The Copenhagen Post May 04- 10

Surprise, surprise – Noma is still the best

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4 - 10 May 2012 | Vol 15 Issue 18

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NEWS

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Zombie invasion at Copenhagen Ink Fest

TERRY RICHARDSON

City suffers yet another terrorism scare

Fight for your right ... to party?

Researcher says the nation’s nurseries are neglecting kids and stunting mental development

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The first May Day under a red government in over a decade, but do the issues matter as much as the chance to drink in the sun?

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NEWS

The effect of words Newspaper’s questionable headline choice and a new documentary put political discourse back in spotlight

6 InOut

Join the Irish at the racetrack for a Saturday of top tips, poor picks and jockey sticks

G3 BUSINESS

26 billion kroner surprise Unexpected positive news leads to calls for additional funding to stimulate economy and create jobs

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Amid force-feeding allegations, Al-Khawaja wins retrial RAY WEAVER An appeals court in Bahrain has ruled that jailed activist will have a retrial

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BDULHADI al-Khawaja, the Danish-Bahraini human rights activist who has been on a hunger strike since February, was sentenced to life in prison last June by a military court for plotting against the Bahraini state. An appeals court on Monday ruled that he will be retried in civil court.

Over the weekend, al-Khawaja’s wife, Khadija al-Mousawi, accused the authorities of force-feeding and using other life-saving measures on her husband against his will.

Al-Khawaja was moved from prison

to a military hospital for treatment three Earlier this month, the Bahraini auweeks ago. His wife saw him for the first thorities rejected a request by Denmark time in two weeks on Sunday. She told to take custody of al-Khawaja. Politiken Reuters that he had been drugged and newspaper reported on Monday that it force-fed. had been seven days since Danish au“I went to see my husband today thorities have been granted access to see and he told me that he was drugged last al-Khawaja. Ole Engberg Mikkelsen, a Monday,” she said. “After he woke up he Foreign Ministry official, told Politiken found two IV [intravenous] injections that Denmark is continuing to pressuin his arms and a feeding-tube down his rise the Bahraini authorities into grantnose. It was done against his will.” ing access to visit al-Khawaja.

A spokesperson for the Bahrain DeIn a statement on Monday, the forfence Forces Hospital denied the claims. eign minister, Villy Søvndal (Socialistisk “Al-Khawaja has been taking limited Folkeparti), said that the decision to renutrition supplements voluntarily,” said try the case in a civil court was a step in a spokesperson. “When his blood sugar the right direction, but that the case was dropped significantly [on Sunday], his far from over. doctors asked for and received his consent “We will continue to insist that to insert a naso-gastric tube for nutrition. a there is a needmeeting for a rapid humanitarOrganise personal At no time was he drugged orand restrained.” ianasolution, sit in on class. which has been demanded

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by Denmark and the international community,” Søvndal said, according to Berlingske newspaper.

He went on to say that it was “essential” that the Danish ambassador be granted immediate access to al-Khawaja.

One of al-Khawaja’s daughters, Zainab al-Khawaja, is also currently in prison in Bahrain. She reported to her family that she had been physically abused by the Bahraini authorities while in custody.

At the time of going to press, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja’s hunger strike had reached its 83rd day. A BBC reporter was granted access to al-Khawaja on Monday and reported that he seemed alert but weak. Jens Kondrup, a professor of clinical nutrition, told Ritzau news service that al-Khawaja could be kept alive for years through force-feeding.

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Week in review

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012 Hasse Ferrold

Tillykke!

THE WEEK’S MOST READ STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK Opinion | Britain’s fetish for Denmark, explained Contentious language back in spotlight Woman sentenced for lying about rape 7-foot Dane’s great American hoop dream Three arrested in Copenhagen on suspicion of terrorism

FROM OUR ARCHIVES TEN YEARS AGO. Researchers at Rigshospital make a breakthrough in treating obsessive compulsive disorder.

FIVE YEARS AGO. A new deal between the countries means that Denmark will step in to defend Iceland in times of need.

ONE YEAR AGO. Prince Christian becomes the first member of the Royal Family to attend public school.

On Sunday, nearly 800 individuals who were granted Danish citizenship in 2011 met up at Christiansborg to celebrate their new citizenship and have the opportunity to meet leading politicians, including PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt and former PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen

day until Sunday. The future of the holiday is one of the items being discussed between the government and unions as they look for ways to put four billion extra kroner each year into state coffers and add 20,000 workers by 2020. Moving Store Bededag would bring in an estimated 2.7 billion kroner.

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

Not off yet

The former leadership of the bankrupt Roskilde Bank will escape criminal punishment, but could be forced to pay compensation. In 2009, the state financial authority Finanstilsynet reported the former management of the defunct Roskilde Bank to the police for violating the Shareholders’ Law. On Monday,

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive Jesper Nymark Editor-in-Chief Kevin McGwin Managing Editor Ben Hamilton News Editor Justin Cremer Journalists Peter Stanners, Ray Weaver & Christian Wenande

the police’s fraud unit decided to drop the criminal case against 15 people, including the bank’s administrative director, Niels Valentin Hansen. But the Finanstilsynet sued the bank management in 2010 for one billion kroner, and that case has not been dropped. Roskilde Bank folded in August 2008.

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

Colourbox

A majority of Danes still want to have the day off on Great Prayer Day (Store Bededag). The fourth Friday after Easter has been a public holiday since 1686 and a recent Politiken poll of 1,000 Danes found that 60 percent of respondents felt it was a bad or very bad idea to move the holiday from Fri-

Scanpix/Liselotte Sabroe

Scanpix/Eva Seider

Holiday to stay

CORRECTION In last week’s article ‘Residents prickled over site of injection room’, we made an error with a quote

by Johanne Nørvig. The amended version can be found online

Few adoptions

In 2011, only 338 children were adopted in Denmark, the lowest number since the 1970s when foreign adopting began to thrive. According to experts, the decline is due to developing countries such as China, India and Colombia no longer adopt away their youngest children, but only the ones they can’t find

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a family for. Unlike in countries such as Sweden and Holland, where couples are more open to adopting older children as well as kids with illnesses, couples in Denmark tend to prefer only young and healthy children. Last year, most children adopted in Denmark came from Ethiopia and South Africa.

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

Annual home delivery rates: 1 year: 1,200kr 6 months: 750kr 1 year (online): 365kr Discounted bulk rates available.

The Copenhagen Post accepts no responsibility for the content of material submitted by advertisers.

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News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012

A one-time elite footballer is among the men held for attempting to transfer assault weapons

Scanpix/Jens Astrup

Ray Weaver

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court in Copenhagen has ruled that three men suspected of planning a terrorist attack should be held on remand for four weeks.

The men were arrested last week on charges of illegal weapons possession at a suburban Copenhagen train station after one of the suspects, a 23-yearold Turkish citizen who lives in Denmark, attempted to hand over two AK-47 assault rifles to a 21-year-old Dane who resides in Egypt.

Both men pleaded innocent, but the third suspect, a 22-year-old Jordanian who was not present when the arrests were made at Herlev Station, has pleaded guilty to the charges of weapons possession.

A fourth man, a 24-year-old Palestinian, was also arrested and charged with being in Denmark illegally.

There was a large security force on hand when the suspects were arraigned on Saturday. The arraignment was held behind closed doors, and prosecutors said there was the possibility of further charges, including terrorism, being brought against the men.

“The three are currently charged with violations of weapons laws, but there is a possibility of further charges being filed,” said Dorit Borgaard, a spokesperson for the Copenhagen Police.

Police said the 22-year-old

Scanpix/Carl Court

Details emerge about suspects in suburban terror scare

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René Redzepi and the rest of the Noma staff pose for photos in London after once again being declared the world’s best restaurant

Noma still the best Ray Weaver Eat this, Michelin! Copenhagen restaurant tops the global list for third straight year Police ransacked an apartment at Melissahaven 21 in Herlev, where one of the suspects lives

Jordanian suspect met with an unknown man at Hareskov Station last Thursday at 5pm and arranged for him to deliver two Kalashnikov rifles with ammunition.

At 8:30pm that evening, the unknown supplier went back to the same station and handed the weapons over to the 23-year-old Turkish suspect.

The 23-year-old and the 21-year-old were arrested the next day at Herlev Station as the older suspect attempted to deliver the weapons to the younger man. The 22-year-old was arrested at his home in Herlev.

The unknown man who supplied the weapons is still at large.

Politiken reported over the weekend that the 22-year-old suspect had posted anti-Semitic and pro al-Qaeda messages on his Facebook page. One mes-

sage stated his desire to burn the Israeli flag and attack “every goddamn Zionist pig”.

He also wrote that he respected al-Qaeda because “you knew where they stood. They have principles.”

The man also appeared to have connections with the criminal community. One of his Facebook friends is a known member of AK81, a group suspected of working closely with the Hell’s Angels.

Politiken also reported that as a teenager, the 21-year-old Danish-Egyptian suspect was considered one of the most promising young footballers in Denmark. He turned down an offer in 2009 to play for the Danish Under-18 national team and instead joined the Egyptian squad. The suspect was born in

Denmark, but when he was arrested, his address was listed as being in Cairo, Egypt.

Police raided numerous addresses throughout Greater Copenhagen and confiscated several cars in connection with the investigation. Five other people arrested during those raids have all been released.

While there have been no official reports of a suspected target, it does not appear to be Jyllands-Posten newspaper, which has been targeted numerous times since the 2005 publication of the controversial Mohammed cartoons.

In an unrelated case, three men are currently standing trial at Glostrup Municipal Court for their 2010 attempt to attack the Copenhagen offices of Jyllands-Posten.

T

he Copenhagen restaurant Noma has been voted the best restaurant in the world for the third consecutive year.

Restaurant Magazine, the British publication that has named the world’s best 50 restaurants since 2002, cited Danish chef René Redzepi’s “meticulous attention to detail and innovative approach”. Redzepi – who last month was named one of the world’s top 100 influential people by Time magazine – is credited with moving Nordic cuisine to the forefront of world food culture. However, Michelin created a minor controversy earlier this year when it failed to give Noma a coveted third star.

“We think that food from our region deserves to have a voice in the choir of the world’s other great cuisines,” said Noma co-owner Claus Meyer in his

New Nordic Cuisine manifesto.

That was a call that was clearly heeded by Restaurant Magazine, as another Danish restaurant made this year’s top 50. Copenhagen restaurant Geranium took the number 49 spot – another feather in the cap for chef Rasmus Kofoed, who won the prestigious Bocuse d’Or award in 2011.

Noma will be taking its show on the road this summer.

Redzepi will open a temporary location at Claridge’s Hotel in London during the Olympic Games. The Copenhagen location, meanwhile, will be closed for renovations from July 20 until August 15.

Noma’s New Nordic Cuisine concept uses only fresh, organic ingredients that can be found in the Nordic region (the name Noma is a contraction of ‘Nordic’ and ‘mad’, the Danish word for food). While in London, Noma will change its menu to focus on using local ingredients from the UK. A five-course Noma meal in London is expected to cost around 1,800 kroner.

Intelligence agency’s destruction of files comes into question Christian Wenande A new document has surfaced suggesting that PET has broken protocol by destroying historical public records

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1965 document newly unearthed by Information newspaper indicates that domestic intelligence agency Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET) was obliged to preserve individual files on individuals who have been prominent figures within the political, cultural, financial and administrative realms. However, up until 1998 when new rules were instituted, PET had been destroying files that may have had significant historical value.

In 2009, the PET Commission revealed that the agency had been shredding the contents of files on several high

profile persons, including three of Denmark’s former prime ministers – Jens Otto Krag (Socialdemokraterne), Anker Jørgensen (Socialdemokraterne), and Poul Hartling (Venstre) – and the current minister of business, Ole Sohn (Socialistisk Folkeparti), who was also the head of the Danish Communist Party in the 1980s.

Due to the recent media focus on the shredding of the politicians’ files, PET sent an explanation to the justice minister, Morten Bødskov (Socialdemokraterne), assuring him that the shredding has proceeded according to approved guidelines and regulations.

However, PET explained that it has not been prioritising the assessment of information consisting of historical value, saying that the collection of sensitive information purely occurs in order to support

It seems problematic that it is PET, and PET alone, that has had the power to assess whether or not a file should be kept PET’s work and not for other reasons, such as documentation or research.

At issue is also the fact that PET has been using lawyers to determine whether or not information was of historical relevance, rather than a public records keeper, something Peer Henrik Hansen, a museum inspector and historian specialising in intelligence activity,

found disturbing.

“You would never have a historian assess the legal ramifications of an indictment of espionage,” Hansen told Information newspaper. “That illustrates to me that PET are considering other avenues, and not the ones concerning the preservation of historically valued information.”

But the former minister of justice, Ole Espersen (Socialdemokraterne), sided with PET, saying that in the interest of protecting citizens, intelligence work should be prioritised over historical relevance.

“My principle opinion has always been the more you shred, the better,” Espersen told Information. “The purpose of PET is not to contribute to historical research, but to keep the country safe.”

A Syddansk University lecturer of constitutional law,

Pernille Boye Koch, however, suspects PET of destroying files for other reasons.

“It seems problematic that it is PET, and PET alone, that has had the power to assess whether or not a file should be kept due to historical reasons,” Koch told Information.

“It is clear that PET should be evaluating cases involving intelligence, but one has to question whether the agency has the competencies to assess the historical value of cases.”

According to the document sent by the state public records keeper to PET on 17 December 1965, there were five scenarios in which PET was not allowed to destroy files of historical significance: 1. Reports created by PET or others concerning standard political relationships or containing the reflections of considerations of

a more ordinary character 2. Espionage cases from before the Second World War 3. Criminal files concerning espionage cases that are borrowed from the police commissioner’s office.

When these files are returned, the public records keeper will decide whether or not they should be transferred to the respective national archives 4. Individual files concerning individuals who have had a prominent political, cultural, financial or administrative position 5. Individual files concerning those who are connected to the occupation era of the Second World War The current rules stipulate that PET must shred personal files that have been inactive for ten years unless the files are deemed to be of historic value.

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Cover story

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012

Socialism under the sun: May Day mixes politics and party Scanpix/Torkil Adsersen

Ray Weaver With a leftist government in power and social welfare under attack, May Day provides mixed messages

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Red queen: Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen’s speech was greeted warmly by those who were paying attention

portant now, than ever before, to defend workers’ rights.

“We need to stand up for the rights of ordinary people,” said Pelle Johansen, who was looking every bit the ‘60s radical with his curly, shoulder-length brown hair and beard. “People have to work more hours now than ever before because of the financial crisis.”

Nikolaj Rønsbø, a dark-haired young man handsome enough to be cast as the leading man in any chick flick, wanted his party to move forward.

“It is not about the old government anymore, it’s about the future,” Rønsbo

Clive Thain

ay Day is an official holiday in 66 countries around the world and unofficially celebrated in many others. It would be a safe bet to say most people celebrating the International Worker’s Day in Copenhagen’s Fælledparken on Tuesday had no clue that the day has its roots in the Haymarket Massacre that occurred in Chicago in 1886. Hell, most Americans have no idea what the day means past gauzy pictures of fresh-faced youngsters dancing around a Maypole or grainy black and white TV-induced memories of columns of grim-faced soldiers and war machines parading in front of a bearded dictator somewhere “over there”.

This year’s May Day was a special one for those whose politics lean to the left in Denmark, as it was the first in eleven years to be celebrated with a red leftist government in power. There were many people among the more than 200,000 that filled the park who only came for the warm sunshine and cold beer, and who could not have cared less about politics – left or right – but, there were many others who came to express their solidarity with socialist principles.

A group of well-dressed young men, some even wearing suit jackets in the bright May sun, sat at a table near the Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF) tent and made it clear that they were there “for the politics”. They felt it was more im-

I think the new government is doing better than the last one. Things are moving in the right direction

Pelle Johansen, 32

Sarah Louise Nygård, 24

They didn’t want to give their last names or have their picture taken, but they said that coming to Fælledparken on May Day had become an annual event. Toking on a spliff while heating up another block of hash with his lighter, Nico said he was at the park because he “loved socialism”. When asked what it was about the philosophy that appealed to him, the 21-year-old paused a moment, hit the spliff and said: “I just love it.”

His partner Dyana was just as clear about her commitment: “I’m here to drink. It’s like another Roskilde Festival.”

She was clearly on to something.

The entire park felt like a large music festival. Every kind of food from hotdogs to organic Thai was on offer.

There was beer and virtually every type of alcohol or soft drink on sale at tents sponsored by the political parties, sold by private vendors, and being carried in by the caseload on shoulders, in stolen shopping carts, and on hand trucks. The competition for empty cans and bottles was fierce among the ragged souls collecting them for their deposit value.

There were kids in strollers, balloon

Clive Thain

People have to work more hours now than ever before because of the financial crisis

said. “This is a good time for the leftwing parties to figure out what they really want.”

When asked about SF’s recent internal turmoil, another man at the table, Holger Groganz, laid the blame for those problems squarely at the feet of the media.

“It makes a better story if you [the media] report on the ten percent that disagree with the leaders,” said Groganz, adding that he thinks the media in Denmark leans centre/right and often carries stories that cast the socialist parties in a negative light. “But most of us support our leaders, and we are in complete agreement that there needs to be more equality in society.”

That was a notion shared by the day’s unquestioned star.

While the red banners surrounding the main stage flapped in the stiff spring breeze, Enhedslisten spokesperson Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen opened her fiery, well-received speech by saying: “I said during my speech last year that this could be the last time we celebrated International Worker’s Day while [Venstre’s] Lars Løkke [Rasmussen] sat behind the prime minister’s desk with Pia Kjærsgaard [leader of the Danske Folkeparti] hanging over his shoulder … and friends, it was the last time.”

Nielsen went on to warn current prime minister Helle ThorningSchmidt (Socialdemokraterne) that the people voted for change, and that Enhedslisten is on guard against the government drifting to the right.

The crowd cheered when SchmidtNielsen reminded them that “people without jobs are not your enemy”.

Nico, 21, and Dyana, 26, were sitting on the ground near the Enhedslisten tent while Schmidt-Nielsen spoke.

vendors and an old man moving slowly through the throng selling ice cream from a cooler that must have weighed more than he did.

A man walked around all day wearing a sandwich board-type sign that read “Capitalism is unnatural”, but in Fælledparken on May Day, capitalism, or at least commerce, was alive and well.

It really was like a mini-Roskilde, with one major difference: nobody cared about the music.

When musician Pato Siebenhaar took to the stage after Johanne SchmidtNielsen’s speech, he hit exactly the wrong note with the crowd by promising “not to talk as much as everyone else up here”.

What would’ve been a guaranteed applause line at a normal rock concert was met with at best confusion, and at worse mild disdain, by the political crowd in front of the stage. No amount of exhorting managed to get even a small percentage of the crowd to look his way.

Over by Nico and Dyana, they were dancing to their own music blasting from a contraption they had wheeled in, made up of a car battery and an array of auto speakers. They left it playing during Villy Søvndal’s (SF) speech defending the Danish union’s efforts to protect the jobs of Danish workers.

According to a recent opinion poll, one in three Danes define themselves as socialists. Among young people, that number is even higher. Over 40 percent of Danes between 18 and 29 years of age say they are socialists.

Louise Sevel is 26 and her friend Sara Louise Nygård is 24. They are both students and admitted that although they both leaned to the left politically, and both thought the new government was doing “better” than the last one, the main reason they were in the park on such a bright, sunny day was to get a break from studying. They lay on their blanket with a chilled bottle of white wine just far enough from the main stage that it was hard to hear Thorning-Schmidt as she spoke of the government’s accomplishments in its first seven months, its plans for the future, and her wishes that everyone have a good May Day.

A police officer on the scene estimated the crowd at 200,000

Online this week Greenpeace’s acquittal over trawler tracking overturned

DF proposal falls on deaf ears

After first being charged and acquitted in a Helsingør court this January for illegally placing tracking devices on fishing boats, Greenpeace’s latest trip to court didn’t go its way. Last week on Wednesday, the Eastern High Court overturned Greenpeace’s January acquittal and fined the environmental organisation

Dansk Folkeparti (DF) have been rejected and ridiculed for their proposal to prohibit cyclists from listening to music while cycling. Saying that headphones are a danger to traffic, DF sent out a press release stating that listening to music while wearing headphones affects cyclists’ senses and concentration.

25,000 kroner for trespassing.

A Greenpeace activist also received a 2,250 kroner fine for placing tracking devices on fishing boats in Gilleleje Harbour in 2010. The devices proved that the boats were illegally fishing for cod in marine sanctuaries.

Greenpeace now plans on taking the case to the Supreme Court.

Rwandan can be tried for genocide, court finds DF’s proposal was unanimously and unequivocally rejected.

Kim Christiansen, DF’s traffic spokesperson, later told Politiken that the proposal was misrepresented, and attempted to clarify that a ban on headphones was meant as a last resource in case education campaigns proved unsuccessful.

A Rwandan man residing in Denmark can be tried by the Danish courts for his alleged role in the Rwandan Genocide, the Supreme Court found last week. The 50-year-old man has been in police custody since his arrest at his home in Zealand in

December 2010. Both Roskilde City Court and the Eastern High Court have previously judged that prosecutors could not charge the man with genocide, but only with murder. The state prosecutor, Birgitte Vestberg, expressed satisfaction with the judgement.

Read the full stories at cphpost.dk

news

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012

Researcher: Danish nurseries in need of an overhaul Colourbox

Christian Wenande Politicians are taking new findings to heart, while others criticise the study for being too limited in scope

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new thesis by Aarhus-based researcher Ole Henrik Hansen indicates that children at Danish nurseries (vuggestuer) are being neglected and “numbed” due to a lack of interaction from the staff.

A lack of contact, and dismissive, indifferent behaviour is causing children as young as 10 months old to shut down emotionally, turning them into apathetic “zombie kids”, Hansen’s results found.

In addition to sending a survey to 40,000 nursery staff members, his data was gathered in the form of 8,000 observations and video recordings from nine nurseries in the Greater Copenhagen area.

Hansen, who is a PhD scholar at Aarhus University, said that his findings illustrate the need for serious changes at the nation’s nurseries, saying that a lack of contact could end up stunting the development of small children’s brains.

“The Danish nurseries are so poor that a great number of them should close,” Hansen told Berlingske newspaper. “Pedagogical work is about doing something with a child, but at most institutions they don’t know what to do with the children most of the day.

When I asked the leadership about it, they said they were just taking it day by day. We would never accept a school principal saying he was just taking it day

A nation of zombie children? An Aarhus researcher contends that a lack of adult contact at the nation’s nurseries causes children to shut down emotionally

by day when planning work. Nothing is happening at these nurseries.”

Yet, Hansen’s thesis was met almost immediately with criticism, especially because his observations and video samples stem from only nine large nurseries in the Copenhagen area, leading to accusations that it was too narrow in scope.

Henning Pedersen – the chairman of Børne- og Ungdomspædagogernes Landsforbunds (BUPL) fagblad, a periodical publication for the daycare providers union – said that Hansen’s find-

The Danish nurseries are so poor that a great number of them should close ings fly in the face of the reality he hears from the 55,000 members of the union.

“The nurseries are not perfect and we can do a lot better, but it has noth-

ing to do with the competencies of our staff,” Pedersen said on the BUPL website. “The problems are due to half of the country’s nursery staff being unskilled, and there are also so few adults on staff that our members are forced to handle large groups of children alone.”

Politicians have previously said that the quality of the nurseries in Denmark needs to be improved. The children and education minister, Christine Antorini (Socialdemokraterne), is planning to present new recommendations on how to lift the quality level. Antorini also indicated that the government has raised 500 million kroner to hire 3,000 more staff members – something Hansen thinks is redundant.

“I almost became physically ill when I heard about the 500 million kroner for more staff. It’s all about organisation and leadership, so you could hire as much staff as you want without helping the situation,” Hansen told Berlingske newspaper.

Many nursery helpers expressed the opinion that Hansen’s findings are incomplete and lack a broader scope, but many did agree with him that the children may not be getting as much individual attention as they perhaps should be.

“I think it is true about organising your work, and sometimes you’re assigned duties from the leadership that take time from the core responsibilities, but I have never neglected the children or failed to show them care and attention,” nursery employee Margit Jensen wrote on the BUPL Facebook page.

“But I am under pressure, and it can be difficult to reach every child individually every day.”

City to compensate paralysed girl Girl’s father says that the family is ready to “start living again”

F

rida Jersø, the 14-year-old girl who was paralysed from the waist down after a fall from Dronning Louise’s Bridge in Nørrebro, will receive compensation from the city of Copenhagen.

The payment – the amount of which has not been released – reverses an earlier decision by the city’s lawyers not to compensate Jersø and her 14-year-old friend, Felicity, for the fall that occurred while they were leaning on a bridge railing when it suddenly gave way. Jersø was paralysed in the fall, and Felicity suffered a number of serious injuries, including a concussion.

The deputy mayor for technical and environmental affairs, Ayfer Baykal (Socialistisk Folkeparti), said that the ruling by an independent body clears the way for both girls to receive some help from the city.

“The girls were injured in the same accident, so both should be paid damages,“ said Baykal.

The city initially refused to pay, saying that it was not at fault because the bridge had passed regular inspections, but after a recent report by the Copenhagen Police absolved both the city and the two girls of any fault in the accident, the way was cleared for an independent body to review the case.

Frida’s father, Tom Jersø, said he is glad the issue is finally settled.

“It is wonderful,” Jersø told Ekstra Bladet. “We can start living again.” (RW)

Are you An AccompAnying spouse in pursuit of A cAreer And residing in copenhAgen?

Copenhagen Career Program would like to invite you to an information meeting in Jobcenter Copenhagen, Musvågevej 15, 2400 København NV.

Please register for the meeting by sending an e-mail, latest on Sunday the 13th of May to: cphcareerprogram@bif.kk.dk A light refreshment will be served during the meeting.

Wednesday the 16th of May at 12-14 pm At the meeting you will receive information about: • Danish courses and course in Danish social conditions and Danish culture and history • Measures promoting employment such as internship, employment with salary subsidy, mentor at the work place, upgrading courses and job seeking courses.

• Recognition of international qualifications • IO positions (Integrations- og oplæringsstillinger) Following the meeting you have the chance to talk individually with a job counselor about your qualifications and career plans (for that purpose we recommend you to bring your CV).

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Copenhagen Career Program is based in the Department for Integration and Language at Jobcenter Copenhagen, Musvågevej. The Department for Integration and Language is responsible for administrating the Integration Act in the municipality of Copenhagen.

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News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012 Scanpix/Keld Navntoft

Contentious language in immigration debate thrust back into spotlight Ray Weaver New documentary and questionable headline choice put the harsh language used in Denmark’s immigration discussion in focus

Bødskov is accused of lying about changes made to the deportation laws

Justice minister assures EU over deportation law

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wo separate issues in recent days brought into sharp focus the deep divisions and complicated nuances surrounding the language used to discuss immigrants in Denmark.

On Thursday of last week, police were forced to break up a fight outside a screening at Korsgadehallen in Nørrebro of a new film about the harsh tone of the language used to discuss immigration.

Things remained relatively peaceful inside the packed hall during the screening of the 30-minute film, ‘Ordet Fanger’ by journalist Helle Hansen, and during the debate that followed.

One of the panellists, Manu Sareen (Radikale), the minister for gender equality and churches, said that he agreed with the film’s premise that the tone surrounding the immigration debate is too harsh.

“I regret that we have not stopped this rhetoric and come together as Danes,” Sareen said.

Morten Messerschmidt (Dansk Folkeparti) said that he disagreed with restricting the tone of the dialogue.

“It is free speech,” said Messerschmidt. “If you restrict speech, extremism can take over.”

Messerschmidt was greeted as he made his way into the hall with signs that said “Messerschmidt out of Nørrebro” and shouts of “Nazi”.

A group of about 100 people gathered outside the hall after the event. A small bunch of locals turned on a group of four Messerschmidt supporters – reportedly members of the anti-Islamic Danish Defence League (DDL) – and began pelt-

Peter Stanners Demand for clarification over deportation laws after justice minister says law change will only have “symbolic effect”

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Roskilde Dagblade employees defended their headline choice, saying the word ‘neger’ was merely descriptive and not offensive – the integration minister, and others, disagreed

I regret that we have not stopped this rhetoric and come together as Danes ing them with rocks and bottles whilst shouting “Nazis”.

Police were already on the scene in riot gear in anticipation of possible problems stemming from the event and quickly drove the four DDL members away. The locals threw rocks at police as they attempted to break up the riot.

Order was quickly restored

and no arrests were made.

Meanwhile, a headline in a local newspaper last month underlined the continued need to discuss the use of language.

The headline from the Dagbladet Roskilde of April 18 trumpeted: “Neger stjal bil fra 80-årig” (N****r stole car from 80 year-old).

The article was picked up by several Danish news services and the headline was the subject of much debate. The integration minister, Karen Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne), criticised the wording on her Facebook page. She has since removed her original post, explaining that the comments she received were nothing she wanted on her Facebook page.

“It was hateful and racist,” Hækkerup wrote. “It is appalling that people write things like that – or that they believe it.”

Dagbladet Roskilde’s editor, Steen Østbjerg, stood behind his decision to use the word.

“It was a conscious choice,” Østbjerg told Journalisten.dk. “I do not think that it is an offensive word. If he had been a redhead, I would have written that.

If he had been bald, I would have written that.”

The folks behind their online version sn.dk thought otherwise.

As this story was being written, they dropped the ‘Neger’ headline and went with ‘Black man steals car from 80 year-old’.

A few hours later, it had been changed to ‘Man steals car’.

he justice minister has had to answer to the EU over contradictory statements about the effect of changing the law governing the deportation of foreign criminals.

After assuring the EU that a change in the law would protect foreign criminals from deportation, the justice minister, Morten Bødskov (Socialdemokraterne), then told Jyllands-Posten newspaper that the amendment to the law would not loosen Danish immigration law and would only have a “symbolic effect”.

Upon hearing Bødskov’s explanation to the press last week, the European Commission’s justice commissioner, Viviane Reding, met with Bødskov last week to ensure that the planned changes would indeed have an effect as he had promised her.

“We can understand that he has said [the change] is purely symbolic and will have no real consequences. We were rather surprised to hear that,” Reding wrote in a statement to Politiken newspaper. “We would very much like an explanation from the minister, because it is supposed to have a real consequence.”

Reding wrote to Bødskov this January expressing concern with last summer’s change to Danish immigration law that meant criminal foreigners must be deported unless it is known

“with certainty” that it would break international conventions.

Replying to Reding, Bødskov wrote that he would remove the words “with certainty” from the law to improve protection from deportation, but to JyllandsPosten newspaper he said the changes were purely symbolic and would have no effect.

Despite the apparent contradiction, Bødskov stood by his earlier position that the same criminals who were deported before would also be deported after the law change.

“The government’s proposed law change ensures that it is the courts that decide on deportations,” Bødskov told Politiken.

“The basic conditions for deportation are not being changed.

What we are ensuring is clearer legislation in which it is emphasised that it is the courts who decide on deportations.”

According to Reding’s spokesperson, the EU is simply concerned with ensuring that Denmark complies with EU legislation.

Despite Bødskov’s assurances, opposition MP Søren Pind (Venstre) has accused the justice minister of lying.

“On the one hand he has told the Danish public that there is no need to change the rules,” Pind told Berlingske newspaper. “But at the same time he argues that there is a need to change the law, while also admitting in the letter that by removing ‘with certainty’ it will increase the protection from deportation. He has tried to keep it all a secret and it is therefore an example of a fundamental breach of trust.”

Woman sentenced to psychiatric care for lying about rape Further Information at WWW.GALOPBANE.DK

Saturday 5th May

1st race at 14.30

Best Hat Competition First prize a trip to Dublin

Peter Stanners Three men spent 14 months in jail before being acquitted due to the false testimony of an 18-year-old woman

A

n 18-year-old woman has been sentenced to five years of psychiatric care after being found guilty of giving a false witness testimony in a rape case three years ago.

The woman’s testimony led to three men, who were 16, 17 and 18 at the time, spending 14 months in jail for rape.

But after the younger broth-

er of one of the accused secretly recorded the girl admitting she lied about the rape, the three were retried, cleared and each given compensation of between 600,000 and 700,000 kroner.

In court last week on Wednesday, the woman was found guilty of having lied about the involvement of two of the men who she said held her down while the third man allegedly raped her in the handicapped toilet at Fredericia train station on 13 September 2008.

One of the three imprisoned men, Sharif Saloni, said he was disappointed that the girl did not receive a prison sentence.

“She ought to feel a little bit of what we felt when we were

She ought to feel a little bit of what we felt when we were locked up locked up,” Saloni said, according to Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “Nobody deserves to go through what we went through.”

Saloni also expressed disappointment that the court did not find the woman guilty of lying that he raped her, and instead only found that she lied about the two other men hold-

ing her down.

According to the prosecutor, it was not possible to find her guilty of lying about the rape, as it could not be proved that she did not think she was raped.

“We need to put ourselves inside the girl’s head,” prosecutor Birte Wirnfeldt told Jyllands-Posten. “What was she thinking when she testified against Sharif Saloni? We cannot disprove that she felt raped.

But still, that is not the same as saying a rape took place.”

The girl received a five-year psychiatric sentence after her psychiatric report showed she had a very low mental capacity.

She will now spend at least one year in a psychiatric institution.

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8

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

F

EW WOULD argue that organised sport is anything but a game. Whether it’s at the local level, where clubs often serve as community rallying points, or in the high-stakes game of international competition, sport is just as much about politics and business as it is about play.

So important, in fact, is organised sport in this country that most people will tell newcomers that it’s one of the best ways to meet Danes. Participation as a volunteer for a sports club even earns foreigners points towards permanent residency.

Given the importance placed on sport, and the image it presents to the outside world, it should come as no surprise that when participating in international sporting events risks putting the country in a bad light, decision makers are quick to air any reservations they might have.

Such was the case in 2008, when China’s human rights record had many calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. At that time, the debate centred on whether to attend the Olympics and engage China or stay home as a sign of protest.

With the European football championship set to get underway at the beginning of June, Denmark has joined the discussion over whether to boycott matches in Ukraine, which is co-host of the tournament together with Poland, due to questions about the treatment of jailed former Ukrainian PM Julia Tymoshenko.

Uffe Elbæk, the culture minister, summed up his dilemma nicely by indicating that he has a duty to both the athletes and the country’s reputation. At a time of economic and social upheaval, however, there are two other important groups he should consider before making a decision to keep the team at home.

The first is the group of businesses that in the 2010-2011 season paid over 100 million kroner in sponsorships and TV rights to the Danish football association DBU. With Denmark playing in one of the world’s largest football events, the amount for this season is likely to be far in excess of that. For businesses and the DBU alike, the European championship offers them a lucrative marketing platform they’d be disappointed to lose.

The second group is the millions of people planning to sit down in front of the TV this summer to watch Denmark play.

While few of them would ever be under the impression that the game isn’t everything (or dare claim that human rights is more important than sport) most would argue that, where the games are played – be that Ukraine, Poland or, as some have suggested, Germany – is less important than the action on the pitch.

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Us, them and being Danish LARS CHRISTIANSEN

P

UBLIC broadcaster DR’s Washington correspondent, Erkan Özden, is a victim of “assimilation”, one of my friends, who I’ll call ‘K’, told me once. K teaches Danish as a second language and was informed about this at a training workshop on ‘cultural understanding’ at the University of Copenhagen. Referring to the fact that Özden has learned to speak standard Danish and that you can’t identify his ethnic origin based on the way he speaks, it was argued that the majority had forced him to accept their understanding of good language usage.

My friend was a little taken aback. As a language teacher, he’d sought to teach immigrants to learn Danish as well as possible, but now the culture experts were telling him that just insinuating that something is ‘better’ or ‘more Danish’ than something else is wrong – and even repressive.

K has always enjoyed working with people from other countries, but it wasn’t until he attended university that he found out that you can’t really be tolerant or inclusive unless you distance yourself from your own culture, or until you accept how much ‘structural racism’ exists in Denmark. For the final exam, students needed to search the Danish media for stigmatising portrayals of immigrants.

Figuring it was probably bad for my health to attend the workshop/propaganda session, I borrowed K’s course material. This only confirmed my fears. The class was based on Iben Jensen’s ‘Grundbog i kulturforståelse’ (Introduction to Cultural Understanding). The book’s cover art shows a black man stating: “I’m from Africa.” To which a white man replies: “Cool, so you’re good at dancing, singing and hanging on the block.” The point – that ‘we’ generalise and ‘talk down’ to ‘them’ – was the general theme of the book and reflected its readability level: the language use isn’t much above what you’d find in a children’s picture book, and its point – to challenge the nation-state and promote multiculturalism – is made about as subtly as a Jehovah’s Witness re-

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cruitment spiel.

Jensen’s text is something of a handbook in political correctness for all the well-behaved boys and girls who’ve been fed trendy theories about national identity being a ‘social construction’ from the 19th century, and built on the establishment of an ‘us’ and a ‘them’, and how we mustn’t allow this to be carried over into the age of globlalisation, which should be the age of the post-national, unprejudiced and inclusive ‘homo multiculutralis’.

What these scholars are telling us, then, is that Danish identity is dangerous and artificial, and that what we like to call ‘culture’ is simply laughable.

Not long ago, DR broadcasted the 2011 performance of annual parody skit show Circusrevy, which contained a bit about the immigration point system. In the skit, two characters, ‘Fatima’ and ‘Ahmed’, both eager to assimilate into Danish society, each “lack 10 points in order to be included into the Danish context”, as the refrain went. They’d done everything they could to become real Danes: they bought a clap hat and a bible, they decked their walls with porcelain platters, and they were willing to watch pornographic films on the internet and get divorced.

Another example is the work ‘Vi danskere’ (We Danes), by award-winning, misanthropic poet Henrik Nordbrandt, which – all too predictably – puts down our complacency and pokes fun at pig farming, the Church of Denmark and the Royal Family.

Fortunately, Nordbrant’s lyrical talent saves the day for him.

And now that we’re at it, at the University of Copenhagen’s library, I found a catalogue of courses in ‘Danish culture’ for foreign students. The cover featured Peter Carlsen’s painting ‘Denmark 2009’, a pastiche of Delacroix’s iconic revolutionary image ‘Liberty leading the people’. Carlsen combines the preposterous with the dangerous by portraying Danes as a beer drinking, pork eating and tabloid reading group as a way to signify their mediocrity, simplicity and bourgeois consumerism. Meanwhile, in the background, there’s a baseball bat-wielding football

PETER CARLSEN

Bring Euro2012 boycott discussion down to earth

4 - 10 May 2012

fan and lynch mob. Welcome to Denmark!

Many will probably call me a frustrated, humourless stiff, but there are times when I wonder just how complacent we are here in Denmark, and whether those who attack Danishness are as controversial as they think they are.

My humble point is that while self-criticism is a virtue, hating yourself is pitiful.

With the box office success of the film Hvidsten Gruppen, about a Second World War resistance cell, many of the letters written by members of the resistance group are being made public. The letters make for fascinating reading – quite possibly even for social constructivists and critical culture researchers. The letters make it clear that they weren’t fighting for democracy, the welfare state or human rights. What they were fighting for was freedom for their people and their country. In their defence, you can say that modern culture studies were just as unknown for them as they were for Saxo Grammaticus when he wrote about the feats of the Danes. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t know that they gave their lives for a repressive social construction. They never state outright whether they were ashamed of the Royal Family, the Church of Denmark or pig farming, but I doubt they were.

The Hvidsten Group must be a goldmine for culture scholars looking into nationalism.

Am I paranoid? I hope so.

But I can’t seem to shake the notion that disrespect for one’s own culture is masked by respect for

someone else’s – like when teachers move Christmas celebrations out of churches in consideration for non-Christian students. Nor can I let go of the thought that those that are the biggest proponents of inclusion, actually, practise the opposite: eliminating national cultural differences and intolerance for everything they, for political reasons, don’t approve of.

I’ll never forget going to a meeting at my daughter’s school and suggesting that they consider instituting a traditional morning assembly, complete with flag raising and song. One father swore that he’d never let his son be subjected to that sort of “Christian propaganda”. So much for the great hymn writers of the past.

Now, they sing kids’ songs which don’t exclude anyone, neither on religious grounds nor on ethinic grounds, because they are totally meaningless.

All of this makes me think of people I’ve met who defected from eastern Europe during the Cold War. They were happy to arrive in the free world, but the most progressive of their new compatriots told them that Denmark was a repressive, post-capitalist society. Fortunately for them, the country was still free enough that these people were allowed to put it down – and also fortunately for them, the majority of Danes at that time weren’t progressive social constructivists either.

Lars Christiansen is a German translator and author and is currently a PhD fellow at Aarhus University

READER COMMENTS S-tog: a death trap, due to bicycle chaos I find it very positive that bicycles can travel for free on the train, but I think the people who use this service must have limits. I find it unacceptable and dangerous that bicycles are taken outside the designated areas, not only by the doors in the ‘Flexrum’, but also by all the doors on the train — sometimes under the complacent gaze of the train conductors. Can you imagine what would happen in the case of an emergency? If the doors are blocked with bicycles, people cannot evacuate the train quickly and they could get trapped. Worst-case scenario,

they could die. Additionally, I have seen on some occasions (when there is a delayed train) that the wagons remain empty, as people can’t enter the train because the bicycles are blocking the doors. Now, I am personally afraid to sit in quiet areas during rush hours, as I did before. I think that DSB should consider bicycles outside the specific areas as a violation of the law and impose a fine, as if they were travelling without a ticket (750kr), and introduce additional fines before a tragedy happens. Isn’t there any Danish or EU regulation regarding the obstruction of exits in public places?

Simon Busch By email

Terrorist Breivik invokes Denmark’s immigration policies in his defence I wonder if this will be turned into yet another victory for the right wing here? It’s almost as if they could use this to brag about their policies being entirely likely to cause the type of social cohesion that Breivik denies exists in Norway.

Nebsy By website Victory, no. Food for the propaganda machine, yes.

Thorvaldsen By website Considering the stink this man made over being allowed to wear

his spiffy red LaCoste sweater at court hearings, I am sure it’s KILLING him to know prison life has turned him into a pasty doughy pantload. Couldn’t happen to a more repulsive individual!

HeidiakaMissJibba By website One person, seven different caseworkers One unemployed keeping seven to eight people employed – wow!

BellTheCat By website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 May 2012

9

Pernickety Dicky

BY RICHARD STEED 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.”

Dear Copenhagen COLOURBOX

I

HATE HAVING to make big decisions, but after five glorious years of living in Copenhagen, I have hit a brick wall. So this could be my penultimate column, as I am thinking of heading back to London. Then I might finally be able to answer my own question: Can a foreigner ever become a Dane? Maybe, but not in my case!

In the end, it is my lack of Danish language skills that has become my brick wall. In my self-defence, being a news journalist, words are my only currency, but I have finally woken up to this reality – I will never be fluent enough to interview Villy Søvndal in Danish without making a fool of myself. (Even though the Danes have excellent English skills, there aren’t that many outlets here for people like me, so thank goodness for The Copenhagen Post.)

So unless I want to rethink my career, it could be the language that gets me in the end!

Yet Copenhagen has treated me so well, and even though this city is currently a horrible building site littered with trash, it’s a wonderful place to live.

The fact that I can walk the streets any time of day or night without the fear of being mugged, or I can get on my bike and go to the sea, makes for a relaxing and calm life.

The Danish language is proving to be an unmovable barrier

Even though I am now certain Danish society has a drinking problem, hanging out with the Danes has also been a lifechanging experience, especially on the sexual liberation front. I am convinced this is one of the

most metrosexual cities in the Western Hemisphere!

The idea of returning to London fills me with mixed emotions. On the work front, the possibilities will be much more forthcoming, though from

a lifestyle point of view, it really will be back to the rat race. I will also have to confront and deal again with a society based on the haves and the have-nots: the continuing homeless problem, the obsession with Posh Spice,

The idea of returning to London fills me with mixed emotions

and all the other crazy people in desperate need of mental help. Oh, and the chance of being mugged or stabbed for my iPhone!

Of course Copenhagen is not flawless, but compared to London it’s pure heaven. Here there is little of the suspicious ambience that London thrives on: the jealousy, resentment, greed, conspicuous wealth and consumption. And, as yet, socialism is not seen as a dirty word here.

I know what you’re thinking: I am being totally daft trying to compare these two cities. One is a gold-fish bowl, the other a metropolis. Yet the quality of life here is fantastic – something to be envied – and I don’t see the same aggression between the Danes like there is between the Brits. You still have some kind of respect for each other, which in today’s cruel and violent world is pretty amazing. London could definitely pick up a few tips from this city.

I also love the fact that you naively think you’re the best in the world, which obviously as a foreigner makes me sometimes giggle at your self-righteousness and self-delusional behaviour, but hey, nobody’s perfect!

So should I stay or should I go now? Well I guess my next article will let you know how my story ends.

CPH POST VOICES

‘STILL ADJUSTING’

‘TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK’

‘MACCARTHY’S WORLD’

‘THE LYNCH REPORT’

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

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

English-Australian theatre director Stuart Lynch has lived in Copenhagen since Clinton impeached his cigars and writes from the heart of the Danish and international theatre scene. He is married with kids and lives in Nørrebro. Visit his Danish theatre at www.lynchcompany.dk.

10 News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012

Peter Stanners Former foreign minister urges boycott of sporting event unless Ukrainian opposition leader Julia Tymoshenko is released from jail

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he upcoming football European Championship in Poland and Ukraine risks a political boycott from European ministers in protest against the imprisonment of Ukrainian opposition leader Julia Tymoshenko.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the first to announce that she would boycott the sporting event unless Tymoshenko is released from the seven-year sentence she received last October on charges of mishandling a 2009 energy deal with Russia.

The conviction is widely regarded to be a political vendetta

by President Viktor Yanukovych, who defeated Tymoshenko in the 2010 presidential election but whose presidential win in 2004 was annulled as a result of the Orange Revolution protest movement that was co-led by Tymoshenko.

After Merkel took the lead, Danish ministers are now considering whether it would be appropriate to attend the European Championships, given Tymoshenko’s politically-motivated jailing and subsequent

reports of abuse in prison.

The culture minister, Uffe Elbæk (Radikale), told Berlingske Nyhedsbureau that he “clearly expects” to participate in the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, despite calls for a boycott.

“Merkel’s comments definitely leave an impression,” Elbæk, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “What’s happening in Ukraine is totally monstrous.

I take it very seriously but it is a very delicate balancing act. If we send our football team to Ukraine, then I have a duty to support the team. On the other hand, we need to defend human rights and draw attention to the state of affairs in Ukraine.”

MP Per Stig Møller (Konservative), who has served as both the foreign and culture minister, said a boycott would be the only right decision.

“I don’t believe that as a minister or MP it is appropriate to go to Ukraine and officially attend the European Championship,” Møller told JyllandsPosten. “Doing so would be to support a government that has subjected Julia Tymoshenko to atrocious treatment.”

Tymoshenko is reportedly on hunger strike in a jail in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and claims to have been punched and had her limbs twisted while being taken to a hospital for treatment of a back problem

Scanpix/Sergei Supinsky

MP call for Danish boycott of Euro 2012

Study: A quick diagnosis will save billions by reducing waiting time and sick days

A

The boycott calls cenre around the imprisonment of Julia Tymoshenko

– claims that are supported by photographs that show bruising on her arms and stomach.

Møller argued that Tymoshenko’s only crime was to present a political threat to the power of Yanukovych and said that the current Ukranian president has imprisoned her in order to avoid meeting her at future elections.

“The punishment means that Julia Tymoshenko will not able to run in the next election.

It is completely unacceptable

Denmark’s most effective Danish courses! www.kiss.dk

Diagnosis guarantee will pay off, study suggests

and undemocratic,” he said.

“That is why I believe that ministers should not attend. The government needs to come to this conclusion on their own otherwise we will bring it up in the foreign policy committee.”

Møller did not think, however, that players should get involved in the political debate, as the president of the German football club Bayern Münich, Uli Hoeness, has encouraged his players to do.

New study has estimated that the country could save over 5 billion kroner a year in reduced sick days if the health service can give a diagnosis to patients within 50 days of their first medical consultation. The joint study by chamber of commerce Dansk Erhverv and labour union FOA comes as the government this week unveiled its own pledge to issue a diagnosis within 30 days.

Dennis Kristensen, the president of FOA, said that in addition to saving money, such guarantees would help balance the equality of the healthcare system.

“Today there is inequality because people in certain areas with a good education and a good job can argue their way to better care, while unskilled people in low-wage jobs must endure long waiting times,” Kristensen told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “The diagnosis guarantee will end that inequality.”

The government’s proposal has received backing from the nation’s five healthcare regions and many doctors. Detractors, such as Torben Mogensen, the deputy director of Hvidovre Hospital, argue that the plan will not save

We avoid people getting more ill as they wait around for a diagnosis money.

“On the contrary, it will be more expensive. A set waiting time is actually good because many illnesses can disappear in time,” Mogensen told JyllandsPosten. “A guarantee will mean considerably more examinations and that will lead to a massive increase in costs.”

Non-profit labour market pension fund PensionDanmark helps some of its account holders to a quick diagnosis and treatment, similar to the one month diagnosis guarantee that the government has proposed.

The company’s managing director, Torben Möger Pedersen, argued that Mogensen’s evaluation is incorrect.

“The guarantee won’t mean more examinations, but rather that we shorten the waiting time between,” Pedersen told Jyllands-Posten. “A shorter wait translates into less sick day costs and we also avoid people getting more ill as they wait around for a diagnosis.” (CW)

Mayors up in arms over radioactive waste Peter Stanners Government rejects calls to export 5,000 cubic metres of waste produced by 50 years of activity at research centre

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he government’s plan to bury 5,000 cubic metres of low-level radioactive waste by 2018 has been met with opposition by the five councils that have been shortlisted as suitable burying sites.

On Monday, the mayors of Bornholm, Skive, Struer, Lolland and Kerteminde met with the health minister, Astrid Krag (Socialistisk Folkeparti), to try and convince her to export the waste, but according to Bornholm’s mayor, Winni Grosbøll (Socialdemokraterne), the health minister would not budge.

“The minister is going to stick to the plan, which means that the six locations currently under consideration will be reduced to two or three by the autumn,” Grosbøll told Ritzau, adding that the government should seriously consider alternatives. Currently, the government has not named specifics beyond saying that there are six possible sites located in the five short-listed councils.

The waste was produced by the Risø DTU National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy near Roskilde, which was established in 1955 to investigate

peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

“We suggest either leaving the waste in Risø where it has been sitting already for many years, or looking at creating a co-operation deal with neighbouring countries, such as Sweden or Germany, who are already used to dealing with nuclear material,” Grosbøll said.

In 2003, the Danish government decided to decommission the three experimental nuclear reactors that the research centre has housed – the same year it was decided to bury the waste, which will take an estimated 300 years to become harmless.

Ole Kastbjerg Nielsen from Dansk Dekommissionering, the company responsible for disposing of the radioactive waste, told public broadcaster DR that the reason parliament decided to dispose of the waste in Denmark was to comply with the UN convention on nuclear waste that declares that each country must process its own radioactive material.

The low-level radioactive waste is comprised of goods that have been in contact with high levels of radiation or very dangerous fuel cells, such as gloves, scrap metal and irradiated concrete that has been used as radioactive shielding.

“Radioactive waste is definitely something that needs to be taken seriously and handled responsibly. Safety analyses show

that it can be handled responsibly and in a way that poses no threat to the people or the environment,” Nielsen told DR. Dansk Dekommissionering is now attempting to reduce the size of the 5,000 cubic metres of waste.

“We are trying different methods of minimising the size of the waste,” Nielsen said.

“Even if we burn it, there will be radioactive ash that needs to be disposed of. Another option is to melt the metals. That is being examined now to see whether it is affordable and responsible.”

Tarjei Haaland, a spokesperson for environmental organisation Greenpeace, told Ritzau that exporting the waste was no solution and that the best option was to bury the waste close to the Risø centre in order to reduce the risk of an accident during transportation.

“Our view is that we ought to dispose of the medium level radioactive waste that we are responsible for creating over the years at the three research reactors at Risø, ourselves,” Haaland said.

The Risø Research Centre was merged with the Technical University of Denmark in 2008 and renamed the Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy. The current focus of its research includes fuel cell technology, renewable energy technology, and radiation shielding.

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 May 2012

11

Enchantment bordering on indoctrination at CTC’s sell-out final night CLIVE THAIN WORDS BY BEN HAMILTON

‘The Good Doctor’ was in theatre, and the operation was a thorough success, reports the Copenhagen Theatre Circle, which finished off a ten-performance run before a full house on Saturday. The play was enjoyed by many, garnering good reviews and vindicating director Frank Theakston’s decision to focus more on the Chekhov source material than The cast enjoyed a well-deserved bow following the final whistle, or should we say all-clear: (left-right) John Shennan, Dawn Wall, Sebastien Bagot, Brendan O’Gorman, Jens Blegaa, Gaby Neubert-Luckner, Josh Shires and Debbie Taylor. Not pictured is Nenc Cihoric Neil Simon’s play.

In for a check-up was Launa Samin Fehrenkamp, who is of French and Irish descent and has lived in Copenhagen since 2005

Writing out a prescription for our photographer was Rosalyn Porter, with her husband Christopher, who are from Alexandria – no, not ancient Egypt, but in good old Virginia

Judging by their smiles, it was just what the doctor ordered for Maersk contingent (leftright) Polly Raine, Claudio Cassarino, and Victoria and Phil Christian

Following doctor’s orders and sticking to his soda was Ron Rosenow, an American from Minnesota who has been here since August 2011

Enjoying a drop for medicinal purposes whilst lending a hand with the lighting & sound, and set construction, was the CTC’s Shawn Perman (centre)

Swapping St Albans Church’s pulpit for the doctor’s surgery was Archdeacon Jonathan LLoyd from St Albans Church, along with his wife Sue.

‘Bride and groom’ Gaby Neubert-Luckner and Jens Blegaa gave the audience a taste of their own medicine

12

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 May 2012

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

(UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)

Scandinavian fashion brand NN.07 presented their new winter collection at their head-office in Copenhagen. “This is our fifth year on the Scandinavian fashion scene and we felt confident enough to return to where it all started in 2007,” said communications manager Lincoln Robbin-Coker (second from left) said. “The style of Tokyo has always been reflected in our collections, but this is the first time we designed a complete collection inspired by the unmistakably unaffected look, only found on the streets of Tokyo.”

Robbin-Coker says NN.07 is one of Scandinavia’s most popular fashion brands. Contrasted dots and tone-on-ton stripes are recurrent in their latest collection of shirts, blouses and jerseys. “All unmistakable trademark patterns of Tokyo. Individuality is key, mixing styles; quality fabrics, patterns and colours to create a personal take on clothes that make you feel good and look great.” .

Pia Allerslev, the deputy mayor for culture and leisure, was on at hand to open the new Town Hall Museum, which is situated by the famous Gavegangen (gift corridor).

The museum traces the history of the building, making use of objects that have lain in dusty boxes for decades.

The occasion was the opening of a new Institute’s for New Economic Thinking (INET) centre at the University of Copenhagen. The Centre of Imperfect Knowledge Economics has been created in co-operation with Soros Fund Management. Pictured here (left-right) are SFM’s Hungarian-American chairman George Soros – known in some circles as ‘The Man who broke the Bank of England’ – and INET chairman Niels Thygesen and his wife.

COMING UP SOON

AT WORK AND AT PLAY

Isabelle Valentine’s husband works at a video game company and gets to play at work. She also wanted to play for a living so she started the Montessori International Preschool. She moved to Frederiksberg in May 2008 where she lives with her young family.

Integration vs Internationalisation

I

NTEGRATION is a concept that I first heard frequently when we moved to Denmark. To me, integration seems like a Danish concept because out of all the countries where I have lived, this is the one where integration has such an important role.

I lived in Japan in the late 1990s where there was no discussion of integration. At the time, the Japanese were convinced that their language was too difficult for any ‘gaijin’ (foreigner) to learn. All of our cultural mistakes were quickly forgiven as they thought that a foreigner could never truly comprehend the local ways and customs. There the emphasis was on ‘internationalisation’ as they called it. It was not about foreigners integrating their culture,

but about the Japanese becoming more international with the help of foreigners.

This is not the case here in Denmark. We get frowned upon for not using the conveyor belt separator at the supermarket and we need to learn the cycling rules quickly or we risk a real telling-off. We are expected to assimilate into the local culture and become Danish as quickly as possible, whereas in Japan, we were never expected to even pretend to be Japanese. These two views are interesting in their contrast, but they certainly have not prevented me from enjoying life in either country.

Here we appreciate the subsidised Danish lessons, having the same welfare rights as the Danes, and fitting in without standing out as foreigners. In Japan, we were always reminded that we were different and we were treated differently. Ulti-

Royal Academy School of Architecture Publishers has released a new book entitled ‘Climate and Architecture’. Pictured here is the school’s Torben Dahl (centre), the executive editor of the book, and two of the co-authors.

mately, we are happy to be here in Copenhagen, just as we were happy to live in Tokyo. What is important is that we are always learning something new about the local culture.

Having started an international preschool with tuition in English, I am not promoting integration. Rather, I am creating employment for local residents, including Danes, and am thereby participating in the local economy. This could be considered as some kind of integration, couldn’t it?

Looking back on my experience in Japan, maybe I am helping to internationalise Copenhagen in the hope that more foreigners will enjoy their time here, while also opening their children’s minds to a culturally diverse environment. In its own way, it makes me feel more integrated socially – and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Expat dinners All over Denmark; May 10; times vary; free adm; sign up at www. expatindenmark.com The purpose of the dinner is to have an interesting evening where local expats can meet local Danes and vice-versa. Dinners take place at libraries all over Denmark. For a full list, check www.expatindenmark.com.

Tight Night Restaurant Tight, Hyskenstræde 10, Cph K; Thu 10 May, 19:00; 350kr; www.europeanpwn.com Join the European Professional Women’s Network for their dinner at Tight Restaurant. Enjoy a three-course meal for the price of 350 kr. Sign up online or send an email to toniheisterberg@cis.dk.

French Film at Grand Teatret Grand Teatret, Mikkel Bryggers Gade 8, Cph K; Mon 14 May, 17:00; www.meetup.com Tantalise your senses with French film ‘La Délicatesse’ (‘Delicacy’). The group meets up at Grand Teatret’s café you’ll be able to recognise them by their French flag. You have to pay for your own ticket and the film itself starts at 19:00.

Opening Dutch Film Week Cinemateket, Gothersgade 55, Cph K; Thu 10 May, 19:15; free adm; www.dfi.dk The Dutch Embassy and Cinemateket cordially invite you to attend the showing of the opening film of Dutch Film Week: ‘Nothing Personal’. After the viewing, director Urszula Antoniak and producer Frans van Gestel will speak about the film.

Sign up for this free event by sending an email to Søren Lester of the Dutch Embassy at soren. lester@minbuza.nl. You can pick up tickets from the Cinemateket box office from Tuesday 8 May. Have you got the optimal pension arrangement?

Aon Denmark, Strandgade 4C, Cph K; Thu 15 May, 17:30; free adm; www.bccd.dk The sponsor of Manchester United, Aon Private Consulting and the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark invites you to a meeting about how an independent broker can help you save time and money when choosing between pension providers. This event is for BCCD members only.

Start-up Weekend Finance Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship, Howitzvej 60, Frederiksberg; Sun 13 May, 18:30; free adm; copenhagenfinance.startupweekend.org Start-up Weekend is an intense 54-hour start-up event that provides the networking, resources, and incentives for individuals and teams to launch their ideas. Get connected with local developers, innovators and entrepreneurs. The best idea wins 10,000kr.

Storytime Books & Company, Sofievej 1, Hellerup; every Tuesday 09:3010:00; Free Adm; for more information check www.booksandcompany.dk/storytime-atbooks-company Tuesday mornings at the international book café are dedicated to inspiring and captivating the imagination of the little ones.

The wonderful storyteller Sara Albers, a teacher and a mother of two young boys, entertains the kids with stories, poems, finger plays and small projects. This is a fantastic way to start the day!

TK

MIKE HOFMAN

LIFESTYLE: SUMMER SPORT THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 May 2012

A plan for all seasons

BY STEEN BILLE

M

AN, IT is hard staying inside when the sun is blinding me through the windows and the sky is high and blue-like endless. Like a balloon losing air, I cannot hold on to my sessions indoor in the gym or local fitness centre. My mind wanders, my body grows restless, and all of me just itches to leave my office, forget about cleaning the house, drop the book I am reading sitting comfortably on the couch, and seek out new activities to do outdoors under the open sky. Yup this is the Danish summer – a season during which it’s a crime not to do any sport.

On the move Summertime is outdoor-time for sure, and summertime is the right time to discover new hidden treasures in your city and nearby nature. I get a kick out of strolling through the off-beat streets, finding new shortcuts and exploring the waterfront. Walking offers me a different perspective on my hometown than a bike-ride would. And you too would love the sight and smell of colourful flowers in the park if you took a walk there just as I enjoy the meditative vibe when walking among tall trees and bushy ground in the forest.

A runner’s delight It doesn’t take much to go for a walk except a pair of good shoes or boots and a windbreaker for the easiest way of exercising you can imagine. But somehow I miss the sense of going further down the roads and maybe into the park, into a small wood, or along a lake glittering in the sun.

Where are my old running shoes?

Ooh, I threw them into a basket of last year’s worn-out shoes, and trying them on, I decide to waste some money on a new pair of shoes in the name of the independence that the freedom of running gives me – whether it’s in

Steen Bille has been a reporter at DGI for eleven years, primarily covering recreational or leisure time sports activities – a topic he has written about for almost all of the 26 years he has been a journalist. The DGI (the Danish Gymnastic and Sports Associations) is an umbrella group for around 5,000 local associations, which massively vary in size, from the dozens to the thousands.

one thing: that your body feels worked-out to the bone after sweating buckets of water. But with a smile on my face. Forgotten is the pain. All I feel is the relief that it’s over – for now – and the thrill of having used all the muscles in my body in an intense, pace-driven and tough type of activity.

between work, fetching my kids from kindergarten or school, shopping for dinner, and going to a meeting.

On two wheels There is a sense of southern Europe in the air come May or June: a warm breeze, a spicy fragrance, and smiles all over the faces of people passing by or enjoying a cappuccino at a café. Maybe it’s time to park my mountain bike and wipe the dust off my ordinary bike, oil the chain and pump the wheels ... and it looks good and shiny and ready to take me anywhere ... to work, to school, to the seaside or into the forest just to have a first taste of outdoor life.

In glimpses I recall the bike rides last summer along the coast with the sun blinding me and the wind redecorating my hair. Will you join me for a 10km ride to reach the new ice cream parlour we discovered up the road last year? But remember your helmet!

Street life On a long, hot summer’s day, the city is bursting of outdoor life from morning into night. The cafés are brimming with joyous people, while others stroll through the parks or along the seaside promenade. In between and around them, rollerskaters, skateboarders, BMX bikers and parkour powertumblers display their elegant charms and make me dig deep in the cardboard boxes to find my well-worn rollerblades for a triumphantly youthful journey down memory lane to see the city and the streets from a different angle.

A ride on the water Summertime is watertime. It is okay to nurse a garden and it is fine to conquer the gravel paths on my bike, but it is better to go to the seaside and to go onto the water. Suddenly my view of the city changes and it takes on a different perspective seen from the waterside sitting in a kayak. I move quietly through the water as if I’m on a meditation early in the morning while the sun is colouring the houses on the coast. Three early morning rowers pass me while greeting me silently, leaving me to my own solitary company as the summer’s day slowly grows warm and full of light.

Indoor turning outdoor Ah, I can breathe now … I mean, I loved doing crossfit indoor in the old gym that smells of sweat, sour socks and authoritarian teachers’ rules.

But it is such a relief to carry the kettle bells and the medicine balls outside, place them on the grass in the corner of the soccer training ground, and get stuck into the chin-ups, push-ups, Halmtorvet 19 • The Bosch building • DK-1700 Copenhagen V Tlf: +45 33 31 20 00 • hej@biomio.dk • www.biomio.dk squats and exercises, which guarantee

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13

CominG Soon!

For four weeks at a time, four times a year, our aim is to give you all the seasonal lifestyle advice you need to thrive in the areas of gardening, health, food and sport. When should you plant your petunias, when does the birch pollen season normally start, which week do the homegrown strawberries take over the supermarket, and which outdoor sports can you play in the snow? All the answers are here in ‘A plan for all seasons’.

Sport Garden Health Food Lifestyle will return in two months!

ReloCation GuiDe

• What is a CPR number & that little yellow card?

• Want to say “hej” to Danish?

• Want to find the perfect neigbourhood?

SPRinG 2012 look for the Relocation Guide due out in may

14

sport

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012

Friday is face-off time for fast-improving ice hockey force Henning Bagger/Scanpix

Factfile | Denmark’s opponents Czech Republic May 4, 16:15 World Ranking: 5th Key player: David Krejčí Boston Bruins (NHL) Have Denmark beaten them before? No Denmark’s chances: 10% Italy May 6, 12:15 World Ranking: 17th Key player: Giulio Scandella HC Pustertal (Italy) Have Denmark beaten them before? Yes Denmark’s chances: 70% Sweden May 7, 20:15 World Ranking: 3rd Key player: Henrik Zetterberg Detroit Red Wings (NHL) Have Denmark beaten them before? No Denmark’s chances: 10%

Denmark will be hard-pushed to get their campaign off to a winning start against the Czechs on Friday, but will fancy their chances against Italy on Sunday

Christian Wenande Danes looking to relive past glories at the IIHF World Championships in Stockholm and Helsinki

M

any remember 2010 as a legendary year for Danish ice hockey.

That year, the underdogs on ice beat perennial powers Finland, Slovakia and the USA on their way to eventually losing to Sweden in the quarterfinals and coming a sensational eighth place.

And now with the players who triumphed in 2010 again on board, the spirits are high in the Danish camp as they make their final preparations before heading to Stockholm to participate in the 2012 Ice Hockey World Championships, which are being jointly hosted by Sweden and Finland.

Head coach, Per Bäckman, revealed a 25-man roster on Tuesday that includes four NHL players thus far, including star

forward Frans Nielsen, who plys his trade for the New York Islanders and who racked up a goal and three assists in Denmark’s defeat of Italy in their final exhibition match on Tuesday night..

“We feel that we have a better team than in Germany [in 2010], when we reached the quarter-finals,” Nielsen told DR Sporten. “I think that we have been so good that we don’t have to just survive anymore, but go for the win in every game. I believe that we have the potential to reach another quarter-final and that’s what we have to fight for.”

Nielsen is among the group of four NHL players who have joined the Danish team, which also includes Lars Eller (Montreal Canadiens), Philip Larsen (Dallas Stars), and Jannik Hansen, who is a surprise addition after his heavily favoured Vancouver Canucks were ousted in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

When it comes to assessing the strengths of the opposition, Nielsen said that it was difficult to say because it depends on which teams progress in the current NHL playoffs, as is the

case with Mikkel Bødker, whose Phoenix Coyotes are still playing. Some players may even join the team after the tournament has started.

“There are many players still playing over in the NHL, and you don’t really know who the other teams will be getting back,” Nielsen told DR Sports.

“We are waiting and watching the news a bit every day trying to figure out who the others have on their teams.”

One player who unfortunately won’t be playing for Denmark is young winger Nicklas Jensen, who suffered a concussion while playing for his US-based team.

Also, the top scorer for Denmark in last year’s tournament, Mads Christensen, pulled out on Tuesday after being admitted to Herlev Hospital with a severe migraine.

Although the pre-tournament exhibition matches have been a mixed bag of nuts for the Danes – including wins against France, Latvia, Slovakia and Italy, and losses against Norway, Latvia (who they played more than once) and a Russian B-team – the

addition of the NHL players has given them a significant boost.

But, it will be a tough road ahead if the Danes are to emulate their quarter-final appearance two years ago, believes goalkeeper Frederik Andersen.

“We need to play trademark Danish ice hockey: hard work and intelligent play,” Andersen told DR Sports. “We’re not the strongest team there; Sweden, Russia and Czech Republic are probably the toughest in our group, so there are four other games we need to get points from.”

This year’s edition will see a new format introduced. Some 16 teams will compete in two preliminary round group stages, with the top four from each group progressing to the quarterfinals. The teams that finish last in each group will be relegated to the lower division.

The preliminary groups will be played in Helsinki (Group H) and Stockholm (Group S – Denmark’s group), and the quarterfinals (rather bizarrely – presumably to accommodate travelling fans) will also be played within

the groups, meaning that the teams will stay in their respective group cities until the medal games, which are all in Helsinki.

Basically, if you find yourself in Helsinki watching the Danes play, you are witnessing nothing short of a miracle, because it will mean they are among the top four nations in the world.

But if you don’t see yourself taking in the biggest annual winter sports event live, fret not. TV2 Sport will be covering the tournament, including all of Denmark’s games. Denmark play their opening game against Czech Republic, a team they have never beaten, on May 4 at 16:45.

There is one important success that is already in place for the Danish ice hockey team. As opposed to the national football team, the ice hockey players are actually allowed to use social media such as Twitter and Facebook during the tournament.

If you have a penchant for betting, it is worth pointing out that Denmark are 13/1 to beat the Czechs, 200/1 to win their group.

Russia May 10, 16:15 World Ranking: 1st Key player: Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) Have Denmark beaten them before? No Denmark’s chances: 5% Germany May 12, 16:15 World Ranking: 8th Key player: Marcel Goc Florida Panthers (NHL) Have Denmark beaten them before? Yes Denmark’s chances: 55% Latvia May 14, 16:15 Latvia, World Ranking: 12th Key player: Kaspars Daugaviņš Ottawa Senators (NHL) Have Denmark beaten them before? Yes Denmark’s chances: 50% Norway May 15, 12:15 World Ranking: 9th Key player: Patrick Thoresen SKA Saint Petersburg (Russia) Have Denmark beaten them before? Yes Denmark’s chances: 65% Denmark World Ranking: 13th Key player: Frans Nielsen New York Islanders (NHL)

Sports news and briefs Freddie’s the man

No birdsong on tour

Superliga to make history

Lions roar into final

AGK knock out champs

Grand slams the focus

Move over Caroline Wozniacki because the country’s top male tennis player, Frederik Nielsen, has finally tasted success – well, almost. In the doubles at an ATP challenger tournament in Taiwan, Nielsen and Kiwi partner Dan King-Turner knocked out the top and fourth seeds on their way to the final, only to lose to the second seeds 7-6, 5-7, 6-7.

Nielsen is ranked 122 in the world at doubles and 286 at singles.

Danish cyclist Jakob Fuglsang, 27, has pulled out of the Giro d’Italia, a race scheduled to start, for the first time ever, in his home country. The first stage time trial will take place in Herning on Saturday, followed by two more stages, also in Jutland. Fuglsang, who was set to lead the RadioShack Nissan team, blamed injuries. The tour ends on May 27 on more familiar territory – in Milan, Italy.

Denmark has been named as a participant in FIFA’s second round of Goal Line Technology testing. A press release released by the sport’s governing body stated that GoalRef ’s system – one of two on FIFA’s shortlist – will be tested in “two separate matches” that could either be two “Superliga matches” or “one league fixture” and an “international friendly match”.

FC Copenhagen and AC Horsens will contest the DBU Cup Final on May 17 at Parken – FCK’s home ground. The Lions defeated SønderjyskE 4-4 on aggregate. Following a 1-0 first leg home win, they scored a late penalty to advance, although SønderjyskE did hit the bar in the 89th minute. Horsens also left it late, scoring in the 86th minute to advance 3-2 with a 1-0 home win.

AG København on Saturday advanced to handball’s Champions League Final 4 thanks to a 62-59 aggregate defeat of defending champions FC Barcelona Intersport. A 33-36 defeat in Spain followed a 29-23 win for the men in Copenhagen eight days earlier. AGK will now meet Atletico Madrid, THW Kiel, and Füchse Berlin in the finals, which will be contested in Cologne on May 26 and 27.

Piotr Wozniacki has told media that his daughter’s main focus in 2012 is the Olympics and grand slams - not ranking points. Turning down an invitation to defend her Brussels Open crown, Wozniacki will play fewer tournaments in her clay season build-up to late May’s French Open, which began last week with a second round 1-6, 2-6 defeat to Angelique Kerber in Stuttgart – the same player who beat her in Farum.

15 Carlsberg ... perhaps the poorest safety record ever BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

SCANPIX/NIELS AHLMANN OLESEN

4 - 10 May 2012

SCANPIX/CLAUS FISKER

RAY WEAVER Brewer’s Fredericia location cited for a record number of serious safety violations

C While Enhedlisten’s Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen (centre) argued the deficit reduction should lead to increased government investment, Radikale’s Margrethe Vestager (background) urged caution over the figures

Budget deficit cut by 26 billion kroner PETER STANNERS Surprise news leads to political parties and trade unions urging additional funding to stimulate economy and create jobs

U

NEXPECTEDLY positive news about the government’s finances was announced on Monday, when it was revealed that 2012’s budget deficit would be 26 billion kroner less than initially expected.

The economy minister, Margrethe Vestager (Radikale), welcomed the news but urged caution.

“It’s no cause for celebration, but it does seem to be getting better,” Vestager told Berlingske newspaper. “Our deficit is reducing, we are on track to keep EU targets, and our debt is becoming manageable. Those are three pieces of good news.”

While the budget deficit is now expected to be around 75 billion kroner, instead of the previous estimate of 101 billion kroner, MPs admit that there is still work to be done reconciling governmental income and expenditure.

“We haven’t got more money in our hands just because we have to borrow 75 billion instead of 101 billion kroner,” Jesper Petersen, a political

spokesperson for Socialistiske Folkeparti, told Jyllands-Posten.

“We still have a large deficit and we still face the problems of an ageing population and diminishing workforce.”

The large budget deficit is partially caused by early payouts of early retirement (efterløn) funds, though these were offset by unexpectedly large pension taxes and revenue from North Sea oil.

The budget deficit is expected to be reduced to 35 billion kroner in 2013, or 1.9 percent of GDP, which is well below the EU’s limit of three percent.

With the government set to present its eight-year economic plan (the 2020 Plan) later this month, trade unions are now hoping the government will find more money for an extra economic stimulus package.

“If the economy is in better shape than it was initially thought, it should raise the prospect of the government introducing a second growth package,” Kim Simonsen, the chairman of the trade union HK, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper.

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, the political spokesperson for far-left government support party Enhedslisten, also implied that the government could now find more money for public investment.

“When you suddenly dis-

cover that the deficit is 26 billion kroner less than anticipated, you would expect it to be reflected in the coming budget,” SchmidtNielsen told Berlingske.

But Simon Ammitzbøll, the chairman of the opposition party Liberal Alliance, argued that despite the positive numbers, the deficit was still enormous and that without significant tax and employment reforms, Denmark’s economic problems would remain.

“This is no time for popping open a bottle of champagne,” Ammitzbøll told Berlingske.

“We still face the same challenges today that we did yesterday.”

The latest employment figures from the Economic Council of the Labour Movement showed that 6.2 percent of the Danish workforce is unemployed, or about 160,000 people – a number that has flatlined after peaking in 2010.

With figures showing unemployment is still double 2008’s lowest level, the Confederation of Labour Unions (LO) argued that the drop in the government’s deficit could justify government investment to create jobs.

“We think the government should do more to create jobs,” LO’s chairman Harald Børsting told Jyllands-Posten. “That means we need to invest. Whether it is now or next year or in two years time, I don’t know.”

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

5.55

5.51

7.34

0.07

0.18

0.81

6.08

8.94

5.50

Buy

6.06

5.96

7.57

0.07

0.20

0.85

6.28

9.30

5.76

steward at Carlsberg’s shipping terminal in Fredericia, said that company management had been warned about the dangerous conditions.

“Many of the things that the inspectors criticised we had pointed out to management earlier,” Nielsen told fagbladet3f. dk. “Nothing was ever done about them.”

Carlsberg’s Fredericia shipping terminal was cited for seven violations, while the brewery itself received five. Inspectors said that using some of the machinery at the plant carried a great risk of bodily harm.

Company officials were quick to say that they would fix

the violations.

“We are pleased that these problems have been brought to our attention,” Jens Bekke, a spokesperson for Carlsberg, told The Copenhagen Post. “We place a high priority on safety and have reduced the number of accidents in 2011 to eleven, down from 21 in 2010.”

Bekke said the company has fixed eleven of the twelve problems that Arbejdstilsynet pointed out and that the last one will be addressed before the summer.

This is the first time Arbejdstilsynet has visited Carlsberg’s Fredericia location since the company moved all of its major brewing operations there in 2008.

2012 BCCD-BIU Golf Tournament

This year’s golf day will be held at Ledreborg Palace Golf Club, which has Scandinavia’s only course designed

by Sir Nick Faldo, on Thursday 14 June . We have arranged both a tournament for experienced golfers, and a fun golf event for beginners.

The tournament will be a 4 person team (best 2 scores per hole per team) Stableford competition over 18 holes with a gun start for experienced golfers. It will be arranged to accommodate company teams, private teams and individual players in a way that will provide good networking opportunities. In addition to the Hole-in-one prize and tournament prizes, there will also be other attractive individual prizes. The beginners’ event will start with training from the Pro, followed by a competition and will give non-golfers and beginners an opportunity to learn the basics and have some fun! Equipment will be provided.

WIN AN ELECTRIC CAR! The first player to score a hole-in-one on the designated hole will win a Better Place, battery powered Renault Fluence ZE. Book Now – there are a limited number of places available Date: Location: Time:

Beginners Event:

Australian Dollars AUD

Watch out for your body parts!

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

Participation Fee: Main Tournament:

Exchange Rates

Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency

ARLSBERG had major safety problems at its brewery in Fredericia last year.

The website fagbladet3f.dk reports that the company was cited for 12 major safety violations in 2011, setting a Danish record for the highest number of possibly dangerous conditions found in a single workplace at one time.

The national working environment authority, Arbejdstilsynet, demanded that the company immediately correct the violations, which included explosion risks, and the danger of workers falling down a lift shaft and getting their body parts caught in machinery.

Inspectors from Arbejdstilsynet said one of the most serious violations involved gas bottles stored around the facility that were not secured and could fall over and explode. There was also a risk that employees could fall four metres down the shaft of a lift that had been in use for four years without the proper safety screens in place.

Ivan Nielsen, the senior shop

Thursday 14 June 2012 Ledreborg Palace Golf, Ledreborg Allé 2A, 4320 Lejre Arrival 07.00 – 07.30 AM, Gun start 09.30 Member/guest – DKK 1000 per player + moms Non-member – DKK 1200 per player + moms Member/guest – DKK 900 per player + moms Non-member – DKK 1000 per player + moms

Participation fee includes breakfast, lunch, green fee etc. Players (with DGU card) that register and pay early (deadline 3rd May ) will be eligible to play a free practice round before the tournament. This represents a saving of up to DKK 595 on Ledreborg’s normal green fees. Registration fees are non-refundable but transferable.

Non-members are very welcome. Please contact BCCD or go to www.bccd.dk for further information.

REGISTRATION: Online at www.bccd.dk or via email to event@bccd.dk by Wednesday 30th May at the latest.

Please state DGU membership number in the “notes” section for each player entering the tournament.

• official media partner

Date: 2 May 2012 Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

16

EMPLOYMENT

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

ntly

w Kailo

re is cur isual

4 - 10 May 2012

Biotech Job Vacancies

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r ction worke u d o r p ic t s ia enthus

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Job profile Your job will consist of operating our large-format printers, as well as carrying out various other related post-print tasks.

You will also be responsible for setting up exhibitions and exhibition systems, both on our own production premises and in locations in the rest of the country.

Previous knowledge of the industry is not necessary as you will receive full training.

Kailow Visual Fjeldhammervej 5-9 2610 Rødovre · Telefon 3876 0200 www.kailow.dk · info@kailow.dk

Your profile • You have a positive attitude A lack of Danish is no and can show initiative and obstacle. flexibility • You can work independently If you are interested in a job in and enjoy responsibility an exciting, rapidly expanding • You can see the big picture company, then send your while at the same time application to Henrik Kailow remaining goal-orientated by email.: henrik@kailow.dk • You have a valid driving licence • You are fluent in both Kailow Visual is a company written and spoken specialising in visualisation. We work English with media which innovatively and effectively visualises and brands our customers’ message and business. As such, Kailow Visual’s business involves graphic design, the development of individual exhibition solutions, and the sale of transportable exhibition systems, as well as the production of large-format printing and various signage solutions.

Kailow Visual is a subsidiary of Kailow Holding.

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE 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 rehabilitation clinic.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Italian (native), English, Danish (currently learning).

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CONTACT: Tel:+45 28702377, m.tujakowska@gmail.com SPOUSE: Ylenia Fiorini FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Post Graduate Master’s Degree in Peace Studies, Development Cooperation, International Mediation and Conflict resolution EXPERIENCE: I have ten years experience as social worker in Italy,and experience in various fields, in the social and third sector and I feel that my educational background combined with my campaign assistant practice in the Ngo Burma Campaign, in Barcelona, has been an excellent preparation. In the same way also my job experiences in the social field made me open to different situations and to see them as a source of knowledge.

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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.

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CONTACT: Tel: +45 52 77 30 93 Christina@hermionesvoice.com, www.hermionesvoice.com.

SPOUSE: Dolon Roy FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Sjælland QUALIFICATION: Masters in Science(Chemistry), BEd. (Teacher training course).

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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).

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CONTACT: dolonroy2005@yahoo.com. Tel: +45 60668239 SPOUSE: Jik Boom FROM: The Netherlands SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Architect .

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LOOKING FOR: Work in the area of teaching (English), proofreading (English) and translation (English/Dutch - Dutch/English) LANGUAGE SKILLS: Dutch, English, French, German, Danish IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office (Powerpoint, Word, Excel) CONTACT: jikboom@yahoo.com, Tel: +45 42129175

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...).

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IT EXPERIENCE: Familiar with Windows O/S and MS Office.

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SPOUSE: Mohammad Ahli- Gharamaleki FROM: Iran SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master degree in chemical engineering.

EXPERIENCE: 5+ years as a chemical engineer in R&D oil/gas projects as a team leader or member in Iran.

LOOKING FOR: A position in an Intrnational company to expand my experience and expertise.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Azeri (native), English (fluent), Farsi (fluent), Arabic (good), Turkish (good), Danish(beginner).

IT EXPERIENCE: Professional (MATLAB, Hysys, Aspen plus, Auto Cad, others (Office, Minitab).

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SPOUSE: Margaret Ritchie FROM: Scotland, UK SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: BA Business Administration majoring in Human Resource Management EXPERIENCE: Worked in the field of Education within a Scottish University. 12 years of experience.

Administrating and organising courses and conferences and also worked as a PA to a Head of School. Great communication skills.

LOOKING FOR: Administration work, typing, audio typing, data input. Can work from home.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mother tongue: English, very basic Danish IT EXPERIENCE: A good user of Microsoft Office package, access to Internet CONTACT: megmagsritchie@googlemail.com Tel: 71182949

SPOUSE: Debasmita Ghosh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmachemistry specialization).

EXPERIENCE: 4 years in Clinical Research (Pharmacovigilance/Safety and Medical Coding) in a leading CRO (Quintiles) and 6 months experience as a lecturer for bachelor degree students in Pharmacy College.

LOOKING FOR: Job in pharmaceutical industry, CRO or any vocation suitable per qualification and experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent written and spoken), enrolled for Danish language classes, Indian Languages (Hindi, Bengali, Kannada).

IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Applications i:e Microsoft office word, excel, outlook, power point and tools, lotus notes, medical and drug softwares like micromedex and ISIS draw. CDM systems like ds Navigator-Medical coding tool and AERS database.

CONTACT: ghoshdebasmita@gmail.com, Tel: +4571488438 SPOUSE: Rita Paulo FROM: Portugal SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Architect .

EXPERIENCE: I am an architect and I have experience in Project and in Construction Supervision.

In the past 7 years, I have worked mainly in housing, masterplanning and social facilities buildings.

My last employer was a Project and Construction company where I had the opportunity to complement my experience in projects together with construction related tasks, developing myself as a professional.

LOOKING FOR: Job in Architecture or Construction Company.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native Portuguese, Proficiency in English, Basic user of Spanish and Danish IT EXPERIENCE: Strong knowledge of AutoCad and ArchiCad. Experience in Studio Max, CorelDraw, Photoshop, Office tools.

CONTACT: rita.vaz.paulo@gmail.com, Tel: +45 2961 9694 SPOUSE: Megan Rothrock FROM: California-USA,Via SEEKING WORK IN: Toy Design, Games Design, or Photography (Syd Denmark Jutland).

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LOOKING FOR: Part/Full time work in an innovative and creative .

LANGUAGE SKILLS: English: native - Dutch: Excellent - Danish (currently in): Danskuddannelse 3, modul 3.

IT EXPERIENCE: PC and Mac - Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dream Weaver, Director, Maya, 3D Studio Max, ML Cad, LD. CONTACT: megzter1@yahoo.com Tel: +4535140779

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culture

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

4 - 10 May 2012

Elise Beacom

Danish comedians whoopee cushioned by handouts needn’t try as hard

colourbox

Outsourced comedy lowers costs and raises laughs Who is ...

David Dencik?

Comedy clubs are becoming increasingly English language: let the heckling commence

to fight for their spot on stage.

“They have to be the best and have to keep making new jokes all the time. When you look at what they are doing in the US, compared with what they are doing in Denmark, they are two different worlds.”

Comedians get plenty of monetary support here, so they are under less pressure to make their routines extraordinary, contends Wolff. “Some of the young guys have so much potential, but they just rest on their laurels. They get their money each month from the government anyway, so they

don’t have to work really hard to do their stuff.”

The picture is a lot different abroad where comedians like Los Angeles-based Danielle Stewart, who came over for the 2011 Zulu Comedy Festival, might perform up to eight times a week and be lucky to get paid. Quality comedians like Stewart, not yet famous in their home countries, relish the opportunity to perform in Denmark and will often do it for less than the locals.

The key organiser of the Copenhagen Anglo Comedy Festival, and owner of Bispe-

bjerg Comedy Corner, Jakob Havemann, says Danish acts are expensive to book and the price tag is usually no measure of standard. Amazingly for Havemann, it is often cheaper to bring over a foreign comedian with 20 years experience and cover their flights, accommodation and expenses, than book a middle-range Danish comedian. “For some of them, it’s all about the money, not about the art,” he said.

Comedian Joe Eagan, who runs English-language comedy club Wisecracker’s at The Dubliner in Copenhagen, thinks

Mike Kollöffel/DR

Tine Harden/dr

Jan Jul

Old sweater vs power suit

Bolshy brunettes battling for BAFTA

Elise Beacom The Spice Girls take their need to hydrate constantly a little too seriously

Magic roots worth discovering

Erica Cooperberg Mozart

I

ts simple name is deceiving – ‘Mozart’ is not just a showcase of the composer’s most well-known works. Rather, the musical, which is currently playing at Betty Nansen Teatret, is a captivating blend of classic Mozart and modern art.

The show begins innocently; the actors, sprawled across the stage, join in together one-byone to create their own version of Mozart’s ‘Requiem in D Minor’. It’s beautiful, but only an introduction to the creativity and absolute eccentricity of what is to come. For example,

over the course of the show, a single stream of water mysteriously leaks from the ceiling and gains force as the performance evolves. The steady stream is artfully included into some of the pieces, used as both a metronome and a centerpiece of the action.

At first, the performances are overwhelming – to what should you pay attention? It seems equally as important to try to uncover Mozart’s influence in each piece, listen to the lyrics of the songs, focus on the actors’ physical routines and try to make sense of it all. In fact, it’s nearly impossible. Luckily, you are provided with song lyrics (in both English and Danish), so during the intermission you can

excitedly flip through the pages to find that, yes, that song was in fact about atheism.

Despite its obvious eclectic elements – such as rope-swinging from a bathtub and wading through a bubble-flooded stage – the show maintains a balance between new and old.

At one point, the actors cleverly wrap cloth around their heads to perfectly emulate powdered wigs, paying homage to the 18th century.

With the juxtaposition of an electric guitar and a piano, corsets and plastic bird beaks, and melodies you may recognise and lyrics you certainly won’t, ‘Mozart’ is definitely a show to check out – just be sure to go with an open mind.

The Killing’ and ‘Borgen’ both nominated for best international series at the BAFTAs

T

wo Danish television series are among the four nominees for best international series at this year’s BAFTA TV awards – a category that also includes American shows. The winner will be unveiled on Sunday May 27.

The second series of ‘The Killing’ and opening season of ‘Borgen’, both produced by broadcaster DR, will go headto-head for the gong, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts revealed.

While both shows have a healthy, if not fanatical, following, it will be a win for DR – and actor Mikael Birkkjær, who stars in both series – if either takes the award.

‘The Killing’, a murder mystery featuring jumper-wearing detective Sarah Lund (Sofie

Gråbøl), returns to defend its position, having won the category last year. It has been exported to the UK, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Russia, Spain, Japan and Brazil – and remade in the US. The political drama series ‘Borgen’ follows a charismatic politician, Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), who unexpectedly becomes Denmark’s first female prime minister. It has been exported to the UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, South Korea, France, Germany, and the Netherlands – and will be remade in the US. The two Danish programmes are up against US comedy series ‘Modern Family’ and Australia’s ‘The Slap’ – an adaptation of Christo Tsisoski’s bestselling book.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that ‘Borgen’ will stop after its third series – just like ‘The Killing’ – the show’s producer Camilla Hammerich told the BBC.

Agnete Schlichtkrull /DR

E

nglish-language stand-up is getting a rise out of audiences here in Denmark, with a growing number of Danish comics also diverting away from their mother tongue. As more English-language comedy clubs and festivals spring up around Copenhagen, more foreign comedians are opting to perform in a country where the competition is less fierce than they are perhaps accustomed. Local comedy club owners say the standard among the funny imports is exceptional, and what’s more, they charge a lot less than their Danish counterparts.

The founder of Cohen Comedy Club and self-proclaimed funny guy, Jonathan Cohen Wolff, has made it his mission to convince people that English stand-up is better than the Danish variety. “I’m sure the future of comedy here is English speaking stand-up,” he said.

According to Wolff, who is Danish, the local scene is years behind stand-up in the UK and the US. He thinks the sheer density of comedians in countries like the US and England pushes up the quality as comics have

the intensity of the UK comedy scene, and the backstabbing that goes along with it, makes it appealing for comedians to try their luck in Europe instead.

Bristol-born comedian Nigel Williams – one of the performers on the Copenhagen Anglo Comedy Festival line-up – has had success doing just that, moving away from the UK and establishing himself as a household name on the Belgian comedy circuit. “I guess he thought ‘why should I be one in a thousand in the UK when I can be the number two in Belgium?” observed Eagan.

But Wolff believes the trend of foreign comedians venturing into Denmark for English-language gigs will have a positive impact on the standard here. “If the Danish comedians want to survive, they will have to evolve and do better,” he said.

With the advent of shows like the Copenhagen Anglo Comedy Festival, Zulu Comedy Festival and the Cohen Comedy Club’s upcoming tour in September, Havemann adds there is even an increasing tendency for Danes doing their stand-up routines in English. Comedians like Mikkel Rask and Anders Stjerlholm, he believes, are even funnier in English than they are in Danish. Morten Sørensen and Claus Reiss – another two comedians eager to make it overseas – also appear regularly at festivals in Leicester and Edinburgh.

Elise Beacom He is a Swedish-born actor who grew up in Denmark Where might I have seen him?

Unless you’ve been hiding in a dark cave, you might have noticed Dencik in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, ‘War Horse’ and the Hollywood version of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. He must have a thing for Stieg Larsson, as Dencik also played a role in the original.

Is he any good?

Yes, actually. No snide remarks to be made unfortunately.

So is he a Swede or a Dane?

Well, he was born in Sweden in 1974, but his family moved to Copenhagen in the same year.

Dencik went back to his birth country to study at Teaterhögskolan i Stockholm from 1999 to 2003, and in 2009, he was awarded the Swedish Film Academy’s Kurt Linder scholarship.

So maybe it’s a bit like Australia’s adoption of Kiwi actor Russell Crowe – at least until he threw a telephone at a hotel employee.

Where did he get his break?

Danish TV series ‘Klovn’ and ‘Coachen’ in 2005 and then he played a transvestite in ‘En Soap’.

He was born on Halloween – does that make him scary?

He played convicted murderer and bank robber John Ausonius in 2005 Swedish TV miniseries ‘Lasermannen’, and his role in the comedy ‘Everything About My Bush’ sounds equally terrifying – or perhaps it’s just the title He sounds pretty successful.

Does he have a girlfriend?

Unfortunately, he’s been dating a lawyer for a few years – they don’t go down without a fight.

So does Hollywood beckon?

Actually, most of his films in the pipeline are Scandinavian – Danish films ‘August’ and ‘Skytten’, Norwegian drama ‘All That Matters Is Past’, and Swedish thriller ‘Call Girl’ – which should see him become this region’s biggest actor before long. But a fellow Dane, Susanne Bier, has cast him in her next project, ‘Serena’. Which clears the nationality question: he must be Danish as he would never have got the part had he been a Swede.

4 - 10 May 2012

Denmark through the looking glass The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

19

Denmark’s Valentine’s Day Massacre makes the Sopranos look like the Smurfs Forget about the Roskilde Festival being uncivilised – a royal peace offering in the city in 1157 led to a barbaric showdown between the country’s three kings.

Svend lied, Knud died and Valdemar (only just) survived

T

His opponents favoured a sword, but Valdemar preferred a drumstick - proof that Lars Ulrich is descended from royalty perhaps

Valdemar before the final showdown between the two remaining kings. Svend gathered his army and marched towards Valdemar’s Jutland. Valdemar had been waiting for the right time to face Svend and managed to gain great support after news spread of Svend’s treacherous deed in Roskilde. The two armies met in battle outside Viborg in a bloody contest that would decide which

blood-line would rule Denmark for generations to come.

On 23 October 1157, Svend’s men were defeated in a brutal battle, during which Svend fled for his life. Vulnerable and exhausted, he became trapped in a marsh near the battlefield. A peasant recognised him and made good use of his axe by cleaving Svend’s head.

The spilling of Svend’s blood

marked the end of the civil war, which had raged since the murder of Valdemar’s father more than a quarter of a century before. Denmark now had a single king who was finally free from bloody domestic struggles. It was now time for Danish forces to stand together and fight their enemies abroad – action that King Valdemar was quick to pursue. unknown/scanpix

he year is 1157 and Denmark has been torn by civil war for years, leaving the coasts vulnerable to attacks from pillaging pirates. Three rivals, Svend, Knud and Valdemar, have been fighting for the throne throughout the 1150s, with no end in sight. Valdemar had been allied with Svend at the beginning of the conflict, but later decided to join forces with Knud – a decision that would nearly cost Valdemar his life.

In the spring of 1157– after pressure from some of the country’s biggest landowners – Valdemar and Knud decided to negotiate with Svend, who they had recently thwarted in his attempt to take Denmark by force.

A deal was made: Valdemar became king of Jutland, Knud got the islands, while Svend now presided over Scania.

The peace agreement was to be celebrated at Svend’s estate in Roskilde, where a reconciliatory feast was to take place. And it was a big one! For three days the guests were stuffed with trays of food, and the endless streams of beer and wine made sure the guests never saw the bottoms of their goblets.

On the third evening many of the guests chose to entertain themselves in the yard – probably due to raging hangovers. For that reason there were only a few people left in the building with the three kings.

Knud sat next to Valdemar, who was involved in an intense game of chess.

After a while, Svend left the room and armed men quickly entered. Valdemar was still caught up in his game of chess, while Knud acted as if he knew skullduggery was afoot. He kissed Valdemar and left as Svend’s men drew their swords on the gathering – all of whom were unarmed at the so-called reconciliatory feast.

Valdemar, finally discovering the graveness of the situation, jumped to his feet and smartly extinguished the candles – leaving them in semi-darkness. He then threw off his cloak and wrapped it around his arm so he could shield himself from the lethal blades of his enemy’s swords. He threw himself at the leader of the conspirators, Svend’s main man Ditlev, and they both tumbled to the floor. But before Valdemar could get up, he was stabbed in the thigh.

At that moment, Valdemar’s men, who had heard the commotion, burst into the room just in time to protect their king from a deadly blow. Valdemar managed to get to his feet and run for the door. He was grabbed by one of Svend’s men, but succeeded in struggling free through the darkness, while the fighting continued in the other room. Ditlev rose to find Knud within striking range. His sword connected with Knud’s head and the king fell to the ground.

Valdemar’s foster brother, the later archbishop Absalon, who was elsewhere on the estate, soon heard that Valdemar and Knud had been murdered. He

searched for Valdemar, but could not find him. When he entered the room, where the ambush had taken place, Svend’s men were gone, but Knud was still lying on the floor – the life quickly draining from him. Absalon took off his coat and put it under Knud’s head. A moment later the king exhaled for the last time.

Absalon then fled for his life, narrowly escaping Svend’s men, who seemed to be everywhere. Absalon travelled throughout the night in the hope of reaching his relatives’ estate in Fjenneslev, many miles from Roskilde.

Valdemar, who was not dead at all, had escaped on foot with only three of his men and made his way out of Roskilde, despite his wounded leg. After acquiring a horse, he finally made it to the estate in Fjenneslev, where Absalon was hiding. They laid low for a while, while trying to figure out how to smuggle the king across to Fyn and finally to his kingdom of Jutland.

Meanwhile, Svend was working overtime to win the PR battle by proclaiming that it was in fact Knud and Valdemar who were responsible for the dramatic bloodshed – stating that it was them who had attempted to murder him. At the same time, he did everything he could to stop Valdemar from escaping Zealand.

He had not bargained on Absalon’s brother, Esbern Snare, though, who took his place in the history books by tricking Svend’s men and getting Valdemar to Jutland safely, despite a massive storm angering the sea.

Shortly after his return, the nononsense Valdemar married Knud’s sister in order to gain the support of the deceased king’s men. The tactical marriage was especially ironic due to the fact that Valdemar’s new father-in-law was actually the reason that Valdemar had never met his own father. Knud’s father had murdered him a week before Valdemar was born.

Knud’s men now joined forced with

www.denstoredanske.dk

Sean Coogan

Valdemar was the Garry Kasparov of his day - but just when Svend thought he had him in check-mate, he wriggled free

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