where wrong judgments were made”.

Of the original critics, only eL – which is not part of the government, but on whose support SrSF depends

– is still demanding that the cases be reopened.

SrSF, along with eL and the rightof-centre opposition party Liberal alliance (La), have agreed to soften the immigration rules – particularly the ones regarding family reunification for children like Phatteera and Osman, as well as eight-year-old ripa and 13-yearold Sirapat, whose situations The Copenhagen Post has also reported on.

These are rules the international courts and human rights organisations have deemed problematic, but exactly how the government intends to change them remains unclear.

From a legal standpoint, the easiest thing would be to roll Denmark’s immigration laws back to where they were in 2004. Instead, however, it looks as though the coalition only plans to change aspects of the current rules – a much more complicated legal task, according to immigration lawyer Åge Kramp, who represents Phatteera and ripa.

“That’s probably based on the fact that S and SF need to understand what went wrong in 2004 – and also not admit that it was a complete mistake,” Kramp told The Copenhagen Post, referring to the fact that S and SF voted with VK and DF for some of the most problematic rules. Only r, eL and La have advocated strongly all along for softening the immigration rules. together, the parties have a safe majority to pass a new immigration bill – assuming they can agree on its details – but SrSF say the earliest changes will come into effect is March, 2012.

Kramp questioned why the government did not put family reunification cases involving children on hold in the meantime.

“From my point of view, that’s the big issue. two cases have been judged unlawful by the european Court of human rights. Therefore, it would be natural to say that, until they investigate the rules, all the children’s cases should be put on hold,” he said.

“This is bigger than just the Immigration Service,” Kramp added. “When the european Court of human rights judges Denmark, it’s judging our entire court system, including the Supreme Court. It’s very serious.”

Phatteera’s case – as well as those of ripa and Sirapat – is currently under review by the Justice Ministry. Phatteera and ripa have been allowed to stay in Denmark until their appeals are decided. Sirapat was deported to Thailand in March.

Compulsory Danish lessons don’t work, study shows

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DeCaDe of compulsory Danish-language lessons has not improved the employment levels of non-Western immigrants in Denmark, according to a new study from andvendt KommunalForskning (aKF), which specialises in public management and governance research.

Those findings are leading some mayors to question the logic – and costs – of compulsory, subsidized Danishlanguage classes for all immigrants, reports Berlingske newspaper.

Over a period of eight years, aKF studied 700 primarily turkish immigrants who came to Denmark under family reunification rules, both before and after the 1999 law change that made Danish-language courses a requirement.

Under the law, councils are required to offer all new immigrants three years of largely free – some councils charge a nominal fee – Danish language courses, with the primary goal of preparing them to enter the Danish job market. at the end of the study, however, aKF’s researchers concluded that the language classes had little or no effect on the employment levels of the immigrants in the study. garbi Schmidt, a professor in intercultural studies from roskilde University, found the aKF study surprising but inconclusive.

“I think language is still an important building block for integrating immigrants into the job market. But speaking Danish isn’t the only qualification that matters. It could be necessary to build something more on top of it now,” Schmidt told Berlingske. however, aKF’s findings are leading some councils to question whether compulsory Danish-language classes should remain a requirement for both councils and immigrants.

“The question is whether Danish language classes should continue to be compulsory for all, or whether we should be allowed to make decisions based on each individual’s situation,” said erik Nielsen, the mayor of rødovre and chairman of the job market committee for Kommunernes Landsforening (KL), the association of local councils.

KL is scheduled to meet with the government in the spring to negotiate new terms and requirements for the councils. The employment minister Mette Frederiksen (Socialdemokraterne) has agreed to review whether Danish classes should remain compulsory. (JB)

online This week Class size ceiling will push students into containers COMe Next school year, high school students may be attending classes in freight containers and sheds, Berlingske newspaper reports. When a 28-studentper-class cap is introduced next august, there will not be enough room for all of the students so the education Ministry has asked headteachers to come up with alternative teaching locations. Conducting classes in makeshift settings will have a

negative impact on the quality of education, gymnasieskolernes rektorforening, the national association of head teachers, is concerned. “The cost [of the student quota] is greater than the gains,” association president Jens Boe Nielsen told Berlingske. according to the association, the new ceiling on class sizes will mean a nationwide lack of space for 62 classes – 40 of which are in the greater Copenhagen area.

Record pessimism in housing market

Copenhagen arena takes step forward

there IS good news and bad news for the nation’s housing market. The good news is that in November, for the fourth month in a row, the number of houses on the market fell. The bad news is that the decline in listings doesn’t represent a rebound but rather a growing number of frustrated sellers who have given up on selling their properties and have pulled their listings. accord-

the COPeNhageN arena, a project that has been in the works for 12 years and counting, announced that international events company Live Nation has been chosen as the arena’s operator. Live Nation operates several other european facilities, including Wembley arena in London, and the O2 in Dublin. “I am glad that we

ing to financial daily Børsen, the pessimism in the housing market is at a record high. In an opinion poll conducted by greens analyseinstitut, 35 percent of Danes polled responded that they didn’t think property prices would rise again until 2015 at the earliest. Just one year ago, less than 15 percent of respondents thought it would take at least four years for prices to rise again.

have found an operator with international experience in the operation of arenas,” the deputy mayor for culture and leisure, Pia allerslev, said. The Copenhagen arena is being developed by the council in co-operation with the property investment fund realdania, each of which will pay 325 million kroner towards its construction.

ReaD The fUll sToRies aT CphposT.Dk

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The Copenhagen posT CphposT.Dk

16 - 22 December 2011

Independent scotland may turn to the nordic nations

Climate

peter stanners

wrote on the party’s website. “in reality we were better served with no deal rather than a deal that keeps us on course for a climate catastrophe.”

Activist organisation greenpeace was similarly disappointed with the outcome.

“The grim news is that the blockers led by the Us have succeeded in inserting a vital get-out clause that could easily prevent the next big climate deal being legally binding,” Kumi naidoo, greenpeace’s international executive director, stated in a press release. “if that loophole is exploited it could be a disaster. And the deal is due to be implemented ‘from 2020’, leaving almost no room for increasing the depth of carbon cuts in this decade when scientists say we need emissions to peak.”

Climate researchers have been warning that time is running out to prevent the global temperature from rising by more than two degrees Celsius – the threshold for warming at which catastrophic climate change could take hold – and that by putting off action until 2020, we risk warming the planet by up to four degrees.

The Danish government recently released an energy plan to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels for energy production, with an aim to sustainably produce all of its energy needs by 2050.

northern nation looks to its neighbours for inspiration and effective social welfare model

e

xisting on the fringes of a fragile union, they fish, harvest energy from the sea, air and ground, and call their children ‘bairns’ – the scots seem to have a lot in common with scandinavians.

And yet their recent history has seen them develop a fractious relationship with England to the south, rather than with their one-time colonisers from the north and east.

And their gaze may be starting to shift. Last week the ruling scottish national Party (snP) revealed that if scotland gained full independence from the United Kingdom, they would look to their nordic neighbours for “partnerships, trade and key defence relationships, rather than continuing to focus on Western Europe and the Commonwealth, as the UK does now”. interest in the nordic countries (Denmark, sweden, norway, iceland, greenland, Finland and the Faroe and Åland islands) is on the increase in scotland as it prepares to hold a referendum in the next few years on independence. At the forefront of this movement is

the Edinburgh-based think tank nordic Horizons. Co-founded

by British journalist Lesley Riddoch, the group holds well-attended meetings in the scottish parliament to discuss whether scotland could learn from their neighbours across the north sea.

“The scots have this perception that we are as far north as it gets – it’s a miracle we’re still alive! But when you see countries that are further north but more socially developed, it completely changes your thinking because it makes you not only realise what’s possible, but also what you could have been achieving the whole time,” Riddoch said.

The scandinavian model of social welfare is often high on the agenda at nordic Horizon events – a meeting this October was entitled ‘The revolution will be nordic’. social welfare in scotland has been cut massively in recent years, with only the public health service, nHs, really remaining. Riddoch points to the 2,760 elderly scots whose cold homes led to them dying from hypothermia last winter as an indication of the lack of scotland’s available welfare.

Kim Minke, the head of the Danish Cultural institute in Edinburgh, confirmed that scandinavian welfare states were the subject of much discussion at nordic Horizon’s meetings – discussions he tries to keep

Besides location, scotland has a lot in common with its nordic neighbours and looks to emulate their welfare models

grounded in reality.

“After moving here two years ago [from Denmark] i found that we have a lot in common, especially the way they have a vision for a welfare state which is far more spoken about than in England,” Minke said. “But if they think the welfare state will go on unaltered in Denmark, they’re wrong and it’s up to us to keep them abreast of changes.

They have a rosy view of the Danish welfare state – that there are no problems.”

But while welfare is facing cutbacks in Denmark, Riddoch

argued that scandinavian countries weren’t likely to see the same level of privatisation that scotland has.

“What i’ve noticed is that when i speak to scandinavians, they are quick to say their systems aren’t perfect and that they’re moving in our direction, towards privatisation. But a lot of people here would get out their megaphones and scream: ‘Don’t do it!’ We’re surveying the wreckage of a laissez faire deregulated market. We lost our welfare, [Denmark is] just looking to change it.”

According to Riddoch, the interest in social welfare probably stems from a shared religious background with foundations in equality and fairness rather than self interest.

“The Lutheran Presbyterian connection is significant,” she said. “it really hates hierarchy and inequality. scots are down to earth, believe equality is important, and believe in a welfare state.”

But there is more to be learnt from the nordic countries than how to run a welfare state. The real inspiration could be that, despite their size, they independently manage to sustain themselves through similar industries, from energy production and fishing to manufacturing and agriculture. scotland has a population of a little over five million, slightly smaller than Denmark (5.5 million) and a touch larger than norway (4.9 million).

“The nordic countries are very interesting,” Riddoch said.

“They are so similar and yet fiercely want to run themselves.

You don’t need to be massive to want to run yourself differently.”

Regardless of whether scotland actually achieves independence, their size and shared cultural background with the nordics, makes it seem rather natural that they would look this way for inspiration and friendship. The question is: what took them so long?

continued from front page

City holds on to its royal flush Emily mclEan

jennifer buley public toilets and tissekoner to hold court for another year

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openhagen’s city planning council teknik- og Miljøudvalget ruled on Monday to save the city’s six historic staffed public toilets.

Last month The Copenhagen Post reported that the spotless city toilets – located at Amagertorv, israel Plads, Vesterbrotorv, nyhavn, Rådhuspladsen and trianglen – were in danger of being shut down in order to save the city some 20 million kroner per year. if the plan had gone through, Copenhageners and tourists alike would have lost what are arguably the cleanest and most convenient lavatories in the city; their toilet attendants – who bear with grace the ignominious Danish nickname tissekoner (pisswives) – also would have found themselves out of a job. instead, union representatives and public patrons came to their rescue.

The toilet attendants collected 7,756 signatures in a week for a petition entitled ‘save the pisswives’, while representatives from FOA, the toilet attendants’ labour union, argued that people would not wait in line to use single-use automatic toilets, the alternative proposal. “it has to do with safety, and

Public outcry helped save the day for the city’s historic toilets

It has to do with safety, and also with making sure that people don’t urinate on the street also with making sure that people don’t urinate on the street. if there were automatic toilets, without pisswives, people wouldn’t stand in the queue. They would just go around the corner instead,” said FOA’s labour representative Marianne Luckow.

Bent Lohmann, the chairman of Copenhagen’s inner city council, remarked that the city could not expect to increase the

number of street festivals and fairs without also paying for the cleanup and adequate public toilets. “if Copenhagen wants to continue to have the nightlife it has today, then there’s also the need for staffed [toilets]. Finally, it also has consequences for employment – we need jobs for unskilled workers,” Lohmann said.

Approximately one million people use Copenhagen’s six public toilets each year, at a cost of two kroner per use. Latfre Bakir, who works as an attendant at the Amagertorv toilet, had one suggestion for how the city could raise funds to finance the toilets. “i’ve been asking people if they’d be prepared to pay five or six kroner instead and everyone has said ‘yes’,” Bakir told The Copenhagen Post.

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8

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

Stop putting points before people

16 - 22 December 2011

Gender equality for men and boys

I

F YOU’D have asked us a few weeks ago, we’d have said that we couldn’t go on writing a story each time we stumbled across a case of someone caught up in the immigration system.

Since the spring, we’ve written about Gus Murray, the successful entrepreneur nearly kicked out because he received 3,932.13 kroner in public assistance – money which the council said he was entitled to receive.

Then there was Sirapat, the 13-year-old deported to Thailand where he has no family, and Ripa, a cheerful eight-year-old who risks deportation to Bangladesh, both because they are “incapable of being integrated”.

We’ve also written about the uncertain futures of the Thai girlfriend of a Danish pensioner and a Vietnamese woman who is the mother of an infant child with a hip problem incapable of being treated in Vietnam.

But all those decisions were made before the Socialdemokraterne-led government came to power, pledging to put a human face back on immigration rules. That was then, and this is now, we thought, and we’re done writing about a system that puts points before people. That was until this week, when two more cases made the news.

In the first, another child, Phatteera, who appears to be a well adjusted seven-year-old (speaks Danish, has Danish friends and is doing well in school), faces deportation, while her mother and sister would be permitted to remain in Denmark with her step-father. She too has been found to be “incapable of being integrated”.

The other foreigner finding himself in immigration limbo this week is Mark Turner, an American who has lived in Denmark for the past seven years. He has started a company here that earns 10 million kroner a year, yet he failed to earn permanent residency because he didn’t earn the required 15 points for community service based on rules the government has promised to phase out.

It would be unreasonable to assume that immigration laws that took ten years to build up can be torn down overnight, but it’s disappointing that three months after the new government took office, we’re still writing about immigration policies that put points before people.

The government has said it will reform immigration laws. We can only encourage them to hurry up – not just for the sake of those who risk being torn from their families, but for the country’s own good as well. As Turner put it, if he wasn’t married to a Dane, he’d have left long ago. But the next time a highly skilled, highlymotivated person comes into conflict with immigration laws, we could find ourselves writing about the tax payer that got away.

SVEND AAGE MADSEN

M

EN’S position in society, not to mention their lives in general, is in a period of change.

Many of the changes involve men being defined more by their role in the home, as caregivers and as part of the family, than by their careers and work. Men, on average, have also become the lesseducated gender, and many are entirely without an education.

Men are on their way to becoming a majority in economically-depressed areas and a minority in cities. Traditional male jobs are disappearing without new ones being created. Statistically, men also are in poorer health, more likely to be underprivileged, and more likely to be involved in crime than women. They are also almost three times as likely to die of nearly all forms of illnesses, and are as much as five times more likely to commit suicide than women. On nearly all fronts, men are clearly falling behind.

This upheaval in men’s lives – and by extension family life and society as a whole – is both positive and negative. Men are more likely to participate on an equal footing in the home than at any time in human civilisation. Men are also present when their children are born and develop close relationships with them from the earliest days of their lives.

In fact, we’re on our way to developing a ‘fatherly society’. The breakdown of clear hierarchies when it comes to status, education or pay is also beneficial to couples’ relationships.

One of the challenges though, is that men increasingly find themselves facing the same workfamily conflict that women have been fighting since the 1970s.

The difference is that men are approaching it from the opposite direction, though this makes the conflict no less heartbreaking or easier to solve. Another challenge is the disappearance of thousands of apprenticeships that would primarily be filled by boys who, as a result, are left without an education or job training.

This change clearly brings both benefits and challenges.

To recognise what these changes entail, we need to help men as they become more involved on the home front – for example by encouraging them to take parental leave earmarked for fathers, which is something that has the potential to be of great benefit for families. One particular area that we need to focus on is education and apprenticeships for young

men, whose futures depend on their availability. We also need to be better at providing preventative care and addressing men’s unnecessarily high rates of illness, accidents and suicide. Action is also required to lift men out of poverty and to reduce their involvement in crime.

In order to contribute to these efforts, the men’s issues think tank VM – Viden om Mænd (Knowledge about Men) has compiled six short reports of the most important issues in the areas of: health and lifestyle; work and paternity leave; boys and education; fatherhood, family life and care; poverty; and crime. The reports led to the creation of 30 policy proposals.

Among the proposals are: • A health policy specifically aimed at systematically improving men’s unnecessarily low median life expectancy. Such a policy should contain plans for the early detection and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses. Efforts to prevent death from injury should also be included.

• Equal access to parental leave for both parents. This would ensure formal and legal equality and the opportunity for parents to bond with their children from the first days of their lives – regardless of gender or profession.

Granting everyone an equal right to take paternity live would make it the norm for men to take leave, legitimising it for them to take time off from work. Paternity leave should be paid, and could

be funded through a special ‘paternity fund’. There should not be specific time periods reserved for the mother or the father to take leave. Paternity rules should be made law, so the parent who earns the most winds up being the one who takes least leave.

• Create apprenticeships in technical fields and other traditionally male jobs, as well as the creation of a co-ordinated apprenticeship application programme.

• The understanding of what makes a family should become more diverse. Such efforts should include requiring public institutions to communicate with families in a gender-neutral and inclusive manner. Employees at these institutions should be trained to communicate with fathers.

• Create social programmes and crime prevention programmes for young minority men with the ultimate goal of promoting integration. Greater focus on creating role models for ethnic minority fathers, sons and husbands.

• Help underprivileged men function in society by improving their social skills, including programmes that allow them to interact with children.

• Studies into criminality, focusing on the reasons for men’s significant over-representation in crime statistics.

The author is the president of men’s issues think tank Viden om Mænd, and the chief psychologist at Rigshospitalet

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Difficult anywhere - yes, I’m sure that is true. But many other countries make it possible to plan with more certainty than Denmark does, by allowing those who have worked and contributed (usually only for a few years) to become permanent residents. Permanent residents with full rights, not second-class rights, such as rules about not being able to leave the country for more than 6 months (or a year?) without losing that permanent residence status, or rules that affect who their children can marry and bring to their home in the country where they reside. Other countries, when they give permanent residence, give it to the parents AND children; they don’t make the family wait and have the children apply for themselves when they become an adult, leaving great uncertainty over whether the family can stay together in one country.

Fedup_expat By website I think many developed countries should check how immigration and integration work in Australia, or better yet in Latin America, which is in my opinion a region with many things to teach to the world about the mixture of cultures and a relaxed view towards expats and integra-

tion. Of course is not perfection, but could be interesting for developed countries to take more notes (if they can be objective and humble enough to look for it and learn from ‘third world countries’).

Nadja Urrutia By website So you want to compare countries that have always been sovereign of their territories with countries that have been colonised and occupied by different cultures and populated for centuries with immigrants and slaves? pc11 By website The question is when does an immigrant become an expat? Is that when they are white and western or when they wear a shirt and tie to work? The correct meaning of expatriate is one whose citizenship has been removed against their will, so they have to live in another country. Length of stay does not matter, this person could be resident in another country even permanently. You are just referring to the erroneous prejudiced modern version, whereby people with shirts and ties don’t like being seen the same as those that do manual labour, therefore don’t like being called immigrants alongside them, even though that is what they actually are.

Jeg er By website

I think the term tends to be used to describe professional people that have been recruited to work in a foreign country, or have been sent by their firms to work in another country. So you’re not far wrong. I guess that makes me a ‘love immigrant’, since the day I moved to Denmark, I lost all hope of a professional career.

Nebsy By website

against the drunken, unprotected sex running rampant amongst the teenagers. Oh wait a moment ... they would not want them to lose their monetary sponsors.

Or harm their careers. The most drunken teenagers along with the highest rate of chlamydia in all of Europe is not something to be proud of.

Matsofdyl By website

Drunken Danes

As someone who was physically attacked by two 19-year-old Danes swinging beer bottles at my head, I can relate to Dicky’s complaint. My ‘transgression’? I asked these young drunken Danish assholes, who later admitted in court to drinking about 15 beers each, to turn down window-rattling music late at night on a school night in a residential neighbourhood. I defended myself with a wooden stick and was arrested for “using a weapon”. I guess a beer bottle swung by a Danish person at someone’s head is not considered to be a use of a weapon in Denmark. Danish kids, and Denmark, have a problem and there is just no denying it.

Tom By website

Holding the title of being the drunkest teenagers on the planet is something to be proud of?

How very sad! In June of this year the Denmark National Board of Health reported that in the last nine years the cases of Chlamydia have DOUBLED in this European country. Only in this European country. Thirty one percent of Danes have unprotected sex with 55 percent NEVER using condoms. The Board of Health reports it has “500” registered cases of young people have permanently lost their ability to have children because of untreated chylamydia. One out of every 10 young Danes having sex has chlamydia ... most do not know it. It’s a start the schools are encouraging non-alcoholic parties.

I never see politicians, sports figures nor any of those in the entertainment fields speak out

I always wondered where they get the money to buy their bottles and fags. It’s a fair bet that it’s welfare, innit?

Theoldjanus By website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

9

Still Adjusting

BY JUSTIN CREMER 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, struggling with the Danish language and keeping up with the everchanging immigration rules. Follow him at twitter.com/justincph

Legalise the safer choice COLOURBOX

L

AST MONTH, the City Council voted 39-9 in favour of a proposal to legalise marijuana use.

The proposal, if it gains parliament’s backing, would establish staterun shops for the sale of cannabis.

Despite the council’s overwhelming vote, several national politicians immediately went on the record in predictably reactionary ways, throwing out the same tired arguments against marijuana legalisation that have been debunked numerous times over.

Venstre MP Martin Geertsen called it a “crazy proposal” while Ole Hækkerup of the Socialdemokraterne argued that two-thirds of hard drug users started by smoking hash.

First, if Geersten wants to talk “crazy”, how about the fact that 3,000 Danes die each year from alcohol – as opposed to none, ever, anywhere from marijuana – yet the use of alcohol is not only tolerated, but glorified in Danish society?

This is a people, after all, who celebrate the dawn of the holiday season by counting down the days until the release of a Christmas beer and then promptly go out and drink it until they puke on their nissehue.

While the connection between alcohol use and violent, anti-social behaviour is well-documented, marijuana, on the other hand, has been found to significantly inhibit aggression.

And yet, alcohol is the recreational substance society has chosen to accept.

One only has to flip through the TV to see that drunken, boorish behaviour is considered good entertainment – shows like ‘Paradise Hotel’ and ‘Kongerne af Marielyst’ feature young Danes drinking copious amounts of alcohol, sleeping around, and generally acting like fools.

With this message, it is no wonder that statistics from the national board of

One’s perfectly okay and the other is a criminal act: parliament should pass marijuana legalisation and end the hypocrisy

health show that 62 percent of Danish men and 27 percent of women engage in binge drinking (more than five drinks in one sitting) at least once a month, and over half a million adults nationwide drink more than the recommended units of alcohol per week. On a wider scale, a WHO study from February reported that 2.5 million people a year die from alcohol worldwide, which is more than the global total who die from Aids.

That’s the legal substance. The illegal substance, meanwhile, has been described – by an administrative judge within the US’s Drug Enforcement Agency, no less – as “one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man”, adding that “in strict medical terms, marijuana is far safer than many of the foods we consume.”

In the mid-90s, WHO carried out a study that compared the societal dangers associated with marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and opiates. Their conclusion? “[Marijuana risks] are small to moderate. Cannabis poses a much less serious public health problem than is currently posed by alcohol and tobacco in Western societies.”

Sadly, these findings were removed from the final report under political pressure from the United States. Not terribly surprising, considering the US has jailed over 20 million citizens on marijuana charges since 1965.

To be clear, cannabis isn’t for everyone and some handle it better than others. Politiken newspaper estimated that as many as one-third of the adult Danish population regularly uses cannabis.

The majority do so while still being productive, successful members of society, though undoubtedly some develop problems from their use.

But that a portion of users can’t successfully moderate their intake or handle the effects of a substance isn’t factored in to the legalisation of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, or junk food. Why should such an argument apply only to cannabis?

Which brings us to Hækkerup’s ‘gateway’ theory. If he, like so many others who repeat this nonsensical line, is so quick to insist that hard drug users start with marijuana, why can’t he acknowledge that nearly everyone who tries marijuana has tried alcohol or tobacco first?

Shouldn’t one of those be labelled the real ‘gateway’ drug? Besides, studies have shown that a vast majority of marijuana

users do not go on to other drugs.

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction concluded that it is actually the prohibition of marijuana that causes some users to advance to other drugs.

“There is no physically determined tendency towards switching from marijuana to harder substances,” their 1997 study stated. “[However], the more users become integrated in an environment where, apart from cannabis, hard drugs can also be obtained, the greater the chance that they may switch to hard drugs.”

That is a big part of the argument behind the Copenhagen proposal. By criminialising marijuana, it is relegated to an underworld filled with hard drugs and criminality. Denmark’s illegal cannabis trade is estimated to generate upwards of two billion kroner annually.

Currently, that money goes primarily to line the pockets of gangs and criminals.

If the cannabis trade were regulated and taxed, who couldn’t immediately think of several areas where this money could be better put to use?

As the failed attempt to ‘normalise’ Christiania showed, wasting police resources on the marijuana ‘problem’ is a fundamentally flawed approach. All the years-long crackdown managed to achieve was to spread the illegal drug trade across the city and to sully Copenhagen’s most unique tourist attraction.

Although it has blocked similar proposals in the past, parliament should approve the City Council’s legalisation plan. It’s a sensible approach that would reflect reality and the changing tide of public opinion. Being ahead of the curve on marijuana legalisation would also go a long way in restoring Denmark’s international reputation as a progressive and tolerant nation.

CPH POST VOICES

‘TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK’

‘MACCARTHY’S WORLD’

‘SO SAYS CELIA’

‘PERNICKETY DICKY’

Born in 1942 on the Isle of Wight, Englishman Frank Theakston has been in Copenhagen 32 years and is on his second marriage, this time 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.

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.

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.”

10

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

At this Family Christmas Party the day belonged to the kids PHOTOS BY: CLIVE THAIN & HASSE FERROLD, WORDS: BEN HAMILTON

Santa never fails to deliver, and it was no different at the Copenhagen Post Family Christmas Party at the Marriott Hotel on Sunday where an estimated 500 Danes and internationals gathered for glögg, æbelskiver, decoration making, music, a raffle and a visit from the big man himself - who needs festive illuminations to light up the place when you’ve got children receiving presents. (CT)

The gathering took over part of the ground floor of the hotel, which was fully decked out in festive fare in anticipation of the guests. (HF)

The Christmas decoration making room was a roaring success with the children, and some of the adults too. Overseeing proceedings was a team from the Rather like a Brøndby goal at Parken, it was a bit of a shock to welcome a famous guest to the proceedings: Eden Art Workshop (www.ineshonfi.com) led by Ines Honfi (sitting on left), an Argentinian teacher who provides English and Danish instruction in creative national side winger Dennis Rommedahl, who popped by with his Dutch wife and children. (CT) art at her premises on Vesterbrogade. (CT)

j oi n u s fo

family

stma i r h r

e hygge .. . som

a r ty sp

c

“He doesn’t know the names of all Santa’s reindeer.” Thank goodness for John Harman who was at hand to deal with difficult requests and oversee his charges at Harman Music Methods (www.hmms.dk), which provides piano lessons to both adults and children. (HF)

With all the decorations, presents and songs, the children needed to keep their energy levels up. Among those enjoying the free sodas were Storm and Delta (sitting on right), the children of the Post’s chief executive Jesper Nymark. (CT)

the copenhagen post would like to thank marriott hotel, mcDonald’s, carlsberg group, our partners expat in Denmark and spousecare, and all of our sponsors and guests for making the family christmas party an enormous success. We wish you all a very merry christmas and happy new year. see you in 2012!

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

Pictured here are Santa’s little helpers Eun Mee Park and Lending a hand were Sheila Larsen (right) from Expat in Lelia-Ecaterina Basceanu, Eleanor, the daughter of Expat Denmark, a co-organiser of the event, and her cousin Nana. in Denmark’s head of secretariat Craig Till (who had a Superman/phone box call) and the big man himself. (HF) (CT)

There were even presents for the over-sevens. (CT)

Adrian Larsen, a nephew of the Post’s graphic designer Aviaja Bebe Nielsen, is struggling “I said a Big Mac dummie.” (both CT) to answer: “Have you been a good boy this year?”

Proceedings climaxed with a raffle draw with prizes donated by Lysberg Interieur Design, Nordisk Film, Copenhagen Theatre Circle, IO Interactive, the Hard Rock Café, Harman Music Methods, The Marriott, One of the most coveted prizes was a basket of Rotunden Hellerup Foodmarket, The Irish Rover and Experimentarium. Pictured here are the Post’s me- goodies from the Rotunden Hellerup Foodmardia and sales consultant Jeanne Thames (left) and chief executive Jesper Nymark (right). (CT) ket. (CT)

Embodying the jollity of jule is Kristin, the Norwegian wife of the Post’s distribution manager Also dropping by were the CTC’s Simon and Gaby Neubert-Luckner ... (CT) Dima Paranytsia. (CT)

and the Post’s managing editor Ben Hamilton and his daughter Billie. (CT)

Australians Simon and Leigh, and Luke Valentine, the husband of community columnist Isabelle ... (HF)

stma i r h

Harman Music Methods

®

h yg g e . .. ome rs

a r ty sp

c

Or never too young to know you’re onto a good thing. (both HF)

j oi n u s fo

You’re never too old to believe ...

And then total mayhem took over. (all HF)

And then an orderly queue ...

family

It started with a lone opportunist ...

11

12

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

The latest meeting of the International Club Copenhagen at City Hall welcomed two very special guests: Pia Allerslev, the deputy mayor for culture and leisure, who spoke about how culture can be used as a bridge, and some bloke called Hans Christian Andersen, who’s apparently some sort of children’s writer. Both gave their addresses in English. The 80 or so in attendance enjoyed, as is customary, pancakes afterwards.

Christiania Church’s third Day of Thanks on December 4 at the nearby Christiania Jazz Club was hosted by Pastor John Andersen, the initiator of the Feed the Hungry homeless assistance programme, which will resume on Friday February 3 at the church from 5-7pm. Pictured here are Rob Kerr (left), the public affairs officer at the US Embassy, who gave the opening prayer and shared some of his past Thanksgivings that he has celebrated in other countries, and Chef Joe (in both photos), the provider of the 15-course feast along with his Band of Brothers and Inco. Photos: Christiania Church

The ambassadors of Ukraine and Poland held an event at Carlsberg to mark the Euro 2012 draw, a football tournament their countries are co-hosting in June. Pictured here Finland marked its independence day on December 6 with an event. Pictured here is Finnish (left-right) are Croatian ambassador Ladislav Pivcevic, Russian ambassador Teymuraz Ramishvili, Portuguese ambassador João Pedro Silveira de Carvalho, Ukrainian ambassador ambassador Maarit Jalava and Fritz Schur, the country’s general consul, who is very active across Denmark, with seats on many boards.

Mykhailo Skuratovskyi, Irish ambassador Brendan Scannell and Polish ambassador Rafal Wisniewski.

COMING UP SOON Seminar: Danish multiculturalism University of Copenhagen, Njalsgade 80, Cph S; Fri 16 Dec, 11:15-13:00 The Centre for the Study of Equality and Multiculturalism (CESEM) at the University of Copenhagen is organising a seminar with Sune Lægaard (Roskilde University and CESEM) and Morten Ebbe Juul Nielsen (University of Copenhagen and CESEM) who will respectively present self-penned articles entitled ‘Danish Multiculturalism’ and ‘Do we have a duty to recognise culture?’ Following the presentation there will be opportunities for questions and an interdisciplinary forum discussion.

Night out dancing with expat meet up group Nord Nightclub, Axeltorv 5, Cph K; Sat 17 Dec, meet outside at 22:00; entrance 90kr after 23:00 Join fellow expats for a night out on the town at the stylish adult night club Nord.

The special thing about Nord is that it attracts a more ‘grown up’ audience and everyone has to be at least 30 to get in. So call a babysitter and leave the kids at home for a few drinks, mingling and lots of dancing. Dress code is casual smart, so make sure you’re on time so the group can skip the line and get the night started early.

Gløgg with Brits and Yanks meet up Hviids Vinstue, Kongens Nytorv 19, Cph K; Fri 16 Dec, starts 18:30 Back by popular demand, a ‘glögg guzzling extravaganza’ will take place at Hviid’s Vinstue, bringing together both

the British and American Expat meetup groups. Everyone is welcome to drop by and spend an evening amongst Englishspeaking internationals and enjoy an evening of celebration and delicious Christmas drinks.

ECOTONE ‘Happiness’/Danish issue launch Café Underwood Ink, Ryesgade 30A, Cph N; Wed 21 Dec, starts 19:30; www.underwood-ink.com, www.ecotonejournal.com On the shortest day of the year, 21 December, which is also the longest night, everyone is welcome to come and celebrate the dark with the launch of the new issue of ECOTONE. The ‘Happiness’ issue, also known as the ‘Danish’ issue, includes translations of poems and prose

by Henrik Nordbrandt, Dan Turèll, Niels Hav, Dorthe Nors, Jørgen Leth, and a few other Danes. There will be readings and plenty of hygge.

Global Goddess Leadership

SoulHouse, Hørsholmgade 20, 3. Sal, 2200 Cph N; starts Tue, 3 Jan 2012; registration details and more information at www.globalgoddessschool.com

This training course is a unique opportunity to make the most of your stay in Denmark. Organised by the bestselling author, corporate speaker and leading mentor, Kirsten Stendevad, the course will cover the area of personal feminine leadership, making use of an inspiring international network. Participants meet for a whole day, once a month, and stay in touch between sessions.

JESSICA SLICER

HOME SWEET HOME IN HELLERUP

Our community editor, Victoria Steffensen, lives in Hellerup, the home of so many international schools, families, companies and embassies, and undoubted heartland of the expat scene. And although her kids don’t go to an international school and she couldn’t tell you where her closest embassy is, Victoria proves your home is where your heart is – in her case, in Hellerup.

O

NE THING I particularly ad- hang out at the local swimming pool. mire about the Danes and the After all, we only have the bodies we Danish way-of-life struck me have, and I think it’s great that the as I stood in the changing rooms of Danes seem so comfortable with this the swimming pool in DGI Byen last fact.

I was brought up in the UK, where week. It wasn’t the fantastic number almost everyone takes of people with an oba pre-swim shower viously false tan. Nor with their bathers on. was it the impressive In Denmark everyone number of elderly people out for a bit of The Danish laissez-faire abides by the rule that before you jump into keep-fit. No, it was the the pool, you must fact that so many peo- attitude has somehow shower in your birthple here are obviously rubbed off. Although, day suit and (incidencomfortable with their tally they have that naked selves. I don’t I’m not sure I will ever just mean the 20-year- have the ability of some rule in Britain too, it’s just that no-one takes olds with the perfect any notice of it). It bodies that I wished Danes to stand stark me at least five I still had, it’s nearly naked, hands on hips, took years before I was able everybody: fat, thin, to make the dash from short, tall, old, young. face-to-face with a my clothes-filled lockEven women in their er to the shower area 70s, whether god has friend and carry on an without an all-encomblessed them with lit- in-depth conversation passing towel wrapped tle bee stings or great around me, but now I big melons - or they’ve about the state of the really couldn’t give a acquired plastically- economy monkey’s. The Danish enhanced, gravity-delaissez-faire attitude fying bosoms - you’ve got to respect the way they let it all has somehow rubbed off. Although,

I’m not sure I will ever have the ability of some Danes to stand stark naked, hands on hips, face-to-face with a friend and carry on an in-depth conversation about the state of the economy (as I recently witnessed).

I was rather concerned that this article was turning out to be a little onesided. What about Danish males and nakedness? Did they also like to bare all at the slightest whiff of chlorine, or were they a little more bashful than their female compatriots? I did consider waltzing into the men’s changing rooms armed with my reporter’s camera, but thought better of it when I realised that the sight of a load of naked men with their todgers in full view might put me off my lunch. Instead I decided to revert to my trusted journalistic method and shouted around the office for comments. I was shocked when one colleague said: “Victoria, all guys get their kit off in the changing rooms – everywhere!” Well, you learn something every day!

So ladies, take my advice (and I never thought I’d hear myself saying this): When it comes to taking your clothes off, try and be a little more Danish!

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

13

Making the most of Christmas abroad – the secret is to compromise Two expats explain the value of a positive attitude during the festive period – celebrate your traditions but also embrace the Danish ones

P

EOPLE OFTEN ask Stephanie Keller and Stacy Townsend how they survive Christmas.

“Survive?” they answer. “Well first of all, ask a better question!”

Keller and Townsend are life coaches and co-own S2 Strategic Skills in Copenhagen. They help both businesses and individuals develop skills within a coaching framework, helping them to find their own paths to achieve personal and professional goals.

Keller and Townsend believe that you’re 100 percent more likely to implement a change if you find it yourself. Perspective is key, and the holiday season is no different.

“When we use the word ‘survive’ we’re assuming the negative,” said Keller.

“When we assume something will be negative, we put our attention on what is going to be wrong, what is not going to work. And guess what? We are going to get exactly what we put our attention on!”

Nine years ago, Keller was experiencing that negativity first-hand.

She married a Dane and moved to

Denmark, but loathed her first few Christmases here. After growing up in a relatively small family in Britain, Keller was accustomed to a light Christmas celebration with little tradition. Her husband’s family, on the other hand, took the holiday very, very seriously.

“It completely overwhelmed me,” Keller said. “We didn’t have any rules back home about how Christmas should be.”

Many others feel the same way.

Christmas revolves around unwavering family traditions, and even the slightest disturbance can cause homesickness. It’s surrounded by conflicting expectations, from whether you celebrate on the 24th or 25th to what kind of foods are on the table and – the big one – whose table is it at the first place? Add in-laws to the equation and Christmas can become more stressful than it should be.

But Keller’s cure for the stress came when she was referred to another established coach, Townsend, who was also an expat. Through their coaching relationship, she discovered her Merry Christmas goggles.

“On December 1 of every year, I put on my Christmas goggles,” she explained. “I decided that I’m going to stop prejudging Christmas and look at it from a completely different angle.”

Rather than lament the cultural differences of Christmas, Keller puts herself in a positive mindset. She understands that things might be a little

bit different but is open to these new experiences.

“Through coaching I came to accept that you can’t change everyone else,” she said. “So I ask myself: ‘What do I need to do differently?”

Her approach has benefited many internationals in Denmark. “Because of the impact coaching had on my life I wanted to bring this to other expats,” she said.

S2 has since grown and developed and now works with companies and individuals, both expat and Danish, helping them learn to see the world from a different perspective - one that moves beyond the challenges and into a better life.

To create your best Christmas, S2 recommends bringing in some of your own traditions and settling on a compromise. Whether its stockings on Christmas morning, ham for dinner, or dancing around the Christmas tree, every culture does things differently.

Moving to a new place shouldn’t force you to lose all of the comforts of home, and sometimes the best solution is a combination of traditions.

This helps both parties appreciate one another’s holiday heritage and puts the entire day at ease.

As they have both learnt, it all starts with a positive attitude. A positive attitude normally makes for a positive day, and vice-versa.

Welcome Christmas with open arms and you may find that it returns the favour.

Free Workshop on December 30 10-13: Turning 2012 into the Best Year of your Life

COLOURBOX

TOM SCHAD

Don’t make it entirely Danish - bring some foreign traditions into the home as well

Fact box | S2’s Christmas tips •

Accept that you may not get everything your way. Perhaps this is easier said than done, but once you truly accept it, everything else gets easier. Honestly.

•

Negotiate a solution that meets some of the expectations of all parties involved. For instance: alternating where Christmas is celebrated, expanding the Christmas dinner by bringing dishes from both cultures, and celebrating Christmas twice – Christmas Eve in the Danish tradition and Christmas morning with stockings. The more celebrations, the more fun!

•

Try out the Danish tradition of wish lists. You not only embrace a tradition that’s important to your Danish family and friends, but you also save your time - a precious commodity at this time of year.

•

Enjoy the Danish festivities: Christmas in Tivoli, gløgg in Nyhavn, dancing around the Christmas tree, Julebryg (the Christmas beer), pebernødder (mini cinnamon cookies ... yummy!) or even host your own Julefrokost (Christmas lunch).

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We meet for a full workshop day every month, and stay in touch online between sessions so that in one year you will have taken Feminine Leadership for realizing your visions in all areas of your life, as illustrated in this Wholeness Wheel:

Do you want to make the most of your stay in Denmark?

Do you want to be part of an extraordinary community of Danish and international women committed to helping each other realize dreams with pleasure?

Do you want to have 2012 be the year you got lit up and on fire about your unique purpose?

Do you you want to spend 2012 acquiring the most cutting edge tools for accessing the new feminine power that makes you a loving and unstoppable rolemodel, at home, at work and in business?

Then join the Feminine Leadership-training from the Global Goddess School, led by Danish Cosmopolitan, Mompreneur, bestselling Author & Corporate speaker Kirsten Stendevad.

Access a Free Info Workshop, a Free Video series, and Free Webinar to learn more. We start our Quantum Leap on January 3, 2012 • www.globalgoddessschool.com

14

SPORT

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

Short end of the stick: how a sport’s TOM SCHAD

Denmark made the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Championship despite only having 25 rinks in the whole country

T

HE OLD ice rink was gutted and emptied.

Nearly four years ago, hydraulic excavators inched up to the ice hall’s front steps. Østerbro Skøjtehal may have been the only all-year round rink in Copenhagen, but it was old – 33 years old to be exact – and it’s time had come. The excavators roared into life and dug into the concrete. The 1,600-seat enclosure was reduced to a pile of twisted metal rods and chunks of rock. Clouds of dust filled the air.

First a new rink was going to be built in Østerbro. Then it was going to be built in Ryparken. The council spent millions of kroner constructing a temporary rink there. Now it will supposedly be built in Ørestad beginning in mid-2013.

This gives the council a whole 18 months to change its mind and move it again.

As Lars Høgsted of the Copenhagen Skating Association told Politiken: “We’ll have trouble believing them until it’s here.”

This is an example of the bureaucratic mess involved in trying to build a single ice rink in Denmark.

A nation that boasts the 13th ranked ice hockey team in the world, seven players in the National Hockey League (NHL), and over 4,400 registered hockey players, has just 25 of them in the entire country.

Twenty-five rinks. For a country of

5.5 million people – and most of them are outdoors and only open in the winter.

By comparison, the hockey-crazed Swedes have 478. The Brits have twice as many (46) despite the fact that they are almost completely and utterly oblivious to ice hockey. Even the tiny American state of Vermont (population: 630,000) has more ice rinks than Denmark.

“The whole thing is that we’re such a small ice hockey country,” Ulrik Larsen of the Danish Ice Hockey Union. “It’s difficult to go to a new city and convince them to build a rink – you know how it is with money and politicians, especially now. We do what we can.”

What they can do is build more rinks in cities that already have them - the few pockets of ice hockey fandom currently scattered across Denmark. You can be in a city like Herning that has two rinks and has produced dozens of professional players, but 20 kilometres away the locals have never even heard of the sport.

“The culture is very narrow ... you have to grow up in a hockey town,” Frits Nielsen told The Copenhagen Post. “We don’t have natural ice like in northern Sweden where we can run outside and skate, so without a rink, you’re stuck.”

Nielsen would know. He’s been around the sport all his life, playing professionally in Herning for 11 years and then coaching his old team for another 12. His eldest son Frans was the first Danish citizen to play in the NHL. His youngest, Simon, is currently a professional goalkeeper in Finland.

Even with two rinks in town, the Nielsen boys sometimes struggled to get enough practice time.

Frans played on two teams while growing up and practised with each to get more ice time. Then he left Herning shortly after his 17th birthday to play in Sweden, where there were more rinks, more resources, and a more competitive atmosphere.

“The best players here grow out of our system around the age of 15,” Larsen admitted. “After a certain level, they need to go abroad and get more challenges. They can’t keep playing here.”

Fact box | Ice rink numbers by country # OF RINKS

# OF PLAYERS

RANKING

United States

1,800

500,579

6

Sweden

478

62,003

3

Finland

276

65,251

2

Great Britain

46

4,901

21

Norway

44

6,177

9

Belarus

31

4,374

11

Denmark

25

4,405

13

Figures from the International Ice Hockey Federation

thing. He says that Denmark’s best players will always come from hockey towns where the sport is in-demand. Unfortunately, developing this culture takes a long time and a risky initial investment; you can’t play hockey without a rink.

“Hockey culture is very centralised around the rinks,” he said. “Of course, if you get more rinks, then people will be more interested.”

Denmark’s currently ranked 13th in the world with only a handful of rinks and minimal support.

Just imagine what it could do with only a little more help.

Obviously funding is tight during this global economic crisis, but money is still being spent – in some cases on sports (like athletics) where Denmark is pretty much noncompetitive.

I t ’s been nearly four years since Østerbro Skøjtehal was demolished.

Four years since hydraulic excavators moved in and 1,600 seats were reduced to a pile of twisted metal rods and chunks of rock.

If the Danish government isn’t careful, its successful ice hockey team could also vanish in a cloud of dust.

FRANK AUGSTEIN

COUNTRY

At the same time, Larsen and Frits Nielsen both stressed that Denmark has a lot to offer its young ice hockey talent. The few rinks that exist are fairly modern. Denmark’s semi-professional league is certainly not the NHL, but it’s nothing to scoff at either. In Nielsen’s opinion, the coaches here are among the world’s best.

“Not many places in the world have produced such great players out of so few,” he said.

However, the problem still remains: 25 ice rinks, overcrowding, expensive equipment, and long commutes to the nearest rink. Talented Danish players like Jannik Hansen would be silly not to leave.

“There have been lots of guys now who have proven they’re willing to come over here [to the United States],” Hansen, who now plays in the NHL, told British Columbia newspaper The Province. “It’s not like we’re going to stay home. We’re coming because back home we don’t have anywhere to play.”

If the only problem is that Danes don’t have enough rinks, then the solution is easy, right?

Build more rinks. Build them in more cities. If you build them, they will come.

“Local politicians don’t have any funds to build a new rink, and they know that there’s no need for it – there’s no demand for it in these [new] cities,” Larsen said.

“It’s easy to build rink number two, but nearly impossible to get rink number one.”

The Ice Hockey Union has met with councils. It’s told them about the growth of ice hockey in Denmark, how kids can now watch the NHL and see Danish players on their television screens. It’s even brought members of the Danish national team along as proof that this country can succeed on the world stage (it made the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Championships). All of this usually falls on deaf ears.

Frits Nielsen still believes that success is a matter of culture more than any-

revival is on thin ice

SPORTS NEWS AND BRIEFS Golden girls THE DANISH swimming team exceeded all expectations to come second in the medal table at the European Short Course Championships in Poland, which finished on Sunday. They won 14 medals thanks to an immense effort from the ladies, who won all five of their gold medals through Lotte Friis (800m freestyle),

Jeanette Ottesen (50m and 100m butterfly), Rikke Moeller Pedersen (200m breaststroke), and the 200m medly relay. It was not enough to finish above Germany, which managed seven golds out of only ten medals. Denmark finished in the top ten in 2008 and 2009 but last year failed to win a single medal.

Curlers crash in semis

Hosting the worlds

Handily placed

BOTH DANISH sides crashed out of the European Curling Championships in Moscow in the semi-finals. The men’s team lost to the Czech Republic and went on to finish third, while the ladies lost heavily to eventual champions Scotland and went on to finish fourth after losing to Russia.

DENMARK WILL host the 2014 BWF Badminton World Championships, the sport’s governing body has confirmed – an event it last hosted in 1999. Copenhagen’s lord mayor Frank Jensen told media it was a great chance to follow up on the success of the recent UCI Road World Championships.

SHOULD THE ladies’ national handball side defeat Angola in their quarter-final clash at the World Handball Championship in Brazil at the time of going to press, Denmark will face either Russia or France in the semis on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final. The Danes sailed through their group,

winning all five of their games, including the scalps of Sweden and Croatia, and then beat Japan in the last 16. Peculiarly, while only the winners will qualify for the Olympics, the other quarter-finalists will take part in special qualifiers held from May 25-27 in a bid to make it to London.

BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

US investors betting on Danish bankruptcy JENNIFER BULEY

A

n American hedge fund is placing bets that Denmark is heading for an Iceland- or Ireland-style economic collapse.

The New York-based Luxor Capital investment fund has been short-selling Danish credit default swaps (CDS) on the presumption that Danske Bank, Denmark’s largest, is too heavily leveraged and too big to save.

The theory goes that if the euro crisis deepens or the Danish housing market declines – two possibilities that many experts are beginning to consider inevitabilities – Danske Bank could go belly-up, and Denmark would not have the reserves to bail out its flagship.

“Luxor’s analysis is based partly on the fact that Danish households have relatively high debt, and partly on the fact that Danish banks are really dependent on foreign funding,” Copenhagen Business School (CBS) economics professor Finn Østrup told Politiken newspaper.

“Those considerations are totally correct and well-known in the Danish debate – but the new part is that foreigners are now noticing it,” Østrup said. “It shows that Denmark is certainly not im-

DF spokesperson criticises high salary for railway operator’s fourth CEO of the year

SCANPIX

New train boss’s salary sends “the wrong signal”

N

ATIONAL railway operator DSB has come under fire after announcing that its new CEO will receive an annual salary of 4.5 million kroner.

The traffic spokesperson for Dansk Folkeparti (DF), Kim Christiansen, said the salary given to new CEO Jesper Lok sends a bad signal at a time when DSB is undergoing cutbacks.

“I must admit that I have a problem when DSB’s new CEO can look forward to an annual salary of 4.5 million plus benefits in the middle of a crisis time where DSB is in the midst of mass layoffs and extensive cutbacks,” Christiansen said. “I can’t understand how DSB can allow itself to send a signal that they can afford exorbitant salaries at the top while laying off at the bottom.”

In a press release, DSB an-

Greeting new DSB CEO Jesper Lok was a workers’ strike

nounced that Lok would be looking to bring “simple solutions to complex challenges” to the beleaguered company, which prior to Lok had seen three CEOs come and go in 2011 alone.

The company’s woes continued on Monday just hours after the announcement of Lok’s appointment when employees at a number of DSB repair shops walked out on their jobs over dissatisfaction with their work environment.

As many as 900 DSB em-

ployees, including electricians, welders and other tradesmen from the labour union Dansk Metal, continued their strike on Wednesday, causing service delays throughout the rail system. Their labour representative hoped the strike would end on Wednesday.

Lok comes to DSB from the shipping company Svitzer, where he had been CEO since 2004. At DSB, he will be overseeing a company with over 9,000 employees. (JC)

Exchange Rates Australian Dollars AUD

Canada Dollars CAD

Euro EUR

Japan Yen JPY

Russia Rubles RUB

Sweden Kronor SEK

Switzerland Francs CHF

UK Pounds GBP

United States Dollars USD

Sell

5.48

5.33

7.34

0.07

0.17

0.79

5.91

8.63

5.53

Buy

5.98

5.76

7.57

0.07

0.19

0.83

6.11

8.98

5.79

Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency

Date: 14 December 2011

Building ‘brics’ with emerging nations key to trade future YANG JINGZHONG & DEVAPRIYO DAS

SCANPIX

American hedge fund lays money on Danish big banking crash

mune to the debt crisis.” with the Danish economy. In “Investors are looking for the that way, the credit default swap weak spots everywhere, and now market can carry those ideas over they’ve found Denmark’s. There’s into other markets,” Lando told no natural law that says Denmark Politiken. will continue to be a safe haven Østrup added that Luxor’s for investors,” he added. analysis was grounded in preLuxor is gambling that even sumptions that were highly posthough the Danish economy may sible. look relatively solid right now, “The Danish state has a relabanks and citizens alike have tively low debt, but that could stretched their economies so thin change if the government is that another drop in forced to cover other the housing market debts in a situation will push them over where, for examthe edge into insolple, Nykredit or Investors are vency.

Danske Bank were The American looking for the to go bankrupt. investment firm is Luxor is completely therefore short-sell- weak spots right that the Daning Danish CDS, a banks’ assets are everywhere, and ish type of insurance huge in comparison against a state bank- now they’ve found to the Danish GDP.” ruptcy, with the In its Q3 invesexpectation that it Denmark’s tor newsletter, Luxor will soon have the estimated Danish chance to sell them back at much banks’ assets at 454 percent of higher prices, assuming the euro GDP. crisis and domestic housing marBy comparison, while that ket worsen. ratio is on a par with Germany’s, CBS professor David Lando it is far below that of Switzerland noted that if other investors see or the UK – let alone Iceland and sense in Luxor’s gamble – or if Ireland’s astronomical debt to they simply jump on the band- GDP imbalances – it is also douwagon – the result could be a ble the figure for the US, accorddevastating, self-fulfilling proph- ing to Forbes. ecy.

Danske Bank maintained “It could easily happen that a that Luxor’s analysis of its risk buy-up of credit default swaps on level was wrong and that DanDanish government bonds could ske Bank’s investments posed no send the signal to other investors problem for either the bank itself that there’s something wrong or Denmark.

15

Trade and Investment minister targeting business with China, India, Russia and Brazil

D

ENMARK will greatly expand economic relations with emerging markets as trade with developed economies stagnates, according to the trade and investment minister, Pia Olsen Dyhr (Socialistisk Folkeparti).

Spurring exports to the BRICS countries and attracting more foreign investment could help Denmark’s economy regain growth momentum, Dyhr told Xinhua in an exclusive interview, following a trip to Southeast Asia and China’s Hong Kong.

“There is lots to be done with China, and the government has decided to make a BRIC strategy that will be published in February 2012, where we will make concrete plans for action and promoting cooperation with Brazil, Russia, India and China,” she said.

The objective is to boost Denmark’s global trade profile and angle it away from developed countries toward emerging markets with booming economies and large consumer bases, said Dyhr. Her position is a newly established portfolio, and she would like export-led growth and investments from markets like China to define her time in office.

Currently half of Denmark’s gross domestic product comes from the export of goods and services, remains the rest of EU and its biggest trade partner.

About 70 percent of Danish exports go to nearby markets, such as Sweden, Germany and the UK, while 7 percent go to the United States, the biggest market outside the EU. In comparison, the rising economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China collectively receive only 5 percent of Denmark’s overall exports, according to 2009 data from Denmark’s Foreign Ministry, Dyhr said. But the global financial crisis, and the ongoing debt crisis in the EU, have dampened Danish exports to traditional markets and prompted a policy rethink.

“We have to acknowledge that the world as we see it today will shift in future,” Dyhr said, pointing to the rampant BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), which joined the group late last year and other fastgrowing markets, such as Turkey, Mexico and Vietnam.

“I think if we don’t recognise our window of opportunity in Denmark, given that we are such an open economy, we are going to miss out on growth,” she said.

Although Danish exports in mid-2011 returned to levels before the financial crisis, the outlook remains fragile. Merchandise exports were predicted to grow

The trade and investment minister, Pia Olsen Dyhr

by just 3.8 percent in 2012, and exports to western Europe falling 0.5 percent, the Trade and Investment Ministry said in a forecast.

Yet, the Confederation of Danish Industry said total exports to emerging economies could rise 14 percent by 2030, with exports to China contributing 9 of the 14 percent growth.

“I see China as a good example of [countries] where you see growth. And in their [latest] five-year plan, I see them very conscious of the fact that it cannot just be growth, but they must ensure it is green growth,” Dyhr said.

“As they have to ensure care for the environment, [and improve] energy efficiency, I see that as a possibility for Denmark to come and get a share of the grow-

ing market in China,” she said.

Danish export trade, the minister continued, will be rejuvenated by “smart growth”, which involves trade in climate and energy products, including renewable energy technologies, and water and environment solutions, like wastewater management; health and welfare-related products; creative industries; and sustainable food, such as food safety technology, the minister said.

“It is important we have growth, smart growth, and ensure employment in Denmark, but also have answers to global problems. I see that going handin-hand with BRIC countries,” Dyhr said.

This article was written in co-operation with Xinhua News

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16

employment

The Copenhagen posT CphposT.Dk

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Working with these large clients and their agencies, project managing every job from briefing stage through to completion, I have excellent knowledge of processes both agency and client-side. My attention to detail, personal commitment to each job, high standards of quality, creative vision, ability to keep my calm and my humour under pressure I believe make me well-qualified to work on any ad agency team. looking For: Project Management, Customer Service, New Business Development, Account Management language skills: Fluent English. Fluent Italian. Currently studying Danish and at intermediate level. iT experienCe: MS Office ConTaCT: +45 21555823 or natgrif47@hotmail.com for full CV and references. 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: 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: 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: Clotilde IMBERT From: France seeking work in: Greater Copenhagen Qualification: Master of town planning and development and master of urban geography (Paris IVSorbonne) experienCe: 5 years in field of town planning and development: - Coordinator in urban project in a semi-public company: supervised a major urban project in Paris area (coordination of studies, acquisition of lands, worked with Planning Development of the Town Council, architects, developers to define the master plan and implement the project...); - Officer in research and consultancy firm (urban diagnosis, environmental impact assessments, inhabitants consultation...). looking For: a job in urban project field : planning department of Town Council or consultancy firm in town planning, environment and sustainable development, architecture firm, real estate development company. language skills: French (mother tongue), English (professional usage), Spanish (basic), Danish (in progress). iT experienCe: MS Office, Abode Illustrator, AutoCad (basic), PC and Mac. ConTaCT: clotilde.imbert@gmail.com spouse: Chia-Pei CHEN From: Taiwan seeking work in: Business Chinese/ Tutorial Chinese teaching in corporations, institutions or International schools.

QualiFiCaTion: A certified teacher of teaching Chinese as a second language. A degree in Social Science discipline. Continuously participation in training program (organized by Beijing Hanban of CHINA and CBS) to teach Chinese to foreigners in western context. Enrolment to distance Chinese teaching education system that keeps professional Chinese teachers resourceful. experienCe: I am a certified teacher of teaching Chinese as a second language to foreigners.

And I have started teaching Chinese with English in my class for 2 years. I design suitable materials to teach Chinese with different phonetic systems (PinYin for China and HongKong, and Mandarin Phonetic Symbols for Taiwan) as well as to interpret differences between simplified and traditional Chinese characters. My past positions were Chinese language-related, such as: reporter, translator and social science researcher. Students who I taught before regard me as a sincere, discreet teacher who helps learners to progress in short time. looking For: Business Chinese/ Tutorial Chinese teaching. language skills: Chinese (mother tongue), English (Fluent), French (basic), Danish (beginner). iT experienCe: Word Office, SPSS statistic software, Basic Video and Audio editing, Blog writing.

ConTaCT: teacherchen@live.com, Tel: 25 81 65 18

16 - 22 December 2011 spouse: Dolon Roy From: India seeking work in: Sjælland QualiFiCaTion: Masters in Science(Chemistry), BEd. (Teacher training course). experienCe: St. John Diocessan School February-May 2005, Kolkata, India. The Assembly of God Church School April-May 2006, Kolkata, India. Disari Public School June 2006-October 2007, India.

Research project work Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen University, March-July 2009. looking For: Part time or full time work teaching in primary,secondary or higher school level (Chemistry, Mathematics, Science). language skills: English, Hindi, Bengali, Danish (modul 3/modul 5). iT experienCe: Microsoft office.

ConTaCT: dolonroy2005@yahoo.com. Mob: +45 60668239 spouse: Mayurika Saxena Sheth From: India/USA seeking work in: (Copenhagen, Kobenhavn & nearby areas, Greater Copenhagen QualiFiCaTion: MCA, PGDMM(MATERIALS), B.SC (COMPUTERS) CERTIFICATIONS: CSTE, CSQA, GREEN BELT SIX SIGMA, TSP/PSP. experienCe: Eleven years of software development work/IT/BUSINESS experience with prestigious organizations (onsite and offshore): Microsoft, General Electric, Primus Telecommunications (AUSTRALIA), CitiFINANCIAL(USA), ISS and Imany. looking For: Full Time Job in IT, Management, Consulting or Business/Financial Field. language skills: ENGLISH fluent, HINDI fluent, DANISH AND SPANISH (Beginner). iT experienCe: Testing tools like Test Director, Quality Center, Access Server, Product Studio, Polyspace Analysis, .NET testing, Web Page testing, Electronic Appliances testing, development in Winrunner, ASP, HTML, JavaScript, VBScript, Jscript, Oracle, Cold Fusion, SQL, Access, COM/DCOM, MTS, Siebel as well as UNIX, Tuxedo, C, PL/SQL, VB.Net/ ASP .Net, VB.Net. C#.

ConTaCT: mayurika.s@gmail.com Tel +45 7169 5401 spouse: Vivek Kanwar Singh From: India seeking work in: All of Denmark QualiFiCaTion: 3 Years full time Bachelor in Fashion Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology (India). experienCe: 8 years of experience working in India and Republic of Mauritius with Garment Manufacturing Companies. Worked as a Key Account Manager for many International Brands like: GAP, FRENCH CONNECTION, MARKS & SPENCERS, SAKS 5TH AVENUE, etc.. looking For: Full time Job in Textiles, Fashion and Apparel Industry. language skills: English (fluent-Writing/Reading), Hindi (Fluent-Writing/Reading), Danish (DU3, Module 2). iT experienCe: Microsoft Certified System Engineer (no work experience though).

ConTaCT: vivekkanwarsingh@gmail.com, Mobile: +45-50179511 spouse: Nina Chatelain From: Vancouver, BC, Canada seeking work in: Midt- og syd jylland QualiFiCaTion: BA courses in english and anthropology, certificate in desktop publishing and graphic design, internationally certified yoga teacher since 1999. experienCe: Over 7 years experience as the assistant to the director (what would correspond to a direktionssekretær position) at an international university museum where i also was seconded to act as the program administrator – a project management internal communications role – for the museum’s major renovation project. I acted as the director’s right hand and the museum’s communications hub where i had daily contact with the visiting public, community stakeholders, volunteers and students. I have earlier worked as an editor and writer in various capacities, as well as a desktop publisher/graphic designer. looking For: An administrative role in a creative company that needs someone who can juggle a variety of projects and use excellent english writing and editing skills language skills: English (mother tongue) and Danish (fluent comprehension-studieprøven / university entrance exam). iT experienCe: MS Office Package, PC and Apple, have earlier worked with various desktop publishing software, quick to learn new software and systems.

ConTaCT: nina.chatelain@gmail.com, Phone: +45 29707430 spouse: Simon Rigby From: United Kingdom (originally Scotland) seeking work in: Jylland, Fyn or Sjælland (anywhere in Denmark).

QualiFiCaTion: Secondary High School - 8 ‘Ordinary’ levels & 3 ‘Advanced’ levels achieved. experienCe: Business Development, Sales & Marketing and Client Relationship Management specialist. 15+ years experience in securing ‘insurance and lifestyle benefits’ contracts with high volume and high consumer numbers within the Affinity Group Marketing sector from a wide variety of distribution channels including banks, financial institutions, large membership affinity groups and employers, credit card issuers and insurers. Highly accomplished and skilled at ‘low cost, high perceived value’ large scale marketing to B2B and B2C target audiences through both on-line and other direct marketing channels. Entire career spent in the banking, finance and insurance sectors the latter of which I have spent in the UK employment of 3 of the top 4 global insurance brokers.

A team player and a ‘people person’ with the skills and abilities to easily and comfortably interact with individuals at all levels. Natural problem solver who sees opportunities rather than obstacles.

Simplistic and structured approach to finding straightforward and practical solutions to problems. looking For: A job within an organisation (financial services or otherwise) where my Sales & Marketing and Key Account managerial skills and experience are fully utilised and where I can provide a sustainable and tangible long term contribution to my new employer as well as to my new country within which I have chosen to permanently live. language skills: English (mother tongue); German (very good); French (good); Danish (basic, but currently enrolled on a ‘Danskuddannelse 3’ language course). iT experienCe: Word - Advanced user. Powerpoint - Proficient user. Excel - Basic.

ConTaCT: simon040561@hotmail.co.uk or mobile +45 60 16 80 40. 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: Cindy Chu From: Hong Kong seeking work in: Anywhere in Denmark.

QualiFiCaTion: MSc in Marketing from Brunel University (West London), B.A. in English for Professional Communication from City University of Hong Kong. experienCe: 4 years experience on strategy planning in marketing, project management and consumer research. I have 3 years experience working in global research agency as a project manager and a research executive for multinational marketing projects. I worked closely with marketing team for data analysis and delivering actionable insights. I am familiar with working with staffs and clients form different countries. I have also as a PR officer in a NGO for 1 year. looking For: Jobs in project management, marketing and PR field. language skills: Cantonese (Mother tongue), Mandarin (Native speaker), English (Professional), Danish (Beginner). iT experienCe: MS Office, SPSS, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator.

ConTaCT: chocolate3407@gmail.com, +45 22 89 34 07

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: Francesco Grandesso From: Italy seeking work in: Copenhagen QualiFiCaTion: Constructing architect. experienCe: 4 years at TFF Engineering 2005-2009, 3 years at ADproject 2002-2005. language skills: English, Italian & Danish. iT experienCe: AutoCAD 2011.

ConTaCT: grandessodk@gmail.com, Mobile: 50110653 spouse: Stephanie Bergeron Kinch From: USA seeking work in: The Copenhagen area.

QualiFiCaTion: Several years of experience writing for newspapers, magazines, and Web sites.

M.S. in Media and Communications with focus on social media. looking For: Full-time or freelance writing and communication jobs (copywriting / journalism). language skills: Native English, Conversational Danish and Spanish. iT experienCe: Professional use of on-line social media, Microsoft Excel, PhotoShop, InDesign, Mac and PC operating systems.

ConTaCT: www.stephaniekinch.com or http://dk.linkedin.com/in/stephaniekinch spouse: Suheir Sharkas From: Syria seeking work in: Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus and the nearby areas of the mentioned cities.

QualiFiCaTion: MBA–International Management, Bachelor in English Literature. looking For: Positions in Organizations/Companies in the fields of: Administration and organization, Event & Project Management, and Assistance Management. language skills: Arabic: Native speaker, English: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), German: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), Danish: Basic 3.3 (understanding, speaking and writing). iT experienCe: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Power Point) and web publishing.

ConTaCT: ssouheir@gmail.com, Tel: 533 721 20 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: Himani Kanwarpal From: India seeking work in: Århus/ Copenhagen QualiFiCaTion: Completed Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and communication in the 2005 experienCe: I worked with Dell International Services India for 1 yr and 5 months as a Technical support agent. Thereafter, I was with SAP Labs from March 2007 till June 2011, where I worked on functional topics like SAP SCM F&R, SAP IS- Retail and SAP SCM APO DP. The profile mainly comprised of customizing and configuring SAP systems and also testing various scenarios. I also conducted training on functional topics and SAP’s automation tool called eCATT. looking For: Full Time, part time, intern etc. language skills: English, Hindi, learning Danish. iT experienCe: Worked with SAP Labs for 4 yrs and 3 months and have functional experience with modules like: SAP IS Retail, SAP SCM F&R, SAP SCM APO DP. Worked with DELL International Services as a Technical Support associate.

ConTaCT: himani.kanwarpal@gmail.com spouse: Chiara Stevanato From: Italy seeking work in: København or nearby areas QualiFiCaTion: Bachelor degree in Physics. experienCe: Now completing the Master’s degree in Physics at Københavns Universitet. looking For: Research in Physics. Research projects related to scientific areas. language skills: Written and spoken Italian, written and spoken English, written and Spoken French, very basic written and spoken Danish (still attending a second level course). iT experienCe: Operating systems: Windows, Linux. Programming languages: basic C, C++; Python.

ConTaCT: chiarasteva@gmail.com. Tel: 41681741 spouse: Katarzyna Szkaradek From: Poland seeking work in: Mental hospitals, voluntary(Ngo) organisations, kindergartens, nurseries, babysitting QualiFiCaTion: Ma in Psychology (2008), post graduate studies in psychotherapy (4th year/ 5 year). experienCe: I am a highly motivated and creative individual with excellent communication skills.

From January 2010 till August 2010 I worked independly in private practice. For the last 2 years (January ,2009 -October, 2010) I worked with children (also with special needs -Autism, Asperger, Down syndrome etc) and their families as a psychologist. My duties included organizing games, monitoring children’s development , consulting teachers and parents where appropriate and providing individual therapy. For the last 10 years I was member of NGO organisation and I was a volunteer in Israel, Italy, Portugal and Romania. looking For: Internship in mental hospitals, part –time or full time jobs in kindergartens, nurseries, job as a babysitter, voluntary job in hospitals. language skills: English–advance level (C1), Danish – (module 3 /module 5), Polish-native speaker iT experienCe: MS Windows, basic MS Office, Internet.

ConTaCT: szkasienka@gmail.com tlf. 50828802

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.

EMPLOYMENT

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

Boost your sales career…

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

Administrative Intern The Copenhagen Post is seeking an Administrative Intern to join our team in early January.

You will be assisting with various tasks including administration, events and customer service-sales support.

… and use your language skills

We are looking for a candidate who has completed or is currently pursuing a marketing-related or other relevant degree. You must have excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and be able to work daily for approximately 20/25 hours per week. You should be an enthusiastic teamplayer with the ability to work independently at times. It would also be an advantage if you have a driving license.

InOut

The CPH Post Entertainment Guide August 19 - 25

17

The internship is unpaid.

Don’t miss this Dolly fixture Forum: Thursday 20:00 Tickets 415 - 815 kr

page

G6

Restaurant

Hercegovina Tivoli Croatian restaurant with a wide choice of national and international dishes.

“Eat as much as you like” Live music and dance Tivoli/Bernstorffsgade 3 - 1620 - Copenhagen V

Free access to 65 museums and attractions in the entire metropolitan area

See more at copenhagencard.com

Please send your application and CV to jeanne@cphpost.dk noting ‘Administrative Intern’ in the subject line.

For more information please contact Jeanne Thames, jeanne@cphpost.dk, tel.: 3336 3300

Looking for the perfect place to unfold your sales talents and your international language background right here in Copenhagen?

Are you our new

Bunker trAder?

Rechnitzer.dk

International Sales Associate – ready to hunt prospects worldwide?

Do you have an international background? Are you looking for the perfect place to unfold your sales talents? You already know how to sell ice to an Eskimo.

Just imagine what you can do when we arm you with the most powerful security software on the market. Join Secunia. Excel in sales. And be handsomely rewarded.

The world is your playground As our International Sales Associate, you operate from our brand new headquarters in the heart of Copenhagen. Your main weapon is your office phone, which you use to contact potential customers in your assigned region, which may be Germany, the UK or North America (working hours start 2:30 pm) depending on your language background.

Dan-Bunkering is currently looking for an experienced Bunker Trader for an international position with our Copenhagen office.

• A competitive salary package which matches your qualifications • Great opportunities for personal and professional advancement.

We expect: • Proven record of previous experience as a Bunker Trader or from a similar sales position • Excellent communication and negotiation skills • Advanced English – other languages an advantage.

It is essential that all of our employees are skilled people who are committed to the business, and share our desire to create sustainable success in order to preserve our position as one of the world’s leading and powerful players.

The perfect candidate is: • Performance oriented and perfectly able to set and meet the required targets • Fast thinking and talented within the field – a quick decision maker with a certain energy and drive • Independent as well as a team player • Prepared for a high degree of travel activity.

You can expect: • An attractive and challenging position with a high level of freedom and responsibilities

The candidate will be positioned at our Copenhagen office, Strandgade 4a, 1401 Copenhagen, starting beginning of 2012.

If you are interested, please send your application and CV in English by email to Henrik Jansen, hej@dan-bunkering.dk before 23 December 2011.

You uncover the prospect’s unrealized and realized needs, inquire about their current security solution, map their organization and their network security – and make the sale. Then you hand the prospect over to one of our International Account Executives, who negotiates and closes the final deal. To keep you on your toes, we offer a lucrative commission scheme and exciting career opportunities.

Hunter by nature A hunter by nature, you are self-motivated and ambitious, and you possess a strong drive enabling you to pursue excellent sales results. You thrive in a highoctane sales environment where we encourage each other to get better all the time. Finally, you speak either English or German at a native or near-native level.

Learn more about the job A whole world of potential Secunia customers needs to stay secure. They might not know it yet, but we are counting on you to deliver the message. To learn more about your future sales career at Secunia, please contact Recruiter Carl Gustav Lehmann at +45 3338 5714 or glehmann@secunia.com

For further information about the position, please contact Manager Claus Bulch Klausen on +45 3345 5420.

More than 140 ‘Secunians’ representing over 22 nationalities work at our Copenhagen headquarters. As a world leader in IT security, Secunia helps businesses and private individuals worldwide manage vulnerability threats.

A/S Dan-Bunkering Ltd. has been leading in the bunker business for more than 3 decades, arranging bunker supplies; fuels, lubricants, and other related products and services for vessels all over the world.

The head office is situated in Middelfart with offices in Copenhagen, Shanghai, Kaliningrad, Singapore, and Monaco with more than 60 dedicated and service-minded bunker traders ready to guide the customers.

A/S Dan-Bunkering Ltd. is part of a professional and financially strong group with interests in shipowning and shipping activities.

Strandgade 4A, DK-1401 Copenhagen K P +45 3345 5410 · copenhagen@dan-bunkering.dk www.dan-bunkering.com

Learn more about life at Secunia:

secunia.com/careers

18 Culture Bigger isn’t always better The Copenhagen posT CphposT.Dk

emily mclean

W

ith a floor space of 12 square metres, one bed, a toilet, a shower and a sink, it has a right to stake a claim as the world’s smallest hotel. its name, however, suggests otherwise.

Vesterbro’s Central hotel and Café on tullinsgade is due to open in April and for 1,500 kroner a night you can have the pleasure of being the hotel’s sole overnight guest. The ironic nature of the name reflects the fun and quirky attitude that coowners Leif Thingtved and Jacob Kampp Berliner have exhibited building their labour of love.

Thingtved said the idea for the hotel “came as a practical thought as to how we can best make use of the first floor”.

There was no grand business plan, no ten-year visions or nifty money-making schemes – just an organic thought as to how to enhance one of Vesterbro’s most infamous small buildings.

Up until this year, the coffee bar that currently occupies the ground floor was aptly named ‘Verdens mindste kaffebar’ (The World’s Smallest Coffee Bar)

There aren’t many places left in Copenhagen with small but lively streets – that is until Thingtved and Berliner renamed the building the Central hotel and Café in order to incorporate its growing nature.

Thingtved said his aim for the hotel is to have its guests feel a part of the neighbourhood. “tullinsgade is a very special area of Vesterbro,” he said.

“There aren’t many places left in Copenhagen with small but lively streets that are really beautiful.

We’d love for tourists to experience that.”

Thingtved dabbles in interior design, so he said guests can expect an extremely hyggeligt experience.

“The hotel will be designed like people would want their own homes to be – but aren’t,” he said.

Before the grand opening, though, Thingtved and Berliner may forfeit their unofficial title of the ‘world’s smallest’ as they attempt to slightly enlarge

the room.

“Every inch counts,” said Thingtved, and it certainly does – a matter of inches is all they can actually enlarge it by.

The aim is to make it to 12.3 square metres.

So what can you expect from a stay at the Central hotel? Wine, flowers, small treats and even a free minibar are among the ideas being tossed around. You can also enjoy a comfy stay on a bed measuring 1.40m wide – definitely a plus considering guests will be spending most of their time on the bed as there’ll be limited room for other activities. And when you wake up refreshed, a scrumptious breakfast awaits you at the coffee shop downstairs or Granola, a café/ restaurant run by the pair, down the street. it may still be a few months before Thingtved and Berliner’s hotel comes under public scrutiny, but next week it will face its toughest critic yet: Thingtved’s motherin-law. here’s hoping she The former ‘Verdens mindste kaffebar’ has been revamped into the Central likes cramped quarters. Hotel and Café – to say space is limited would be putting it mildly

Queen’s niece lands role in Us soap opera ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’

a

S GRACE Kelly proved, normally it’s actresses who become princesses, not the other way round. But that hasn’t stopped a niece of Queen Margrethe ii from reversing the trend by landing a part in the US soap opera ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’.

Viewers will know her as Theodora Greece, but her official title is Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, and she is the fourth child of the queen’s youngest sister, AnneMarie, and King Constantine ii, the exiled former monarch of Greece.

Dressed completely in pink, she made her debut in CBS’s long-running soap, which is set in the LA fashion world, on December 5. her character’s name is Alison Montgomery, she’s a secretary, and her first lines were the immortal words: “Mr Spencer, i wanted to drop this off to you. it’s the latest press kit for Forrester’s intimate campaign. i know of your interest in the subject matter.”

The appearance, according to iMDB, is one of seven acting parts Theodora, 28, has already chalked up, which

www.moDamee.com

The royal and the autocue ben hamilton

Who is ... peter Frödin?

The Copenhagen Post text 39 Quick Crossword No 376 No 376

victoria steffensen DR/ BjaRne BeRgius HeRmansen

one-room hotel hopes to capture the unique spirit of Vesterbro

16 - 22 December 2011

he is a Danish actor, comedian and singer.

How would I know him? he’s currently starring in a tV advert that caught my attention.

Well, it must be good then …

Quite the contrary. if you ever watch Danish tV, you will have definitely stumbled upon the quite awful adverts for telephone company tDC starring a naked elderly couple.

I guess Frödin didn’t start out as an advertising-naturalist?

Nope, he began as a fullyclothed actor in 1984 in the Merkurteatret. he has played many comedic roles and has also had a long spell as a children’s tV presenter.

So, is he funny?

The magazine Billedbladet refers to him as “one of the country’s funniest men”.

You say he is also a singer …

Yes, amongst other things he sang the theme song to the film ‘En Kort En Lang’ (along with hella Joof and Martin BryAcross: 1 Appendix; 5 Heal; 9 Fret; 1 ggmann), which was21 Begun; the 22 most Special; Dull; 23 Symm 2 Perplex; 3 Extreme; played song onDown: Danish radio in 4 Intenti tere; 17 Langour. the period 1995 – 2010.

What about his family life? in a fairly recent tV interview, he admitted to having had relationships with women, but says he always knew he was homosexual. he is now happily married to his husband of 14 years, Jon.

Across

The queen’s niece probably won’t win any awards for her debut

includes a role in the western ‘The Big Valley’, which stars Jessica Lange, Richard Dreyfuss and Aidan Quinn and is due to be released next year.

Educated in England, Theodora attended the ivy League school Brown University, where she studied theatre arts for four years and won the ‘Fine Arts Award for Act-

ing’. She then continued with graduate studies at London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

Theodora’s father stopped being king of Greece in 1973, ten years before she was born.

Queen Elizabeth ii of Britain is one of her godparents.

1.

5.

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Supplement (8) Cure (4) Worry (4) Plan of campaign (8) Change (5) Titular (7) Unusually (13) Abash (8) Dispatch (4) Distinctive (7) Started (5) Uninteresting (4) Due proportion (8)

Down 2.

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Puzzle (7) Outermost (7) On purpose (13) Everlasting (7) Faithfulness (7) Non-professional (6) Released from obligation (7) Solidify (7) Gain (6) Stern (7) Listlessness (7)

Post Quick Crossword No 375 Across: 1 Quiver; 4 Censor; 9 Expostulation; 10 Strayed; 11 Patio; 12 Build; 14 Repel; 18 Robot; 19 Riposte; 21 Embarrassment; 22 Treble; 23 Reason.

Down: 1 Queasy; 2 Imperturbable; 3 Essay; 5 Example; 6 Shiftlessness; 7 Random; 8 Guide; 13 Literal; 15 Priest; 16 Broad; 17 Beaten; 20 Paste.

Why did tDC make those horrible ‘nude’ adverts anyway?

Why, indeed! On tDC’s website, the marketing people have a typically long-winded explanation. Apparently tDC has done away with the ‘unnecessary frills’ of advertising and ‘gone back to basics’. i’d say!

“We would like people to think: ‘Wow, what was that?’,” tDC’s marketing director tomas Pietrangeli said. Actually, tomas, most people i know would say: “What the hell was that?” i’m afraid we can expect to see poor Frödin humiliating himself in his sumo wrestler-like costume for some time to come.

What else is he up to?

Well, if you just can’t get enough of Frödin, you can spend Christmas Day watching DR1, which will feature him in the programme ‘her er dit liv’ (‘here is your life’). tempting, i know.

DENMARK THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

16 - 22 December 2011

19

Forget the crisis and volcanoes - Iceland survived over 500 years of Danish rule How a deserted island became Snowland, and then Iceland, adopted Norwegian sovereignty and then Danish, took all our cash and gave us back ash

A

BÁRÐUR ÖRN

S ONE of the early casualties of the global financial crisis, and with a volcano responsible for grounding more than half of Europe’s flights for a week in 2010, Iceland has been receiving more than its fair share of media attention. With a population of just 320,000, Iceland has always been the younger brother to the other Nordic nations. With a relationship that continues to be both convivial and controversial, Denmark and Iceland share a fractured and complicated past.

Like its ‘green’ neighbour, Iceland was discovered by accident by a boat travelling from Norway to the Faroe Islands. The legendary Faroese king, Naddoddr, was blown off course and landed on the island in the late ninth century.

After climbing hills to look for signs of human habitation, Naddoðr could see nothing but snow, naming the land ‘Snowland’.

A Swedish sailor, Garðar Svavarsson, was another to accidentally find the island, spending a winter in what is now Husavik.

And following rumours of an uninhabited land to the north, the Norwegian settler Flóki Vilgerðarson deliberately sailed to the island and named it ‘Iceland’ after seeing plates of ice drifting in the water.

The first settlers arrived in around 870. Legend has it that Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson threw two pillars from his ship while off the coast of Iceland, vowing to make a settlement wherever he found them. True to his word, the pillars were found close to Reykjanesskagi, and a settlement was founded near the modern capital of Reykjavík.

Following the harsh rule of Harald the Fair-haired in Norway, settlers began to arrive and the early settlements grew, even attracting some settlers from faraway Britain.

After increased growth and Christianisation from the tenth century onwards, Iceland decided to accept Norwegian sovereignty in the early 13th century. Following a period of civil war between competing powerful families, the Old Covenant was signed, ending the feuding by bringing Iceland under Norwegian rule. While not universally popular, the union with Norway did increase trade links between the two countries and allowed for further settlement.

Under the terms of the Kalmar Union in 1380, Norway, and therefore Iceland, fell under Danish rule.

Although it was agreed to provide protection for those in the union, Iceland did not benefit from Danish rule and some have even argued that Iceland suffered as a result. With no need for the primary Icelandic trading goods of fish and wool, these commodities were not promoted by Denmark and Iceland endured a debilitating trade deficit. Matters were made worse by the insistence that Iceland trade only with Denmark – a trade restriction that would stay in effect until 1854.

Iceland lost further concessions after the

The settlers quickly recognised that it was a beautiful country to live in

JOHAN PETER RAADSIG

ANDY RUGG

Legend has it that Ingólfur Arnarson discarded a pilar from his ship, vowing to settle where he found it again

introduction of an absolute monarcky in Denmark-Norway in 1660, effectively losing their autonomy and their right to introduce legislation.

Perhaps the biggest example of the prevailing Danish attitude towards Iceland can be seen in the raiding of Iceland by Turkish slavers in 1627. As well as failing to engage the Ottoman ships before they arrived in Iceland, Denmark did little to avenge the 300 Icelanders that were abducted, all but sweeping the ordeal under the carpet in favour of trading with the increasingly powerful Ottomans.

Following the mini ice age, amid conditions worsening in the 18th century, many Icelanders left the country

for sunnier climes. Some immigrated to mainland Europe while a sizeable population established themselves in Manitoba in modern day Canada. Interestingly, many Icelanders moved to Canada again following the recent economic crisis and Canada remains a place of choice for Icelandic immigrants.

After finding itself on the losing side of the Napoleonic Wars in 1814, Denmark was forced to sign the Treaty of Kiel, losing Norway but keeping Iceland as a dependency. Iceland eventually achieved home rule in 1874, and regained its sovereignty in 1918. It was during the Nazi occupation of Denmark in the Second World War that Iceland declared itself independent, a move that

would anger most Danes. Seen as insensitive, the Icelanders took advantage of Denmark’s weakness, abolishing the monarchy in the same year.

With Danish banks tied into the mass losses of Iceland’s banking system, the relationship between Iceland and Denmark has been back in the spotlight.

The unprecedented step of holding a referendum to decide whether borrowed money would be repaid underscores the fragility of Iceland’s relationship with Denmark. Although it’s safe to say that Danes generally view their Icelandic cousins with affection, perhaps it’s Iceland’s way of payback for centuries of indifferent and, many would argue, deficient Danish rule.

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