The Copenhagen Post | August 24-30

Eid chaos: one real and one imagined

The lovefest from the foreign press continues

6

10

copenhagen

expat fair

Pancakes and handshakes at the Expat Fair

27 aUgUSt 201

2 • 15:30 - 18:00 the cit Y hall

connecting With SportS

aBcS to phDS

copenhagen YoUr neW hoMe

*aDVertiSing

SUppleMent*

BanK on gooD SerVice!

Expat Fair Supplemen

t.indd 1

22-08-2012

24 - 30 August 2012 | Vol 15 Issue 34

14:46:48

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

The new face of the immigration debate?

Did TV2’s airing of Opening Ceremony run afoul of European Broadcasters Union’s statutes?

Journalist’s criticism of Immigration Services goes viral and leads to political promises

4

7

OPINION

Always a stranger?

New CPH Post Voices columnist Ôzcan Ajrulovski asks if he’ll ever be accepted as part of Denmark’s family

9 COMMUNITY

Israel’s deputy head of mission found that, despite the weather, Copenhagen made him jump for joy

13

InOut

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

What’s cooking?

The Copenhagen Cooking festival is back on the menu – see our guide to the tastiest picks on the programme

G2

9 771398 100009

Price: 25 DKK

International talent continues to forgo Copenhagen Room for improvement, but integration dilemmas, an inflexible job market, high taxes and stringent immigration laws all contribute to educated foreigners going elsewhere

C

OPENHAGEN is lagging far behind other European cities when it comes to the recruitment and retention of international professionals.

The think-tank Copenhagen Economics teamed up with the regional development organisation Reglab and found that the Danish capital is struggling to compete when it comes to attracting highly-skilled foreign labour.

Copenhagen is in the second worst

category when it comes to the percentage of all highly-skilled workers being foreign. In 2010, only about 12 percent of the highly-skilled workers in the city were foreign, compared to over 35 percent in cities such as Brussels, London, Zürich and Vienna. In neighbouring Stockholm, it’s better too, at nearly 25 percent.

Copenhagen also falters when it comes to the average annual growth rate of highly-skilled workers. Between 2000 and 2008, the growth rate in Copenhagen was measured at a paltry three percent, while it was well over ten percent in cities like Madrid, Helsinki and Dublin.

A lack of openness, foreign investment and businesses choosing to only hire locally has led to an environment bereft of international experts, something the mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen (Socialdemokraterne), aims to change.

Free access to 70 museums and attractions in the entire metropolitan area

“We know that when we’re compared to cities like Stockholm, they’re doing better, and we will strive to raise the percentage of foreign skilled labour by five to ten percent,” Jensen told Navigation magazine. “And perhaps we’re not as open and welcoming to our foreign colleagues as we think we are.”

There are plenty of reasons why Denmark should be trying to attract international talent to its windy shores rather than neglecting them.

Skilled foreign workers contribute to the socio-economic arena by paying higher taxes than the average Dane, being less likely to seek social benefits and providing major boosts for the businesses that hire them, in terms of productivity, export and Denmark’s ability to compete internationally.

“Two of Denmark’s biggest eco-

nomic challenges are low productivity development and problems financing the welfare state. Highly-educated foreign workers solve both issues,” Jan Rose Skaksen, a professor at Copenhagen Business School, told Navigation magazine.

In the analysis report, ‘Højtuddannede invandreres bidrag til det danske samfund’ (Highly educated immigrants’ contributions to Danish society), Skaksen indicated that an average highly-educated immigrant, with family, stays in Denmark for eight years and contributes 1.9 million kroner to the tax coffers.

Foreign talents also contribute to business in the form of knowledge of foreign markets, networks and cultures.

Businesses can tap that knowledge to establish export deals and other business

Internationals continues on page 5

Macaroons & French pastry in a modern enviroment Brasserie Degas reopens its doors in a new location, presenting once again to all its customers, the famous club sandwich & foie gras salad

See more at copenhagencard.com

Brasserie Degas / Le Macaron by Degas - Trommesalen 5, 1614 Copenhagen V - www.brasseriedegas.dk - Tlf.: +45 33 22 28 26

PRIVATE PHOTO

NEWS

2

Week in review

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

24 - 30 August 2012 Scanpix/Jens Nørgaard Larsen

The pride of the city

THE WEEK’S MOST READ STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK Man who stabbed his daughters is English TV medium Cinema warns moviegoers about “annoying” Muslims Little Mermaid joins Pussy Riot protest International talent continues to forgo Copenhagen How Pia’s influence spread across Europe

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

TEN YEARS AGO. After years of steady decline, the national crime rate is once again on the rise.

FIVE YEARS AGO. Businesses in Copenhagen report needing over 1,000 unskilled employees to fill much-needed vacancies.

ONE YEAR AGO. Proposed plans for a congestion-charge zone around Copenhagen are widely criticised The Copenhagen Pride parade attracted nearly 14,000 participants on Saturday – some in various states of undress

to the first half of 2006. “I am very pleased to see that there is a decrease in bodily harm,” Rigshospitalet commissioner Jens Henrik Højbjerg said in a statement. “But of course we should remember that behind every single case is a citizen who has been exposed to an unacceptable action.”

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

China-bound

Prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Socialdemokraterne) and a delegation of business and civic leaders will visit China from September 10-13 to hold talks with representatives of the Chinese leadership. Thorning-Schmidt hosted China’s president, Hu Jintao, in June. During that visit, the two

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

countries signed agreements in several areas including energy, agriculture, health, culture and education. The prime minister’s office declined to say if those agreements would be discussed, but said that the visit would “focus on Danish business interests in China”. The PM will also speak at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin.

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

Scanpix / Morten Germund

According to crime statistics released by the national police organisation Rigspolitiet, violent crime is at an historic low. Through the first half of 2012, 8,980 cases of crimes resulting in bodily harm were reported, a three percent decrease on the same period last year and a 22 percent drop compared

Scanpix/ Keld Navntoft

Colourbox

Crime down

Man in charge

Lars Rohde, the current chief executive of the ATP pension fund, has been chosen by the government as the new head of Danmarks Nationalbank. Rohde will succeed Nils Bernstein in February 2013.

Bernstein, one of three central bank governors, has been head of the central bank since 2005.

Sales, Advertising and Marketing sales@cphpost.dk Subscriptions subs@cphpost.dk

He turns 70 in January, which is the retirement age for Danish central bank governors.

Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said in a statement that Rohde was “very qualified” for the position. Rohde has been in charge of the ATP pension fund, Denmark’s largest, since 1998.

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.

The Copenhagen Post is published weekly by CPHPOST.DK ApS

Distribution distribution@cphpost.dk

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited by law.

Printed by Dagbladet, Ringsted.

Founded in 1998 by San Shepard

Don’t miss our free Expat Networking Event

Saturday 1 September 2012 from 11-16 in Gladsaxe

Join us for a day of FREE expat family fun which includes food, drinks, bouncy castles, creative balloons and a soccer tournament for kids.

4

Cover story

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

24 - 30 August 2012

Journalist’s Immigration Services criticism leads to promises of action Private Photo

Justin Cremer Opinion piece by Information’s music journalist goes viral, bringing renewed attention to immigration issues

A

s a journalist, Ralf Christensen knows the power of the pen.

But when he sat down to author a 2,000-plus word opinion on the treatment he and his wife received from Immigration Services (Udlændingestyrelsen), he never anticipated his words making waves the way they have.

But ever since Christensen’s opinion piece, ‘Tak til Udlændingestyrelsen’ (Thanks, Immigration Services), was published in Politiken newspaper on August 9 and subsequently went viral, the music journalist for Information newspaper has found himself a central figure in Denmark’s never ending immigration debate.

“I didn’t expect such a massive and widely spreading reaction,” Christensen said. “I had expected a stir, but not this kind of frenzy.”

In his op-ed, Christensen recounts the “degrading” and “inhumane” treatment he and his Turkish wife, Merih, received while waiting ten painstakingly long hours at Immigration Services while dealing with their family reunification application – an application that was ultimately denied.

Christensen’s piece spread like wildfire via social media, reaching the highest levels of government and leading to an admission from the head of Immigration Services, Bjørn Hørning, that there have been “exorbitantly long waiting times” over the summer.

The economy minister, Margrethe Vestager (Radikale), reportedly sent a link to the article to the Justice Ministry along with a request for a comment, and on Monday, the parliamentary ombudsman, Jørgen Steen Sørensen, got involved, directly referencing Christensen’s opinion piece when announcing that he had asked Immigration Services to report to him on the concrete steps the organisation would take to address waiting times.

While many in Denmark’s international community are undoubtedly grateful for the attention Christensen’s piece has received, it can be seen as a bit paradoxical that the issue – which few with any experi-

After sharing their frustrations with Immigration Services, Christensen and his wife Merih said they were overwhelmed by the stories similar to their own

ence with Immigration Services would view as new or unusual – is suddenly a hot topic.

As such, The Copenhagen Post caught up with Christensen to ask him about the reaction his words have generated and if he truly expects things will change: Would people be too cynical in thinking that this is suddenly getting so much attention because it was written not only by a Danish citizen, but by a Danish citizen who happens to write for Information? Do Danes in the Information/Politiken sphere suddenly see this as a problem because it has happened to “one of them”?

I think, sadly, that it carries more weight when it comes from a Danish citizen because you suddenly encompass a much larger political spectrum, also including people who – hard as it may be to understand – see no reason why Denmark should help

refugees or accept purely foreign couples and their children. Sad but true.

In your piece, you talk about how this treatment makes you feel as a Danish citizen.

Shouldn’t everyone – not just Danish citizens in general, and Danish media insiders in specific – be treated better by Udlændingestyrelsen?

Absolutely. I also mention that in my article – how this worries me even more on behalf of less privileged people. This is a general problem, but of course I can only make a personal statement about it from the perspective of a Danish citizen. And I think that’s important, because Danish citizens think they have an intimate relationship to, and knowledge of, the welfare state. It’s just not a wholly true picture. Every time someone steps outside the borders of normality in this society, apparently they will run into

an unforgiving bureaucracy. But, yeah, I think the uproar – unfortunately – also relates to the fact that it happened to ‘one of their own’.

When Radikale sends you a tweet saying that they are going to do something about the situation, including a link to an article that essentially just says they’ve sent an unanswered email to the Justice Ministry and plan a workshop, do you really think that there will be any concrete political action taken?

I think there is a genuine interest at Radikale in changing the practices of Udlændingestyrelsen. Absolutely. The question is what they can actually do and if they can get sufficient support from their political friends. And it will almost for certain cost money and involve an expensive restructuring of Udlændigestyrelsen – if real change is the true aim. We will see how brave and

hard hitting they are willing to be in this matter.

The Copenhagen Post also spoke with Radikale’s immigration spokesperson, Zenia Stampe, who said that the party was already looking at the issue before Christensen’s piece “received so much attention that it was like an open door for us to bring up the issue”.

“For me, [Christensen’s situation] is nothing new,” Stampe said. “But I think there were many people who were surprised that, one year into the new government, this was still the situation [at Udlændingestrylsen].”

Stampe said that the party had planned a workshop to look at the specific problems and gather input from constituents, but thanks in large part to Christensen’s opinion piece, they’re considering changing their plans.

“We were expecting there maybe to be 15-20 people, but

there has been so much attention now, that we think we’ll have to change our plans a bit,” she said.

As for his part, Christensen stressed that he didn’t want the focus to be on his particular case.

“For me, it would’ve been a disaster if the ensuing debate had been all about poor me and my poor wife not getting a residency permit,” he said, adding that numerous people have reached out to him with their own stories. “The objective for me was to show and criticise the system, its methods and its inhumane character – a system that should not see itself as a defender of the state, but as a helper of people, whether they are Danish or from any other country.”

Although Christensen’s wife’s application for family reunification was denied under EU rules, they have both filed a complaint to the Justice Ministry and reapplied for family reunification under Danish law.

Online this week More hours in school for Copenhagen students For the third consecutive year, policy-makers in Copenhagen have spent money to keep students in school a bit longer each day. In 2013, students in the 3rd, 8th and 9th grades will receive extra hours of instruction in Danish, English and social studies. The boost in hours next school year will mean that

Copenhagen students will have three lessons more than the law requires and 0.6 more classroom hours than the Education Ministry recommends. The increase in classroom time in the capital bucks the national trend of shrinking school days, while the increase in hours will cost nearly 10 million kroner.

Government tries to give youth a helping hand As part of their 2013 budget proposal, the government has included a ‘Youth Package’ designed to help get the young and unemployed into jobs and education. The package, which is to be funded with 645 million kroner, is expected to help roughly 7,000 young people find work through apprenticeships and in-

creased job rotations at private businesses. “We want young people to get going quickly because they are a very vulnerable group,” the prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Socialdemokraterne), told Berlingske newspaper. The government is scheduled to release the full details of their budget on Monday.

Good news, bad news for cyclists While new figures from Statistics Denmark have indicated that the number of bicycle thefts has decreased by nearly ten percent, there may be a new threat to your iron horse on the horizon: councils. The justice minister, Morten Bødskov (Socialdemokraterne),

has proposed a law that will enable councils to remove illegallyparked bicycles. While the cyclist advocacy association, Cyklistforbundet, agreed to the proposal, it said that there should be more funds invested into creating more bicycle parking spaces.

Read the full stories at cphpost.dk

news

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

24 - 30 August 2012

continued from front page

collaborations. Statistics from the recent report ‘Do Foreign Experts Increase the Productivity of Domestic Firms?’ convey that the employment of a foreign talent increases the probability of a company exporting its business by 2.7 percent while its average wage will have risen by 2.4 percent three years after the person is hired.

Denmark expects foreigners to be integrated and to take an active role in society, learn the language and conform to the welfare state. But the major issue with this mentality is that many international experts are ‘career nomads’ and do not come to Denmark with ambitions to stay permanently. Denmark is simply a stepping stone on their career path and they only stay for as long as it makes sense.

Dennis Nørmark, a senior consultant from Living Institute, has carried out a number of focus group interviews with workers and their spouses in connection with the surveys.

“An important point is that most of them have not come here because they are attracted to Denmark as such, or by the opportunity to be a part of their welfare state,” Nørmark told Navigation magazine. “They are here because of a specific career opportunity, and typically that is also the same reason they leave the country again”

As opposed to many other cities in Europe, barriers such as social integration, an impossible housing market, a sense of feeling unwelcome and being unable to settle, means that for many highly educated experts, their stay in Denmark becomes a short one.

Eva Komandjaja is from Indonesia and works as an engineer for a consulting firm. She has lived and worked in Oslo as well as Copenhagen and sees a clear distinction between the two Scandinavian capitals.

“I think it would be hard to compare Oslo to Copenhagen in some ways because I never felt treated as a ‘foreigner’ in Oslo.

Perhaps they’re more open to thinking that not all Scandinavians should be blonde and blue eyed,” Komandjaja told The Copenhagen Post. “I was lucky that I am married to a Dane so he helped me to sort out all the documents I needed and taught me the system and so on, but I hate having to depend on someone to do that.”

Komandjaja also indicated that her interactions with Norway’s immigration services were much smoother than those with Denmark’s immigration services, Udlændingestyrelsen.

The Immigration Services are regularly lambasted for being far too bureaucratic, painfully slow and shockingly ill-informed about the immigration protocol that they are in charge of dispensing. An Australian green card seeker, Nadia Matveeva, says the critique is warranted.

Private Photo

Internationals

Eva Komandjaja said that she felt much more like a ‘foreigner’ in Copenhagen than she did in Oslo

“You just need to go there once to understand why it’s so inefficient. I’ve been there four times now, waiting an average of six hours each time,” Matveeva told The Copenhagen Post. “It’s just so frustrating to sit there for hours to simply be told some insignificant bit of information that so easily could have been said over the phone.”

But the Immigration Services are not the only ones to

blame. Denmark has some of the most strict and dynamic immigration laws in Europe and although the government softened them a bit in May and June, they still provide a formidable obstacle to foreigners looking to come to Denmark.

The good news is that there are a number of ways to keep and attract foreign talent to Denmark, some of which have already been identified by the

government and are being implemented.

Immigration laws have been slightly eased under the current Socialdemokraterne-led government, and when it comes to permanent residence applications, language qualifications have been reduced, while the new regulations will in the future consider most educations to be the equivalent of full-time work. This is especially important for international students who wish to stay in Denmark and look for work after completing their studies.

“There is no doubt that the permanent residence changes have increased the number of applications, and it’s the single most important step that the government has taken,” immigration lawyer Åge Kramp told The Copenhagen Post. “And the automatic green card for finishing students as proposed by Radikale will be a good way for students to find qualified jobs in Denmark through the networks and experiences they have created.”

But despite the move in a positive direction, Kramp maintained that a big issue for green card holders stems from the fact that they are not permitted to have their own private company, and thus are unable to create jobs, only acquire them.

Additionally, a law change from 2010, which allowed international schools in Denmark to expand and create new offsite campuses, has meant that schools, such as Copenhagen International School, have been able to establish more campuses

and offer more placements for foreign children.

The government has also begun addressing the integration issues that persist in Copenhagen. The expat-package, which is part of the 2013 Inclusion Agreement, is designed to allow foreigners a smoother transition to life in Denmark, by having a more inclusion-orientated labour market, while implementing schemes that will make Copenhagen a more open and welcoming city.

To tackle the agonising bureaucracy of the Immigration Services, the government only has to look to the ‘Expat Centre’ in Amsterdam for inspiration.

Here, immigration services, councils, tax authorities and businesses have teamed up to design effective ‘fast tracks’ that initiate procedures before the foreign worker even arrives to the country.

American Douglas Wilson has been in Denmark since 2007 and co-owns a computer game development company, Die Gute Fabrik. He contends that it’s not easy for foreigners to acclimatise to Denmark, although it does help having a little experience.

“Although my work life is good, I definitely feel challenged feeling at home, as there is that language and culture barrier,” Wilson told The Copenhagen Post. “I got my foot in the door because I did my master’s here before I started working, but I can imagine how tough it would be just arriving in Denmark with no prior familiarity.”

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 Monday the 27th of August to: cphcareerprogram@bif.kk.dk A light sandwich and drinks will be served during the meeting

Wednesday the 5th of September at 11.30 am – 13.30 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).

5

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.

6 News Police vow to crack down on Pusher Street near future, but emphasised the need for sensitivity.

“There will be an increased police presence outside and at times inside Pusher Street. I can guarantee that more raids will be in the pipeline,” Foldager told Politiken newspaper. “But, it’s important to point out that our efforts are concentrated on Pusher Street and not Christiania. We’re focusing on the illicit organised drug trade in the area.”

Foldager wouldn’t reveal the number of officers involved in the task force nor would he comment on whether the police would attempt to bulldoze Pusher Street as they did in 2004. And although the police believe that the Hells Angels gang is controlling the illegal trade in the area, the road ahead won’t be an easy one.

“Pusher Street has held our interest for many years, and as a result we have a good idea which

Christian Wenande A new tactical squad has been set up to tackle the illegal drug trade and escalating violence in Christiania

I

t’s been a bountiful summer for the cannabis dealers operating in Copenhagen’s premier tourist attraction. The police presence in Christiania has been virtually nonexistent and cannabis dealers have been left alone in their stalls to sell their oft-coveted goods.

But starting from September 1, the police will be stepping up efforts to cull Pusher Street’s estimated one billion kroner organised cannabis trade through the creation of a new task force. Police inspector Svend Foldager of the Copenhagen Police said that the public can expect raids in the

Lars Colberg

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

The once-common sight of police in Christiania is set to resume after September 1

actors are involved,” Foldager told Politiken. “But there is a long way to go between knowing who is involved and proving their crimes.”

The prospective police escalation in the area comes at a critical time. Christiania is in the process of buying itself from the state after securing a 55 mil-

lion kroner loan from mortgage lender Realkredit Danmark, the first instalment of the total 76 million kroner required.

But the lack of a police presence in the area over the summer has seen a sharp increase in violence and has threatened to scupper the deal. Criminals have begun using Christiania as a safe haven, and high-profile attacks on parking attendants and a journalist have forced the authorities to react.

In May, a proposal by the City Council aimed at legalising cannabis was rejected by the Justice Ministry. The council argued that the traditional police efforts have never worked and that state-run marijuana dispensaries would be a significant step towards crippling the flourishing illegal drug trade.

Past police efforts in Christiania have failed to curtail the illegal drug trade, and renewed police efforts in Christiania go

24 - 30 August 2012

against current public sentiment.

A recent metroXpress newspaper poll indicated that nearly 65 percent of the public supported state-controlled cannabis distribution, while Enhedslisten (EL) commissioned a Gallop survey in early August that conveyed that, out of 1,000 people asked, 53 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the state should take over the sale of cannabis. Only 25 percent disagreed, while 22 percent remained neutral.

Copenhagen’s deputy mayor for social affairs, Mikkel Warming (EL), has argued that the legalisation of cannabis is the only solution to the dilemma.

“The prohibitive policies we have operated under in Denmark for so many years have not worked,” Warming told public broadcaster DR. “You can still buy cannabis on street corners across the city, which also means the cannabis is mixed up with other harder drugs.”

Ray Weaver

Advisory notice at a Copenhagen theatre creates a firestorm of online criticism and an eventual apology

A

poster that appeared in the window of Copenhagen’s Palads cinema on Saturday night warned patrons that due to Eid, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, more Muslims would be in the theatres than normal and they could get loud and become annoying to other guests.

The sign even offered advice as to which of the films on offer could be the noisiest: “Movies like the Batman 3, the Bourne Legacy, Total Recall, Abraham Lincoln and Prometheus, but one can never be sure in advance,” read the warning.

Guests were advised to contact security guards if they experienced noisy Muslims.

“G4S guards will be available all day, so if you experience unacceptable behaviour, please contact them,” read the notice.

The notice went on to apologise “in advance” to cinema guests for any “bother” that may occur.

Following a firestorm of criticism on Facebook and Twitter, the head of Nordisk Film cinemas, John Tønnes, has apolo-

Facebook

Cinema warns moviegoers about “annoying” Muslims Chaos at Odense hospital following Eid shooting certainly been the case for five or six people,” said Tønnes.

Tønnes said that the cinema has generally had few problems during Eid in previous years, but that it has experienced isolated cases of unrest in the theatres during holidays, so the cinema has opted to have security guards on hand when special celebrations are on the calendar.

“Whether it’s Blue Monday, or Eid, you can have a group of 2,000-3,000 young This photo of the offending sign quickly people partying, and made the rounds on Facebook there are always a gised for the sign. few that go over the line,” said “I understand that the no- Tønnes. ”The noise level gets tice was misunderstood, and I above what other cinema guests am sorry,” Tønnes said, accord- find acceptable.” ing to Jyllands-Posten. “It was At least one Muslim group taken down immediately.” seemed to agree with Palads “Immediately” was appar- posting the sign. ently not quick enough to preA spokesperson for the Musvent a photo being taken of the lim association Muslimer i Disign and posted on several differ- alog took fellow Muslims to task ent social media sites, igniting for being so noisy at the movies. both protest and debate.

“It is embarrassing that a Tønnes said that the Palads cinema has to hang a poster up employee who posted the sign because there is so much noise,” only wanted to warn patrons that Nihad Hodzic told Jyllands-Posthere may be more noise than ten newspaper. “If you can not usual in the cinemas due to Eid. be quiet at a cinema, then you “It was the type of thing that should not come and ruin the could be misunderstood and per- experience for others.” ceived as offensive, and that has Hodzic called the Palads

poster “clumsily worded” but said it was not intended to offend Muslims.

The chairperson of the New Danish Youth Council, Natasha al-Hariri, disagreed vehemently with Hodzic’s interpretation.

“That a cinema would announce that Muslims might be a nuisance to other moviegoers is really beneath contempt,” alHariri told Politiken newspaper.

“They have put themselves in such a poor light, I can imagine that some simply will stop going to the movies.”

Copenhagen’s CinemaxX cinema has in recent years dropped its late showings in response to unruly guests during Eid. Martin Henriksen, the integration spokesperson for Dansk Folkeparti (DF), said that Palads was simply offering good customer service by posting a warning to its customers.

“It is well known that some Muslims behave differently when they are in a group and it can make other people uncomfortable,” Henriksen told Jyllands-Posten, adding that he saw no reason for the cinema to apologise.

“If anyone asks Muslims to quieten down, their behaviour can suddenly become threatening,” he said, adding that there is “a tendency for unpleasant situations occurring when many Muslims are gathered in one place”.

Lydia Deichmann Following a shooting at an Eid celebration, a large group of men storm and vandalise a hospital

C

haos broke out in Odense on Monday night when a conflict between two rival groups in the suburb of Vollsmose surged, resulting in a young man being critically injured.

After a shooting victim was brought into the accident and emergency department at the Odense University hospital, a group of between 60-70 men showed up and began to vandalise and create disorder.

“It was quite intimidating to both the staff and police there, and several officers had to fire their guns to get them to disappear,” the head of security at Funen Police, Erik Halkjær, told bt.dk.

On Tuesday, Funen Police arrested six people in Vollsmose who are suspected of being involved in the hospital vandalism, according to Ritzau.

The trouble started during Eid celebrations in Vollsmose when a 26-year-old man was shot in one leg and stabbed in the other, and another man, a 24-year-old, was hit by a car that fled the scene.

Later in the night, the chaos continued in the centre of Odense, where members of the two groups clashed.

It was then that the group of 60-70 people stormed Odense University Hospital in an attempt to reach the shooting and hit-and-run victims. The group threatened hospital staff and police, vandalising furniture and police cars along the way. In total, one ambulance and four police cars were destroyed during the night’s events.

The 26-year-old victim was admitted to the hospital in a fatally critical condition due to significant blood loss, but after lengthy surgery, he is now in a more stable condition.

Another 26-year-old man appeared in court on Wednesday on charges of attempted murder related to the shooting.

At the man’s preliminary hearing, it emerged that the shooting probably occurred due to a conflict between a group of immigrants and one of the nation’s largest immigrant gangs, Black Cobra. The shooting is thought to have been an act of revenge for a previous stabbing, and police believe that the 26-yearold gave direct orders to shoot when the shooting victim and his brother arrived in a vehicle at the celebrations.

Online this week TV medium to use insanity defence in stabbing case Graham Bishop, the 58-year-old British man accused of stabbing his four-year-old twin daughters, appeared in court last week and pleaded not guilty. At a preliminary hearing, Bishop’s lawyer indicated that his client would point to temporary insanity in his defence. “There is a likelihood that he was suffering from insan-

ity at the time [of the attack],” the lawyer said. Bishop is a medium who has appeared on several Danish reality shows. He claims that he can communicate with spirits and that he often does so by being possessed by a spirit he calls ‘Dr Karl’. Bishop is accused of stabbing his daughters in Rigshospital’s paediatric centre.

Archaeologists unearth ancient battle site In the Alken Enge wetlands of eastern Jutland, archaeologists and geologists from Aarhus University have been unearthing evidence of a violent conflict that dates back to the time of Christ. According to Dr Mads Kähler Holst, a professor of archaeology at Aarhus University, skeletal remains of a

large army, including a fractured skull and hacked thighbone, are evidence that an ancient violent battle took place at the site. At least 200 ancient skeletons have been found thus far. An international team of researchers will now attempt to discover who these warriors were, and where they came from.

Mayor looking to aid evictees and council’s bottom line The mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen (Socialdemokraterne), wants the City Council to pay the rent of prospective evictees. It may sound like foolish economics, but Jensen’s plan could potentially save the city millions of kroner, while

helping citizens in acute financial trouble to remain in their homes.

That’s because when a person or family are unable to pay their rent and are evicted, it is the responsibility of the council to find them a new place of residence, and to put them up until they do so.

Read the full stories at cphpost.dk

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

24 - 30 August 2012

FRANCISCO PEREZ Broadcaster’s local news remit continues to satisfy membership criteria of EBU, a major rights holder that has never before expelled a member in its history

A

N ESTIMATED one billion people around the world witnessed the universally acclaimed Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on July 27.

But in Denmark, many television licence fee payers were deprived of this praised spectacle, as it was exclusively screened on pay-TV channel TV2.

Among Danish viewers, only those in households that pay a special subscription fee for TV2 were able to witness the event masterminded by Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle. It was watched by a total audience of 990,000 on a channel that has been encoded since the start of 2012. Public service broadcaster DR went on to air the Closing Ceremony however, drawing a smaller audience of 740,000.

According to DR’s Anne Stig Christensen, this was due to the agreement between the two channels over their shared ownership of the broadcasting rights for the Olympics. “TV2 had first choice on the Opening Ceremony, so we had the Closing Ceremony.”

DR and TV2 shared the rights because they are Denmark’s only two members of the European Broadcasters Union (EBU), a Geneva-based TV rights holder whose active members consist of 85 European broadcasting corporations, television channels and radio stations.

In the past, the EBU has enabled its members to acquire the rights for the world’s most popular sporting events for uncompetitive prices – at best, pay-TV channels can only bid for the crumbs off the table. And while the price of the

rights for broadcasting events like football’s World Cup or the European Championship has increased since the late 1990s – particularly for the big European nations – they are still acquired at a significant discount.

The exact price paid is unknown and tends to reflect the size of the potential audience.

The price also includes other services (logistical assistance such as locations for interviews or live studio transmissions, facilities to broadcast live etc), and it was, along with the exact role of the EBU in these transactions, deemed “confidential” by the EBU’s press office.

TV2 is one of just two payTV members of the EBU – the other is French channel Canal +, which did not broadcast the Olympics this year. This low number would appear to suggest that TV2’s move to become a pay-only station might have put it at odds with the EBU statutes.

However, the statutes do not directly prohibit pay-TV broadcasters from being a member. The closest they come to addressing the matter is the stipulation that “virtually all of the national radio and/or television households are in a position and technically equipped to receive the entirety of their major radio and/or television programme service with satisfactory technical quality”.

Experts agree that as long as TV2 continues to comply with the EBU’s stipulation that its members must fulfil a “public service”, it will hold onto its membership.

According to Henrik Søndergaard, an associate professor in the University of Copenhagen’s media and communications department, the conformity of TV2’s new status with the EBU’s criteria is blurry.

“TV2 is still considered to be performing a public service,” he said. “In Denmark, it is a political decision that establishes which station is carrying out a public service – like DR or TV2

SCANPIX/DAVID GRAY

The Opening Ceremony blackout – all courtesy of TV2’s public service

Berlingske layoffs fuel media monopoly fears RAY WEAVER While rumours of its possible sale continue to swirl, the media icon trims its staff for the second time this year

E

TV2 had first choice on the Opening Ceremony, leaving Denmark’s public broadcaster with the less-watched Closing Ceremony

TV2’s viewers are in decline SINCE becoming a pay-TV station in January 2012, TV2 has lost part of its audience share. In 2011, its average weekly percentage was 27.36 per cent of all Danish viewers, according to weekly figures collected by audiovisual pollster TNS-Gallup, which are based on the TV consumption habits of 1,047 households. These same figures reveal that, over the first 33 weeks of the current year, the share has dropped to 24.12 per cent.

Nevertheless, the fall has not benefited its main competitor, DR 1. According to the figures, DR 1’s viewership in 2012 has so far been 18.51 percent – exactly the same as it was in 2011.

DR is a public broadcasting corporation funded by direct licence fee payments whose amount is set each year by parliament.

The fees, which grant access to television, radio and the internet, currently stand at 196 kroner per month for each household. are – and which is not”. According to Søndergaard, there is no previous example of an EBU member being kicked out of the organisation either.

In several European countries, such as the United Kingdom or France, free-to-air channels are guaranteed the right to broadcast events like the Olympics due to a law introduced by the European Commission in the late 1990s. The law protects free-to-air channels’ rights to broadcast ‘crown jewel’ events – major sporting or cultural events deemed to be “of importance to society” – to their national audiences, regardless of other exclusivity agreements between event

organisers and pay-TV stations.

However, only nine European nations, including Denmark, drew up lists in 1999. The original Danish list included the Olympic Games “in their entirety”, the finals and semi-finals of football’s World Cup and European Championship, as well as any games involving the Danish national side. The same provisions all applied to major handball championships.

But, Denmark revoked these measures in 2002, thus reverting to a situation where a pay-TV station could theoretically hold the sole rights to broadcast any of these events ... providing they are able to acquire them.

MPLOYEES of Berlingske Media have endured the brutal scythe of layoffs for the second time in just over six months. A total of 66 employees will lose their jobs this time around: 35 administrative, 13 editorial and 18 managerial jobs will be cut and 17 currently vacant positions will be permanently axed.

The cuts, most of which will come this month, will add 16 million kroner to the company’s bottom line this year. Along with other cost-saving measures, they will help Berlingske reach its goal of ending 2012 in the black.

In January, Berlingske cut 87 positions in a round of layoffs that included the shutdown of its free newspaper, Urban. At that time, journalists walked off the job to protest against the cuts.

News of the layoffs came via a lunchtime email to staff citing disappointing summer sales and calling the action a “regrettable, but necessary step”.

The paper’s management admitted in the email that the redundancies are in direct conflict with editor-in-chief Lisbeth Knudsen’s promise in January that there would be no more major cuts in 2012.

The layoffs come at a time when rumours are flying concerning the imminent sale of Berlingske Media. The JP/Politikens Hus conglomerate – which operates Jyllands-Posten, Politiken and Ekstra Bladet, the nation’s three most-read newspapers – has been mentioned as the most likely buyer, but Knudsen denied vehemently that the layoffs were related to any possible sale.

“Regardless of the rumours of a sale and new owners for Berlingske Media, cost-cutting

measures must still be implemented,” Knudsen wrote in the email. “We still need to show a profit and everyone at Berlingske needs to fight to achieve that goal.”

Lars Munch, the chief executive of JP/Politikens Hus, told the website mediawatch.dk that the option to buy Berlingske remains very much open for his company.

“We are investigating the possibilities, and then we will assess the outcome of the investigation,” he said, adding that Berlingske needed a “professional, stable and long-term owner”.

JP/Politiken’s possible purchase of Berlingske Media has opened a debate about a national media monopoly, in which one company controls and decides the editorial content, and cost, of the day’s news.

An attempt by Munch to create a single group with Berlingske, Jyllands-Posten and Politiken under the same roof may find itself on the wrong side of the country’s anti-monopoly laws.

With Politiken, JyllandsPosten and Ekstra Bladet already under the same management, a purchase of Berlingske’s papers would bring Berlingske, Weekendavisen, BT and a number of regional and local papers into the fold. Concern has been expressed that the merger will create an undue concentration of ownership and control of the Danish newspaper industry and place too much editorial power into too few hands.

“It is clear that putting all of the papers in a single house creates the possibility of standardisation,” Aarhus University media researcher Frank Mortensen told Politiken. “It might be better if a foreign investor like [Swedish media group] Bonnier purchased Berlingske.”

Any merger of Berlingske with JP/Poilitikens Hus would have to be examined by Konkurrence og Forbrugerstyrelsen, the nation’s competition and consumer authority, to see if the risk of a monopoly exists.

Get educated Copenhagen Design & Construction Basic Cabinetmaking, joinery & carpentry in one basic course 15 minutes from the heart of Copenhagen Meet new friends from all over the world

24-week course starts 3 September Education is free for EU citizens To start on CDC Basic, no experience with woodworking is necessary, just the urge to learn!

Copenhagen Technical College Taebyvej 65 2610 Roedovre DK

7

Phone +45 3586 3686 rodovre@kts.dk kts.dk/inenglish.asp

8

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

Tell us something we don’t know

Copenhagen needs international talent JASPER CARLBERG

T

HERE is a lot of eye-rolling in our editorial offices every time the national press has a field day telling us something we already know: Denmark is not the easiest place for a foreigner to come and settle. But this past week, our orbs barely stayed in our sockets when not one, but two stories made the rounds, neither with anything particularly new to offer.

Navigation magazine’s report that Copenhagen lags behind other European cities when it comes to attracting and retaining foreign professionals pointed to a general unwillingness among Danish companies to hire foreigners, a lack of openness towards foreigners amongst the populace, and a system that slaps foreign workers with sky-high taxes while simultaneously barring them from various social services.

But a look at the comments on almost any given article on our website will show that the foreigners already living here know all of this all too well.

The report also highlighted an unrealistic and inflexible approach towards ‘career nomads’ who only plan to be in Denmark for a short time before moving on to the next job. These shortterm residents are still expected to learn one of the world’s most difficult languages and fully conform to Danish norms.

The other element of being a foreigner in Denmark that we are all too familiar with is the sub-standard treatment one often receives from Immigration Services.

So, while we were grateful for Danish journalist Ralf Christensen’s well-written opinion piece about being treated in a “degrading”, “inhumane” and “suspicious” way by Immigration Services, we were more than a little confused by the subsequent uproar that it created.

Clearly those people who were taken aback by Christensen’s piece aren’t readers of The Copenhagen Post, as we’ve been sharing similar stories for some time. Or, perhaps they only care now that a connected Danish citizen is making the case rather than foreigners themselves. If this is the case, we thank Christensen for shedding light on the often sorry state of affairs at Immigration Services, but we find it somewhat ironic that his complaints have been given more weight than those of actual immigrants to this country.

To be fair, things seem to be slowly moving in the right direction under the new government, and Copenhagen’s mayor, Frank Jensen, seems to be making a genuine effort to make Copenhagen a more attractive place for internationals. But as the Navigation report and Christensen’s piece both so effectively demonstrated, there are still a myriad of problems and obstacles for those who are coming to Denmark, both for professional and personal reasons. (JC)

24 - 30 August 2012

FRANK JENSEN

C

OPENHAGEN is attracting too few highlyskilled foreign workers when compared to similar cities, according to a recent study. This is a huge problem.

Not only are we losing tax revenue, but Copenhagen needs well-educated foreign workers to help develop many of the companies that make their home in our city. We in Copenhagen have established the clear goal of attracting a greater number of talented foreigners.

In a global economy, it is essential that Denmark is able to attract outside companies, investment and labour. Alone, we simply do not have the knowledge or numbers required to create the necessary innovation in our areas of strength, including clean technology and the medical sector. Competition in this

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

twitter.com/cphpost

facebook.com/copenhagenpost Join us on Facebook and Twitter to be updated on current news and debate the issues that matter to you.

www.cphpost.dk

Copenhagen should be an open and tolerant city with room for everyone and where anyone, regardless of where they come from, has the opportunity to enjoy a good and fruitful life to make it more attractive for highly-skilled foreign workers to come to our city.

We have created the International Citizen Service to help foreigners find their place in Copenhagen and navigate the necessary paperwork. We have created a European school and launched the Copenhagen Talent Bridge to help expats get established and begin to create networks for small and medium-sized enterprises. Campaign Open Arms has been designed to remind Danish-speaking locals to be more open and welcoming to tourists and foreigners.

I would also strongly urge the government to officially adopt English as Denmark’s sec-

ond language. Danish is a hardto-understand language spoken by a relatively small number of people and I believe it would be to our advantage to communicate with the world in English and make sure that all of the signs in Copenhagen are also in English.

In the year 2000, only 14,000 highly skilled and educated foreigners made their homes in the capital region.

Although that number has increased to about 25,000, we need more. Attracting them will require a dedicated and co-oordinated effort from both local and the national government. After a decade in which the general perception has been that Denmark would prefer that foreigners stay away, we need a fresh start. The time has come for Danish political parties to stop competing over who can spout the toughest rhetoric against foreigners and instead start competing about who can find the most effective methods to attract “the best and the brightest”. In Copenhagen, we have gotten the ball rolling with the clear expectation that the new government will join us in the game.

Copenhagen is OPEN Copenhagen.

The author is the lord mayor of Copenhagen

READER COMMENTS Pia’s lasting legacy

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

context is not between Copenhagen and other cities in Denmark; rather it is between Copenhagen and northern European cities like Stockholm, London and Berlin.

Numbers from Statistics Denmark show that although only one percent of companies in Denmark are foreign-owned, they account for some 24 percent of GDP and 27 percent of total Danish exports. Their influence on our growth is obvious.

But this is not just an issue of money and growth. Copenhagen should be an open and tolerant city with room for everyone and where anyone, regardless of where they come from, has the opportunity to enjoy a good and fruitful life. A vibrant and diverse expat community helps make Copenhagen a better place for us all. The effect is cumulative: if the foreigners who already live here are happy, others will come.

Internationally, Copenhagen, with its low crime rate, ample green spaces, family-friendly atmosphere and many cultural offerings, often scores high on the so-called ‘liveability’ scale.

We need to be better at telling our story abroad, while at the same time working to cut through the red tape to make it easier to settle in Copenhagen.

We have recently launched a number of initiatives designed

She was charismatic enough to sell herself to the rabble, but didn’t have the brains or vision to go beyond that. She removed herself from politics when the going was good for her, and she will be remembered fondly by many. But in my eyes, she will be remembered as a shrill little person that poisoned the political debate on immigration and integration in Denmark.

Nebsy by website She is one of the main reasons the world is a worse place now.

Pia K is a holdover from a time when human lives had less value and when extremists decided who lived and who died. She is a stain on Denmark and has been for the past 17 years. It is good to see her go as head of her fascist party.

Christina Ackerman by Facebook I’m not sure if Pia is or has ever been a role model for far-right parties. It’s simply her ideas that are a current trend around Europe. It might be natural for leaders who share those ideas to support one another. I’m sure that many of those who vote for farright French parties, for example, have never even heard of Pia. Danhest by website Danish racism is driving away educated immigrants right and left. I’ll be taking my extremely educated Dane with me when I

go too.

Cassandra Pedersen

by Facebook

What influence? The real people pulling the strings behind the scenes are the Zionist Neocons based in America. The ‘Swedish’ democrats are more loyal to Israel than to Sweden.

TC by website Nice story. Pia has never been against genuine refugees coming to Denmark. danishkeith by website Police blunder in case of ‘unidentifiable’ officers The Danish police are investigating the Danish police, and they can’t solve the case … why am I not surprised? How many more cases could be solved if the public actually showed their outrage at the incompetence of the Danish police, thus forcing them to actually do something beyond writing speeding tickets and fines to cyclists?

Thorvaldsen by website You seriously think they sent standard police to arrest a suspected terrorist? Those guys are agents of some sort dressed in easily identifiable uniforms in case the situation should flare up in the media. The laws that cover them make them completely untouchable – they truly answer to no-one. It would be easier to prosecute the queen than one of them. I have no doubt the police

know exactly who they are!

TeaTwo by website Man who stabbed his daughters is English TV medium There’s crazy… and then there’s this guy.

Buzzy Sørensen

by Facebook That’s certainly not a happy medium.

Huw Evans by website See – immigrants, again ...! Seriously though, what a truly awful story, and whilst making light here, I hope the little girls get over this. I can’t imagine how terrible this must be for all involved. neilco76 by website Unemployment benefits central to budget negotiations One of many classic critiques about socialism is that it provides an incentive for people not to work. So now we have about 30,000 people who have done nothing but suck your hardearned tax kroner away with their dagpenge – keep in mind that these people haven’t been deemed unable to work – or else they would have gotten another handout from the holy welfare state. Of course, the bleeding heart socialists don’t think it fair that they should be cut off, and want to give them more of our money. After all they are ‘the weakest’ in society, whose lifestyles our ‘broad shoulders’

need to bear the burden of carrying. We have a government that is pissed off that so many eastern Europeans are pouring into Denmark and taking jobs, while not being satisfied that unemployed Danes should be left to fend for themselves because they couldn’t find a cushy job.

This is exactly why I hate socialism with a passion. Thank God Vestager is a rational socialist who can see through the Helle Thorning-Schmidt rhetoric. Let these 30,000 lazy, entitled brats sweep my street, serve my dinner and clean my toilet. Cut off their dagpenge and then be amazed how quickly they start working again after not being able to find work for two years. the1youlove2hate by website I honestly don’t understand how otherwise intelligent sounding Enhedslisten politicians can talk about economic matters. Insisting that tax breaks should also apply to the unemployed is just ludicrous. Every time this Joanna Schmidt opens her mouth on the subject of tax, it makes me laugh. You can almost imagine Margrethe Vestager saying: “Oh Jesus, just go and pout for the cameras and leave the serious stuff to the grown-ups who understand money.”

Barney_dk by website I prefer the current Danish system: costly but humanist.

Danhest by website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

24 - 30 August 2012

Am I a stranger no matter where I am?

D

The Words of Öz BY ÖZCAN ARJULOVSKI Özcan Ajrulovski was born in Sweden but has lived in Denmark since he was five years old. His parents came to Denmark in the late 60s from the Turkish part of Macedonia. He has a passion for writing poetry and has written political columns for metroXpress and other publications.

See more at www.ozcana.com.

O MY ROOTS make me Turkish? I was born in Sweden but have lived in Denmark since I was five years old. I consider Danish to be my native language.

I speak and read Danish better than I do Turkish. Even my thoughts and my dreams are in Danish.

But are my language skills and childhood enough to justify calling myself a Dane? Some say that if you are born in Denmark, then you can call yourself a Dane. But I don’t see it as being that simple. What if you were born on an aeroplane over the Atlantic Ocean, what nationality would you have then?

Would you be nationless?

When I travel abroad to Turkey, I don’t feel like I am going home. I feel more like a stranger. I actually feel like a tourist. When I am in Turkey they call me ‘Dane’ or ‘European’, but when I return to Denmark (where I feel home) they call me “one of the strangers”, and some people are ignorant enough to tell me that I should go home where I came from.

But that’s the million dollar question: where do I come from? In the

In the place where I feel like I am home, they call me a stranger, and in the place where they say I should go “back to”, I feel like a stranger place where I feel like I am home, they call me a stranger, and in the place where they say I should go “back to”, I feel like a stranger.

Before I began to watch the news and follow politics, I never wondered if I was a Dane or a Turk, or where my home was. It was only when I got a little older and began to feel the implications of the political atmosphere of “us and them” that I began to think about my own identity.

Which am I: ‘us’ or ‘them’? And what am I? Am I a part of Denmark’s family?

Or am I a black child adopted by a white family, who is told that he is a part of the family and even gets the family’s last name? But many times when this child leaves the safety and comfort of his own home and walks out in public with the family, the eyes of others look at him differently. Even if he feels that he is a part of the family, he knows that he does not look like the rest of them. The public does not see him as a part of the family, simply because he is different.

That is what I feel I am. I am a black child adopted by a white family. I feel like a member of the family, but will never feel a complete and total belonging like the native members do.

So no matter how Danish I feel I am, I will always look different. I don’t have the blonde hair, or the blue eyes. When I apply for a job and they see a weird first name with a eastern European-looking surname, how often do they pass me over, thinking: “Hey, we’ve got plenty of ‘real’ Danes applying for this job”?

What does this term ‘Dane’ even

9

Am I a part of Denmark’s family?

Or am I a black child adopted by a white family?

mean? Do I benefit from using it, or is it just a meaningless title?

I can’t call myself 100 percent Danish, nor can I call myself 100 percent Turkish. Because I am not 100 percent of either. Because my identity contains both, I prefer to say that I am the best of both worlds. I take the best of the Turkish culture and the best of the Danish culture and then create my own Danish-Turkish hybrid. Because that’s what I am. A Danish Turk.

The Olympics, my summerhouse and a niggling doubt

I

The Lynch Report

BY STUART LYNCH 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.

N ITS VALIANT attempt to impersonate a real summer, our Danish August is currently impressing and forging a path to the first of September when, come rain or shine, the Danes will don their autumnal uniform of warm brown or black leather jackets, trousers and hats.

Until the conformity of that September day, I reminisce on a summer spent watching the Olympics, building a summerhouse and nursing a niggling doubt.

The Olympics are, we are told, a celebration of all that is good about the human race. It is sponsored by great and conscientious companies like Visa, who in no way encourage us into worsening debt, McDonald’s, who provide only healthy meals and cannot be connected with obesity, and British Petroleum, who always clean up their oil spills. Other major sponsors who fund wars or conceal the fact they use genetically-modified crops in their products are also welcome to the celebration.

Yes, the London Olympics were great. It consisted of a great opening ceremony followed swiftly by a closing ceremony, ruined only by the complete lack of David Bowie. Usain Bolt, between these ceremonies, meanwhile won the

Olympics single-handedly for Jamaica.

However, while Bolt’s success is unquestioned, the jury is still out on my summerhouse.

The ‘with my own bare hands’ approach has proved very successful in terms of the buying of wood, tools and beer, but not quite so triumphant in the building walls, doors or a roof.

But alas, my summer wasn’t all TV watching and DIY bliss. Throughout the summer, I was dogged by a niggling doubt. Throughout these sunless months, the majority of my emails have started with the same words: “Just back at work from the holiday”. As I did not go on holiday, I have been pondering the motivation for this lie. Why the façade? I have no fear of being shunned by my summer holiday-idolising Danish co-workers. I do not need to excuse any unreliability with a feigned pressure from a return to work. However, the need to repeat these words throughout the summer was strong. It was almost like I had a fervent wish for the summer not to have happened, but couldn’t put my finger on why. Last week however, after one particular heroic beer fillednight at a noise concert at the music venue Mayhem, the answer hit me.

The ‘with my own bare hands’ approach has proved very successful in terms of the buying of wood, tools and beer, but not quite so triumphant in the building walls, doors or a roof Death was on my mind.

This summer, we lost three artists and men. Some were better known than others, but all were great and all were around 50 years young.

On August 5 in Paris we lost the French documentary filmmaker and photographer Eric Sandrin. I first met Eric in 1990, just after he had made a documentary about the Mai Juku dance company ‘Min Tanaka & Maijuku’. I worked with him a couple of times after this and met him on the occasions I was in France. He was the

warmest and gentlest of men, with a superb visual eye. I knew many who knew him and without exception he’ll be sorely missed.

In mid-July my office colleague was killed in a road accident. I did not know Ken Lindemann very well, but what I do know was that I liked him very much. He was a graphic designer and webmaster. Quiet, gracious and clearly talented, we had happily welcomed him into our theatre office and mourned the loss of getting to know him.

Between both the above deaths passed the British choreographer and founding member of the famous DV8 dance company, Nigel Charnock. I had met him twice at festivals here. He was impressive. Like a bottle of champagne, he seemed to be in a constant readiness to be opened. He was an exceptional and very inspirational artist.

I did not finish the summerhouse, appreciate the Olympics or write any good emails, but it did not seem to matter. I felt very privileged to have known these three men.

In the words of Langston Hughes: “Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.”

CPH POST VOICES

YOU’RE STILL HERE?

TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK

BRICK BY BRICK

GRAIN OF SAND

MACCARTHY’S WORLD

CHRISTIAN VALUES

Kelly Draper

Frank Theakston

Stephanie Brickman

Tendai Tagarira

Clare MacCarthy

Christian Wenande

NEXT WEEK

IN 2 WEEKS

IN 3 WEEKS

STILL ADJUSTING

CRAZIER THAN CHRISTMAS

Justin Cremer

Vivienne McKee IN 4 WEEKS

10 NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

24 - 30 August 2012

Two weeks after calling ‘Borgen’ the “best show you’ve never seen”, the American weekly has named the Danish capital among ten “world class cities”

I

F COPENHAGEN finds itself overrun by an unexpected flock of US tourists in the coming months, Newsweek magazine will probably be to blame.

The American weekly has of late embarked on an all-out serenade singing the praises of all things Danish.

In its August 20 issue, the magazine included Copenhagen in a section inviting readers to discover what it described as “ten new world-class cities”.

Newsweek’s foreign editor Louise Roug Bokkenheuser sang the praises of our fair city, ranking it in the same flattering company as Rome, Istanbul and Sydney.

Louisiana museum, the Lagkagehuset bakery in Christianhavn and the “alternative pleasures” of Christiania were among Bokkenheuser’s recommendations.

The magazine also included an unexpected piece of advice for its readers: keep an eye on the television dramas produced by the Danish national broadcaster, DR. This is the second time in

ALL PHOTOS: COLOURBOX

FRANCISCO PEREZ

COLOURBOX

Newsweek sings city’s praises

The Australian company’s investment could generate 600-800 permanent, full-time jobs

Greenland under pressure from all sides The Rundetårn was one of Newsweek’s must-see spots

RAY WEAVER

a month that Newsweek has praised Danish dramas.

In its August 6 issue, the weekly included an unconditionally positive review of the Danish series ‘Borgen’, calling it nothing less than “the best TV show you’ve never seen”, deeming it better than many American shows such as the lambasted ‘Newsroom’.

Newsweek wasn’t the only US news outlet to turn its eyes to Copenhagen this summer.

One of the most remarked pieces was a video made by the New York Times on the city’s ‘cycling superhighways’. On a lighter note, National Public Radio (NPR) recently aired a short history of the Tivoli Gardens and the way they “beckon” visitors on summer nights.

Australian company threatens to pull out over ban on uranium mines, South Korean investors plan visit, and DF’s new leader questions the DenmarkGreenland relationship

Newsweek magazine’s ‘10 new world-class cities’ • • • • • • • • • •

Chicago Mexico City Buenos Aires Copenhagen Rome Istanbul Cape Town Beijing Bangkok Sydney

Bangkok

Sydney

Istanbul

Copenhagen

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK So you’ve seen our events and been impressed, but you can attend as a non-member so there’s no reason to consider joining, right?

Except...

You don’t get to come to our Christmas Reception You pay 125 – 350kr for each event you attend You are peripheral to the network – would you refer business to someone you don’t know??

the uranium-containing areas.

The current Chinese monopoly on rare earths has inspired the start-up of a rash of new mining projects around the world that investors can put their cash into if things get too complicated in Greenland.

Kleist has said on several occasions that his government will only consider lifting the uranium mining ban when or if there is a specific application, so the logical step for the mining company would appear to be to submit an application for mining.

Mining applications typically run into thousands of pages and are expensive to produce, so Greenlandic mining will probably be looking for some assurances during the upcoming meetings that an application will be favourably received.

Meanwhile, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, the incoming leader of Dansk Folkeparti (DF), has said that he wants to hold talks with prime minister Helle ThorningSchmidt (Socialdemokraterne) concerning Denmark’s relationship with Greenland. The inspiration for Dahl’s request was a recent climate deal between the two countries. Dahl expressed concern that the deal seems to favour Greenland and said that there was not enough discussion before it was signed.

Little Mermaid joins Pussy Riot protest LYDIA DEICHMANN

MODKRAFT

Wouldn’t you rather...

Make an active contribution to BCCD? Attend seminars and on the way home meetings free of charge?

Attend lunches and socials either at cost price or free of charge?* Profile your business, news and events via our website and newsletter (1200 subscribers and growing)?*

A

USTRALIAN company Greenland Minerals and Energy (GME) is set to deliver an ultimatum to Greenland’s leaders: drop the ban on uranium mining or lose our planned 15–17 million kroner investment in an uranium mine in southern Greenland.

Berlingske Business reported that the gauntlet was thrown down in a brief prepared by GME prior to meetings scheduled next week between company leaders and Greenland’s prime minister, Kuupik Kleist.

The ultimatum follows a five-year period in which GME has spent some 450 million kroner on a successful exploration of the Greenlandic underground near the southern city of Narsaq.

The company says it has discovered the largest deposit of rare earth minerals outside of China.

The minerals are vital to modern devices, from cell phones to satellite systems. The company is being funded by South Korean investors who are willing to in-

vest 15-17 billion dollars in the uranium mine, which has the potential to create 600-800 permanent, year-round jobs in an area hard hit by unemployment.

The uranium mine would also contribute one billion kroner in annual revenue to Greenland’s national treasury.

Pressure on the Greenlandic government will be coming from several quarters in the coming weeks. South Korean president Lee Myung-Bak will make an official visit to Greenland at the beginning of September, and the Korean money men are expected to travel to Nuuk and Narsaq a few weeks after the presidential visit to inspect their potential investment.

Funding for the mine is slated to come from a South Korean investor group consisting of four giant conglomerates: the automotive and marine manufacturer Hyundai, an unnamed private investor, and two staterun companies –one of whom is the South Korean counterpart to the Danish energy company DONG Energy.

It is a safe bet that the company will point out during next week’s meetings that Greenland has already shown some willingness towards lifting the ban on uranium mining – most notably when it granted exemptions allowing exploration activities in

Statue gets makeover ahead of guilty verdict in Moscow and protest outside the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen

F

*Membership benefits vary by membership category.

If you would like to know more about Corporate, Small Business or Individual membership of BCCD, then please contact Nina Norheim: Nina@bccd.dk or call +45 3118 7558.

• official media partner Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

OR GENERATIONS the Danes have been trying to keep their beloved trademark statue safe from any harm, but this hasn’t stopped the Little Mermaid from trying out a number of different looks.

It has been in covered in paint, dressed up in a burqa, and on one occasion even tried to pull off the headless look made popular in Paris in the 1790s – all in the name of protest.

And last week on Thursday, the statue was sporting yet another look: a mask and a sign that read: “Free Pussy Riot now”.

Pussy Riot are a Russian fe-

The Little Mermaid was given a mask and a sign in support of Pussy Riot

male mask-wearing punk group who were found guilty in Russia last Friday on charges of ‘hooliganism’ following their February protest in a Moscow cathedral, where they sang a ‘protest prayer’ aimed against the close links between the Russian Orthodox Church and the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.

“It is an action that should show that Denmark sympathises with the Pussy Riot situation,”

said a member of the activist group that was behind the Little Mermaid incident.

Their trial, in which all three members received two-year sentences, attracted attention from every corner of the globe.

Supporters dubbed last Friday ‘Global Pussy Riot Day’, and hundreds took to the streets of Copenhagen to protest outside the Russian Embassy, joining similar actions worldwide.

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

24 - 30 August 2012

11

For one day only, the corner of a foreign field, forever English PHOTOS: CLIVE THAIN

WORDS: BEN HAMILTON

As the ’actress’ said to the archdeacon: “Do you know anywhere in town where I can find great English-language books, scoff a cream tea, and genuinely suspend my disbelief to imagine that I’m attending a village fete in the Cotswolds?” Last Saturday, outside St Albans Church on Churchillparken, the excellent sport pictured above, the resident vicar Jonathan LLoyd, was happy to oblige. It was an occasion for camaraderie, crosscontinental dance-offs and Copacabana-like temperatures, in a corner of Copenhagen forever English

New this year (in the end pretty much replacing the Anglo goods foodstore Abigail’s, which had a crash on its way to the fete) was a children’s games stand, which no doubt tested the mettle of a few of the attending adults as well. Throw a stringy ball thing and watch it wrap around the clothes rack, and shoot some baskets on a hoop borrowed from Lilliput for the day

Pictured with the archdeacon (in more traditional attire this time) is CIS student Andrew Koenings (right), who created the games stand as part of his bid to become an eagle scout - the order’s highest ranking. “The last time I was in a local paper [the ‘Cecil Whig’ in Maryland] it was for helping to get a groundhog off a man’s head,” reveals Andrew

It wouldn’t be the fete without a performance from the local Jane Austen appreciation society, but you’d be forgiven for thinking there is a touch of the Latin about this scene: more ‘Pride and Prejudice’ meets ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’. Some passing Mexicans couldn’t resist teaching the group a dance more suited to Speedy Gonzalez than Lady Catherine de Burgh

The bookstore was once again the fete’s biggest draw, thanks to the sterling efforts of Bob Hylands and Frazer Thomas

If he looks miffed, it’s because moments ago our photographer backed straight into him

And outgoing British ambassador Nick Archer’s first port of call was the traditional fried onions at the burger stand

Joan Hansen and Clare Clausen were in fine form at the gift store

Englishman Mike Surlees and his son Oliver are regular visitors to the fete

In contention in the knobbly knee contest: the Post’s Ben Hamilton and Copenhagen Celtic founder Coogan

“Can you put your slimming lens on please,” requested Mary Pay and Angela Hansen, the two main organisers of the fete, who respectively oversaw preparations in Copenhagen and Aarhus, from where a large contingent attend the event every year, making an invaluable contribution. “We’d like to stress that this was a big team effort,” said the pair

The CTC’s rising star John Shennan, who last week auditioned for their Christmas pantomime ‘Aladdin and his wonderful lamp’

And the Diamond Jubilee didn’t go unnoticed. Her majesty would have felt very proud and, no doubt, peckish

12

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

24 - 30 August 2012

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

The Copenhagen International School (CIS) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this academic year, and at its first school assembly of the year last week on Friday, it welcomed Inez Venning (centre right), the first headteacher of the Copenhagen International Junior School, who spoke about the school’s “early days”. Also among the speakers was Jim Keson (centre left), a long-serving headmaster of the senior school. From just a handful of students in 1962, to its current total of 800 from 60 different nationalities, the school has come a long way and is planning a number of events to mark the anniversary, including a massive celebration in April. (Photos: CIS)

Christianborg opened its doors to nearly 200 guests last week on Friday to mark Eid, the concluding festival of the Muslim religious fasting month of Ramadan. The Ramadan dinner was hosted by theatre group Mungo Park and SF MP Özlem Cekic, seen here greeting the minister for gender equality, Manu Sareen (left). Ministers, writers, actors, imams, rabbis, priests and leaders from the business sector were among the guests attending. The event was opened by the poet Benny Andersen, who read his poem ‘World Citizen’(centre left).

The event was a big success thanks to a delicious dinner, entertainment and speeches by the ministers Margrethe Vestager (right), Pia Olsen Dyhr and Karen Hækkerup. (Photos: Jacob Holdt; words: Sveta Rubin)

COMING UP SOON OUTBREAK The Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance, Philip de Langes Allé, Cph K; Fri Aug 31, 09:0016:00; free adm; www.teaterskolen-uddannelse.dk Come and participate in a discussion regarding the future of arts education, or simply come and listen to the array of international artists and theoreticians who have come to speak on the subject. Between 17:00 and 18:30, there are performances by fourth-year dance students.

Copenhagen World Cup Skyttegade, next to Rantzausgade, Cph N; Sat Sep 1- Sun Sep 2; 300kr per team; www.play31.dk/ copenhagenworldcup Play31 is for the second year organising an international football tournament during the SmagVerden (Taste the World) festival. The tournament will focus on coexistence and fair play, with all proceeds going to Play31’s charitable work in Sierra Leone. Get a team of six and eight together and represent your country or come by and cheer on your favourite team!

Copenhagen Irish Set Dancers open house Nyelandsvej 23, Frederiksberg C; Mon Sep 10, 19:30; free adm The Copenhagen Irish Set Dancers (CIS) have been holding Irish set and step dance lessons for 20 years, with practices held once a week. If you think you might want to start taking lessons, or you just want to enjoy a nice evening with some Irish dancing, take your family and friends to Frederiksberg for the CIS’s open house.

Back to Biz working dinner Restaurant l’Alsace, NyØstergade 9/ Pistolstræde, Cph K; Fri Aug 24, 19:00; tickets 425kr; www.europeanpwn.net/copenhagen To mark the end of summer, the European Professional Woman’s Network in Copenhagen are hosting a networking dinner to jumpstart both your literal and professional appetite, and this time everyone is welcome – even those with a Y-chromosome! Remember to register online.

AT WORK AND AT PLAY New England Mussel bake Secret location to be announced; Sun Sep 2, 11:00-23:00; see www.billetto.dk/musselbake for prices Street Corner Kitchen is now introducing its latest street food concept to Copenhagen, and it’s nothing less than a New England-style mussel bake!

Half a kilo of mussels with fresh bread costs only 85kr, and book fast to get the discounted drink tickets on presale!

Malaysia Day Clipper House, Sundkrogsgade 19 Cph Ø; Sat Sep 1, 18:0000:00; 150kr for members, 250kr for non-members Come and enjoy Malaysian hospitality and Danish hygge all at once during ‘Hari Merdeka’ – Malaysia’s 55th Independence Day. Clipper House, the honorary consulate for Malaysia, will be playing host to an evening of food, drink and traditional entertainment for the entire family.

LINN LEMHAG

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.

M

Y BRITISH brotherin-law was offered a summer job at a Danish company in Copenhagen and he happily accepted it, knowing that he would spend time with his family and get to know his niece and nephew better, amongst other things. Very quickly, once he had started working, he noticed the great working environment where he would be spending the summer. Needless to say, he was very pleased. Some foreigners mention how Denmark can make you soft in the long-term. This is definitely an illustration of it.

At this particular company, the staff are spoilt by one of the most amazing cafeterias in Copenhagen. The day starts with freshly-squeezed orange juice and every option of breakfast that one could wish for. And then a hot meal is served for lunch. All this for a minimal monthly cost.

In the UK, my brother-in-law would be lucky to find an average tasting cold sandwich for twice the price of what he was

paying for a hot meal here. And or sødmælk ... The options are this includes a vegetarian option, endless. And let’s not forget two kinds of salads and very well ‘Awesome Friday’ when the emprepared meat. Just to give you ployees can look forward to taan idea of what could be served, cos, falafel, homemade pizza or he habitually munched on pork the legendary build-your-ownroasted in nuts with cabbage and burger(s)! leafy salad, Moroccan lamb with Yet some people still find bulgur wheat, salmon and spin- fault with what is offered. My ach lasagne served brother rememwith a rocket cranbers one occasion berry salad ... oh, when someone and did I mention At this particular complained that the fresh croisthere weren’t any sants for breakfast company, the staff hard-boiled eggs every Monday are spoiled by left when he armorning? rived at work in There is also one of the most the morning. It a homemade fruit amazing cafeterias simply did not ocand vegetable encur to him to arergy drink every in Copenhagen rive a little earlier.

Monday afterMaybe Denmark noon to ensure that the workers does make one soft. are fighting fit. And then there As for my brother-in-law, he is ‘Cake Wednesday’, eagerly has now returned to the UK to awaited by everyone who might look for a new job. Having been need a mid-week sugar boost. spoilt all summer with fantastic The latest addition to the cafete- food and a great work environria is a special milk machine so ment, is there any hope that he that people can get instant cold will be able to enjoy any other milk, whether it is minimælk workplace?

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

24 - 30 August 2012

13

After five happy years, the diplomat gymnast has got to split ALL PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

DAN ORYAN

Despite the cold climate, Israel’s deputy head of mission since 2007, Dan Oryan, found himself in a warm environment that he was happy to embrace

A

T THE END of July, I bid farewell to the Little Mermaid, to Strøget, to Tivoli, and to Islands Brygge. I said goodbye after five years in which I felt I was steadily becoming more and more Danish. On my Facebook page you might find congratulations to Noma on being voted the best restaurant in the world, cheers to Kronprinsparret on the birth of their twins, and a celebration of the fact that the Danes are the happiest nation on the planet.

My family and I assiduously separate our rubbish into compost, paper, glass and plastic (with and without pant), and hazardous materials, and continuously remind each other to squash it all as flat as possible. Our car music system plays Medina and Burhan G, we have all built Lego castles, and I enjoy a good Carlsberg with my smørrebrød and drømmekage. On weekends my children demanded to be taken to Tivoli, Bakken or the Experimentarium, or we strolled along Nyhavn or around the Lakes. I have grown accustomed to leaving work at 5pm and not feeling guilty about it, and when no-one calls at the weekend with work issues, it now seems completely normal to me.

I came to Denmark from a hot, energetic, exciting and excitable country. I thought I would be coming to a cold, reserved place. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a warm, family-orientated culture, a place where

Dan Oryan, gymnast diplomat extraordinaire, says goodbye to the city in his own special, inimitable style

both community values and personal liberties have a pride of place, and a small nation that participates in global efforts to improve the quality of life of all peoples while striving to preserve its unique identity. Above all, I discovered a place where people care.

In the five years I have spent among the Danes, I have found out that it is not only history that has brought our people together: in fact we have quite a lot in common. On the brink of leaving, I recall some shared moments and some unusual events that exemplify our special relationship.

One of the best known rescue operations of the Second World War is that of the saving of the Jews of Denmark in 1943 by their countrymen, who gave them safe passage to Sweden in fishing boats in the dead of night. Next year we will commemorate the 70th anniversary of this unprecedented operation, both in Denmark and in Israel.

Later, in 1947, Denmark was immensely influential in drafting and promoting the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine

as embodied in UN General As- in Copenhagen at a reunion for sembly Resolution 181, calling hundreds of kibbutz volunteers for the creation of two states, from Denmark, who celebrated their shared Jewish and yet unique exArab, in the terperiences over ritory of Mana long night datory Palestine. of art, music, Even before I have grown its official foun- accustomed to leaving and memories.

Israeli kibbutzdation as a state, born dancIsrael was a lab- work at 5pm and not ers performed oratory for new feeling guilty about amongst hunideas in many dreds of tomafields. One of it, and when no-one at Dansethe most noted calls at the weekend toes hallerne and experiments socialist-style was the Israeli with work issues, it kibbutz posters kibbutz, an attempt to create now seems completely were exhibited in the building. a socialist soci- normal to me.

Culturally, ety in which the members give according to their there have been many highlights, abilities and receive according to including visits by the Israeli their needs. Over 40,000 Danes Philharmonic Orchestra to Tivoworked and volunteered at Israe- li; authors such as Amos Oz, Dali kibbutzim during the 1960s, vid Grossman and Lizzy Doron 70s and 80s. Many of those who to major book events; Eran Katz worked crops, milked cows and to teach the Danes how to imwashed dishes in communal prove their memories; Amir Asor kitchens were captured by the to use Lego bricks to teach scilens of photographer David Ei- ence and technology; and the gay nav. In 2010, these photographs community of Tel Aviv, which were curated by Yael Nitsan and in the summer of 2009, when exhibited by the Israeli Embassy Copenhagen hosted the World

OutGames, was invited to construct a beach on Islands Brygge.

For a whole week, Danes and tourists could experience Israeli music, beach games and (Danish) beer on ‘Tel Aviv Strand’.

Among the guests of honour was the organiser of the OutGames, who is today the current minister of culture of Denmark.

If I had to single out one event, it would be ‘Six Days of Peace’, a project initiated by Gregory Rockson. This young rotary ambassadorial scholar from Ghana sought to bring together Israelis and Palestinians. With the support of the Israeli Embassy and the Palestinian Mission, he organised a reception held at Copenhagen City Hall in May 2012, led by

Pia Allerslev, which included food prepared by Israeli, Palestinian and Danish chefs. Later that same day, Gregory brought an Israeli-Palestinian-JordanianNorwegian-American ensemble, My Favorite Enemy, to the Tivoli stage. In Gregory’s words: “We’ll start with six days of peace, who knows how many will follow.”

Israeli-Danish co-operation during my time wasn’t just limited to culture, though. We’ve welcomed Nobel prize winners; introduced Israeli and Danish businesses to each other, including Shai Agassi’s electric car project to Dong Energy; and helped facilitate continuing cooperation between our countries in research and development.

And I’ll never forget the high profile political visits! Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the then Danish prime minister, received an honorary degree at the University of Haifa and opened a marine science centre there, and Shimon Peres, the president of Israel, came to Denmark at the head of a large delegation at COP15.

That particular occasion turned much of my hair white: imagine trying to find hotel rooms for your delegation with 100 other heads of state here, all at the same time – not to mention a taxi!

When I bid farewell to the Little Mermaid, I told her I would return. Maybe in a few years as the Israeli ambassador to Denmark, but certainly sooner as a tourist and visitor. The Little Mermaid managed to contain her excitement at this news and stayed as immobile as ever, turning her face away from me towards the blue-grey sea. I promised her this reaction would not deter me from returning.

Dan Oryan was the Israeli deputy ambassador from August 2007 until August 2012.

City Hall (top), Palads (left), the Little Mermaid (centre) and HC Andersen (right) - they will all miss Oryan, and his wife, as will ambassador Artur Avnon (top right), pictured here at their leaving reception

14

sport

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

24 - 30 August 2012

Team Danmark had a good Olympics, but how did their predictions fare? scanpix/Michael Bothager

Ben Hamilton

Six months ago, we went headto-head with the sports body.

Who won gold, and who ended up being the rower from Niger?

S

Cycling: Team Danmark: ONE CPH Post: ONE Actual Result: ONE Running Score: CPH Post 4, Team Danmark 1

Not always a good sign if you can fit all of your country’s medallists into the same row in a photo

menters on our website, warned: “It’s wishful thinking, counting your chickens before they hatch etc! Well, who’s going to have the last laugh!”

So let’s have a look, ever so slightly gloatingly, at who did.

Swimming: Team Danmark: ONE CPH Post: TWO Actual Result: ZERO Running Score: CPH Post 0, Team Danmark 0 Ouch, that’s a car crash of a start for both tipsters. We were super-confident Lotte Friis, 24, would medal at least once, but she came fourth and fifth in the 400-metre and 800-metre freestyles. While Rikke Moller Pedersen came fourth in the 200-metre breaststroke and Jeanette Ottesen Grey failed to mount a challenge in any of her three finals. And the others swam like lame ducks.

Badminton: Team Danmark: ONE CPH Post: TWO Actual Result: TWO Running Score: CPH Post 1 , Team Danmark 0 Oh yea of little faith, Team Danmark. Sure the Chinese are pretty amazing – they scooped all five golds – but your prediction proved to be a tad pessimistic, considering the Danish team’s recent form in Europe.

Still it was a brave punt by

the Post. Denmark had won a medal in each of the Olympics from 1992 to 2004, but in 2008 it drew a blank. Not only that, we named Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen as the country’s “best bet” and a doubles partnership involving Christinna Pedersen as their “second best hope”. Get in!

Rowing: Team Danmark: ONE CPH Post: TWO Actual Result: THREE Running Score: CPH Post 1, Team Danmark 0 Crikey, did anyone see that one coming? While Team Danmark glumly went for one (they’re just not very good at this, are they?), the Post was clearly out of its depth, tipping Henrik Stephansen, “an insanely talented lightweight single sculler”, as the country’s best hope. Would have been nice, but they don’t race lightweight single sculls at the Olympics, and he was seriously out of his league against the big boys. Still, at least the Post suggested the lightweight coxless four and said Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist would “go close” in the lightweight double sculls.

Sailing: Team Danmark: ONE CPH Post: TWO Actual Result: TWO Running Score: CPH Post 2, Team Danmark 0

Predicting sports results can be a rum business. In all honesty, our knowledge of the Weymouth conditions was pretty limited, our info on the Danish entries even worse, and we’d never heard of Jonas Høgh-Christensen – and Team Danmark knew all of this and still managed to balls up their prediction. It was instinct, pure and simple, and the sailors delivered.

Handball: Team Danmark: ONE CPH Post: ZERO Actual Result: ZERO Running Score: CPH Post 3, Team Danmark 0

At last, a correct prediction. So all that expertise does count for something.

Tennis: Team Danmark: ONE CPH Post: ZERO Actual Result: ZERO Running Score: CPH Post 5, Team Danmark 1 To be fair, Team Danmark did change their mind about Caroline Wozniacki, and this prediction was always entirely about her. But she was the same player in July as she was in February (in better form in fact), so you have to ask who’s making these calls?

Other sports: Team Danmark: ZERO

CPH Post: ONE Actual Result: ONE Running Score: CPH Post 6, Team Danmark 1 We said “it stands to reason, Denmark will spring a surprise or two”, and they did. We said we have “a sneaky suspicion this might be in the shooting [a silver], dressage [fourth in the team event], triathlon [admittedly hopeless] or canoeing [fourth in the men’s sprint]”, and we were right. Team Danmark weren’t.

Final total: Team Danmark: SEVEN CPH Post: TEN Actual Result: NINE Final Score: CPH Post 6, Team Danmark 1 But let’s not get too carried away with our win – our commenters are always there to ensure we know we’re rubbish.

“Shame on you Copenhagen Post!!!! I would not have thought you would start this Danish feelgood rubbish,” wrote Rugratzz when we made the predictions in February.

“Were you told to write this, or did you make it up yourself?

You could be right if half the world does not turn up.”

If by half the world, he was talking about the wildernesses of Russia, Canada and Africa, or indeed the world’s oceans, he had a very good point. scanpix/Henning Bagger

o the Olympics are over and Denmark’s 112 participants won nine medals, and finished in the top eight an impressive 33 times – a 75 percent increase on the 19 top eights in 2008 in Beijing.

It was their best medal haul since London in 1948, where they won 20 – reaping the benefits of continuing to play sport under the Nazi occupation, it was suggested at the time by some of the sore losers.

But enough of the 64-yearold bitterness that most of their rivals at the last London Games had to get by training on one egg a week, this is a time to celebrate. Whoopee! Get the red and white flag out and shake it about.

“The Danish athletes have delivered great results,” enthused Niels Nygaard, the chairman of Danmarks Idræts‐ Forbund (DIF), the country’s Olympic committee, in a press release.

“It’s perhaps our best Olympics ever when we look at the increased international competition. The success is largely due to the improvements made to the sporting set-up in Denmark by the DIF, combined with Team Danmark’s additional support for the elite.”

But just how confident were they that their improvement would pay dividends six months ago? We’re glad you asked because the Danish Olympic team, Team Danmark, in February predicted the number of medals they would get, specifying exactly which sports they would win them in, and not wanting to feel left out, The Copenhagen Post had a go as well.

We argued that geography was on Denmark’s side, and that the British summer’s “windy, rainy and rarely warm” climate would suit their participants. And accordingly we went slightly higher.

As Djeep, one of the com-

Deary me, Team Danmark are making this too easy. While the men developed a winning habit on their way to second in their group, they never looked convincing. We said that teams would be looking to stop Mikkel Hansen, and stop him Croatia and Sweden most certainly did. And let’s face it, the women never had a chance once they were drawn in the harder of the two groups.

Rasmus Quist and Mads Rasmussen claim Denmark’s first gold of the Olympics

Sports news and briefs Slovaks say mange tak

Crucial comp for Caroline

Lucky Pants appeal

Bjørn part of Ryder team

Side-burns sidetracked

‘Lille’ surprise in Parken

Denmark lost 1-3 to Slovakia last week on Wednesday, their final warm-up game ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, which begin on September 8 against the other half of the former Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic. The Danes led comfortably at half time, but then capitulated, conceding three goals in a final half hour that will do little for their confidence.

Caroline Wozniacki is warming up for the US Open, which starts on Monday, at the New Haven Open, a minor tournament where she is the four-time defending champion. Wozniacki faces a big rankings fall should she fail to match her US Open semi appearance in 2011. She is ranked number eight but only 12th favourite at 40/1 (Bet 365) to win.

Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner has appealed against a one-game suspension for showing off the name of a bookmaker on his underpants at Euro 2012, but not his fine. A UEFA panel will judge the case on Monday. Meanwhile, he has been linked to moves to both AC and Inter Milan. The Rossoneri’s bid apparently includes an exchange proposal involving French defender Philippe Mexes.

Thomas Bjørn has been named one of the four vicecaptains for next month’s Ryder Cup, which will take place in Medinah, Illinois from September 28-30. Bjørn, who played in the cup in 1997 and 2002 and will be the only Dane on the team, has meanwhile told media he would like to end his career by representing Denmark at the 2016 Olympics, at which golf is scheduled to make its debut.

The six-stage Post Danmark Rundt began on Wednesday without the current Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, who is being rested from his summer exploits. Had he competed, Wiggins would have become the first yellow jersey winner to take part since Bjarne Riis in 1996. Mark Cavendish, however, is among the field.

The tour ends on Sunday on Frederiksberg Alle.

An early penalty save by Johan Wiland boosted FCK as they dispatched Lille 1-0 on Tuesday night in the first leg of their final Champions League qualification hurdle. A 38th minute header by little Brazilian striker Caesar Santin was enough for the Danes to snatch a valuable aggregate lead before next week’s return leg in France.

Business

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

24 - 30 August 2012

15

scanpix/Rune Feldt-Rasmussen

Country growing stronger internationally Latest figures show an improvement in Danish competitiveness

A

Vestas workers around the world are waiting to see which way the political winds blow in the US

Yet another round of layoffs at Vestas Ray Weaver

tas spokesperson, Jens Velling, told Politiken newpaper.

Velling did reveal that most of the layoffs will happen in Wind giant to cut 1,400 Europe, saying that 55 percent employees by year’s end of those cut will be workers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Another 20 percent will estas will be cut- be trimmed in Asia and Africa, ting 1,400 more em- and the final 20 percent will be ployees by the end of Vestas employees in the US. 2012 in an effort to get The axe has already begun to down to 19,000 worldwide by fall in the US. Some 90 jobs at a the end of 2012, according to plant in Pueblo, Colorado were the company’s recently released cut last week. This week, 30 half-year financial workers at anothreport. er factory in the In January, Rocky Mountain the company anstate were handed nounced that it their pink slips. would cut 2,335 It is too early to ”It is disapemployees dur- say exactly where pointing,” Jack ing the course of Rink from the 2012. The latest layoffs will happen Pueblo Economic figures raise that Development number to about 3,700.

Corporation told the Denver Vestas declined to say how Post. “Vestas has been a good many Danish jobs will be hit. company here.”

“It is too early to say exactly Vestas has previously anwhere layoffs will happen,” Ves- nounced that they may ultimate-

V

ly have to lay off up to 1,600 US employees due to uncertainty over whether the production tax credit for investments in renewable energy in the US will be extended into 2013.

Any extension will not happen until after the US presidential election in November, and Republican candidate Mitt Romney is on record as opposing the credit. Romney’s opponent, President Obama, favours the credit. Meanwhile, the US turbine industry stagnates while waiting to see who will win.

Velling said the company will announce exactly where the new layoffs will hit soon.

The company said in the financial report that the cuts were necessary “in order to ensure that Vestas will be profitable at expected production levels.”

Starting from 2013, the 19,000 employees, as opposed to the previously estimated 20,400, will result in annual cost savings of about 1.8 billion kroner.

Exchange Rates Australian Dollars AUD

Canada Dollars CAD

Euro EUR

Japan Yen JPY

Russia Rubles RUB

Sweden Kronor SEK

Switzerland Francs CHF

UK Pounds GBP

United States Dollars USD

Sell

6.06

5.93

7.34

0.07

0.18

0.87

6.09

9.34

5.94

Buy

6.62

6.41

7.57

0.08

0.20

0.91

6.29

9.71

6.21

Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency

Date: 22 August 2012

tiny island of hope may be developing in the middle of the current sea of lousy economic news.

Denmark appears to be growing stronger when it comes to competing with other countries. For years, high wages and low productivity have caused the country to lag behind its foreign competitors, but it now seems to be making up some lost ground, according to the latest figures from the Business and Growth Ministry.

“I do not want to be overly optimistic, but there are cautiously positive signs that we may be able to celebrate,” the business and growth minister, Ole Sohn (Socialistisk Folkeparti), told Politiken newspaper.

Wages have been rising faster in Sweden and Germany than in Denmark, and a combination of those smaller wage increases coupled with higher productivity at Danish companies has strengthened the country’s competitiveness and helped to snare a larger share of export markets.

“Danish competitiveness has been deteriorating since the late 1990s, but we are less inclined to notice competitiveness during good times,” said Sohn.

Sohn said that productivity first started to turn around in 2009.

“Companies have cut back on things that were not productive and made wage agreements that are lower than those in the countries we normally compare ourselves to,” said Sohn.

Sohn said that businesses need to assist the government in developing economic policies that create international trust in Denmark. He said that focusing on things like early retirement and tax reform would strengthen the economy.

Despite improved competitiveness and governmental efforts to kick start the economy, unemployment rose in the past few months after a long period of stability.

There were 164,200 unemployed in June – 1,500 more than the previous month.

“We have managed to somewhat maintain the level of unemployment, but we are a small country with an open economy and dependent on what happens abroad,” said Sohn. “When the southern European countries are hit by the economic crisis, our exports to those countries drop.”

Sohn said that the unemployment situation would be worse without the improvement in competitiveness and the government’s economic kick-start efforts.

Sohn also said that the sinking value of the euro has made it easier to export to countries like Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Although the news of the nation’s increasing competiveness was well received by economists, many warned that there was still a long way to go.

“It’s a good sign that competitiveness has improved,” Helge Pedersen, the chief economist at Nordea, told Politiken.

“But we must do even better if we are again to be among the world’s top-ten in terms of GDP per capita.”

Pedersen said that companies should be given credit for keeping wages down and increasing production without hiring new workers.

The left-leaning think-tank Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd (AE) agreed with both Pedersen’s optimism and her caution.

“Although, of course, you must be careful not to overinterpret the numbers, is there reason to be optimistic?” AE’s Lars Andersen told Politiken.

“We have seen a distinct improvement in productivity in companies where the most efficient businesses survive and expand, but know from experience that we also need domestic demand to drive consumption and investment.” (RW)

Ombudsman to monitor bank prices

F

rom now on a consumer ombudsman will help banking customers navigate the financial institutional jungle that includes personal accounts, debit cards, credit cards and loans.

The initiative by the Business and Growth Ministry is just one of 23 points of a plan of action that is aimed at simplifying life for consumers.

The ombudsman, in collaboration with state financial watchdog Finanstilsynet, will be able to check the pricing policies of Denmark’s financial institutions and therefore negate the special status that financial intuitions have enjoyed for the past decade.

Up until 2002, it was the consumer ombudsman who monitored the bank pricing policies, but following a conflict between then ombudsman, Hagen

Jørgensen, and the financial institutions, parliament shifted the responsibilities to Finanstilsynet.

But Finanstilsynet has been heavily criticised for not doing enough, and the move by the government to have them share their responsibilities with the ombudsman has been met with praise.

“There has been many errors in the banks’ pricing information over a number of years due to a lack of effective control,” John Norden, CEO of Mybanker portal, told Politiken newspaper. “It’s more natural that the ombudsman monitors the banks, just as he does with many other trades.”

Finanstilsynet recently checked out 30 banks and found errors at 29 of them; and Henrik Øe, who has been the consumer ombudsman since 2006, will be relying on a solid cooperation

with Finanstilsynet to handle the issue.

“Together with Finanstilsynet, I can better monitor whether the banks comply with the rules.

I am already authorised to see if the banks have acted responsibly,” Øe told Politiken. “Hopefully we will see fewer cases of banks using misleading marketing tricks in the future.”

The business and growth minister, Ole Sohn (Socialistisk Folkeparti), is under no impression that the banks will celebrate the initiative, but contended that using the consumer ombudsman will greatly benefit the consumers in the country.

“It is essential that the banks provide accurate and transparent information, and perhaps the banks think we’re getting to close to them, but the banks are here to service their customers,” Sohn told Politiken. (CW)

business news and briefs Danish Nets move to buy Luottokunta Danish payment solutions company, Nets, looks set to buy Finnish card payment service Luottokunta for 170 million euros. Luottokunta is responsible for all Visa and Mastercard transactions in Finland. It also produces the Lounasseteli luncheon vouchers.

The merger will not take place until it has received approval at the Nets AGM and from the Finnish Finanacial Supervisory Authoirty. Nets employs over 2,200 staff in the Nordic

countries, operating across a total of 12 countries. In 2011, combined net sales for Nets and Luottokunta neared 850 million euros, whilst they oversaw close to five billion card transactions. Luottokunta cheif executive Heikki Kapanen, said: “All the services will reamin as they are.” Talking about the future of the nearly 500-strong Helsinki workforce Kapanen said: “In time the change will affect us all, but in what way, nobody knows at this stage.”

Carlsberg blames poor performance on weather Despite a boost from the Euro 2012 football tournament, Carlsberg failed to fulfil its quarterly profit forecasts, blaming bad weather. A 5 percent drop in consumption across western Europe heavily outweighed the boost in Polish beer sales during the Euro 2012 tournament. “This [fall] was a little more than expected with Euro 2012 taking place in Q2 and was driven by very bad weather,” Carlsberg said. The company also reported 1 percent growth in Russia despite rigid alcohol regulation

and high beer taxes designed to tackle alcohol abuse. Carlsberg has keept its full-year earnings prediction: an operating profit of 9.82 billion kroner, matching last years’ performance. The Danish based brewer, the fourth-largest in the world, is responsible for many brands such as Carlsberg, Tuborg and Baltika. “There is an effect of the weather, but otherwise this could be a sign that the economic crisis is felt on sales of the more expensive brands.” Brand analyst Stig Nymann told Reuters.

Pension fund buying stake in ISS The Kirk Kristiansen family will partner with a Canadian pension fund to invest 500 million euros to acquire a quarter of ISS, a Danish facility services provider. Kirkbi Invest, a holding company investing on behalf of the family, said the investment will give them a 26 percent stake in the company. Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, a pension fund managing the assets of 300,000 active and retired teachers, is providing 342 million euros – most of the investment. ISS helps

companies manage facilities as diverse as cleaning, catering and security, and is aiming to reduce debt before an initial public offering. The company operates across 50 countries, employs 530,000 staff and reported nearly 13 billion dollars of revenue. “[ISS’s] management is experienced, with deep industry knowledge and has put the company on the right strategic path,” Jo Taylor, the vice-president of Teachers’ Private Capital said. “We look forward to helping ISS expand.”

Biotech Job Vacancies Lundbeck

Novo Nordisk

Clinical Data Manager Business Insights Partner Student Assistant – Corporate Tax Global Brand Manager Supply Operations & Engineering Research & Development Commercial Operations

Project Manager to Supply Chain Support SAP FICO professional Senior R&D Engineer, Tests, CAD modelling and Coordination QA Project Manager Regulatory Associate Medical Specialist Global Project Manager Supporter Key Account Manager Diabetes GP Sector Sales Director Diabetes Senior Project Controller Assistant PostDoctoral Position Statistician Supply Chain Analyst Transfer Pricing Manager Mammalian Cell Culture Technician MES Specialist Development engineer

Leo-Pharma Principal R&D Scientist for API Development Regulatory Application Professional, eSubmissions Senior Clinical Pharmacologist

Ferring GMP Auditor, Corporate Audits Associate Director, Corporate Information & Library Services Assistant, Global Regulatory Affairs

Novozymes Corporate Communications Specialist

For more information, deadlines and other job vacancies visit our webpage www.cphpost.dk/jobvacancies Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

COPENHAGEN RENAISSANCE

MUSIC FESTIVAL In commemoration of Christian

Geist (c.1650-1711)

Holy Land Discovering Israel: Inside the Special advertising section INSIDE!

Photo: Karsten Movang

Festival Copenhagen Renaissance Music Special advertising section INSIDE!

InOut

ISRAEL

7 - 20 NOVEMBER 2011

FROM SCHÜTZ TO GEIST 1600-1700 Early German Baroque Music

HOLMENS CHURCH

COPENHAGEN 1660

THEATRE OF VOICES

CHRISTIAN IV

TThe he CPH Post

MASADA

HAIFA

TEL AVIV

JERUSALEM

*ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT*

*ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT*

Issue 44 4 - 10 November 2011 | Vol 14

| cphpost.dk

Entertainmen

Experienced English Teachers

t Guide | 16 - 22 Sep

ILLUSTRATION BY PETER

newspaper Denmark’s only English-language

NEWS

STANNERS

Dane unable to obtain family girlfriend reunification for his Thai Catch-22 says residency rules are a

KIDS ON YOU BETT FILM TTH HEE CHILDR ER BELIEVE IT BU STER EN

6

Exploiting ‘fat tax’ Supermarkets are scamming guise their customers under the of the new national ‘fat tax’

NEWS | 3

SPORT

Get in or get out

’S MOVIE

Is now the time to join the euro, or to run like hell? new National coach Morten Olsen’s job in the contract will keep him Cup. until after the 2014 World

14

Warrior Jesus from How Christianity borrowed Jesus Norse mythology and branded the to woo as a tough guy in order pagan Vikings

HISTORY | 19

9 771398 100009

Price: 25 DKK

A new budget to ‘kickstart’ the

BLS Business Language Services are looking for native English teachers for company teaching, mainly daytime.

economy

Danes abolished, saving some 525,000 mobile and of students. Moreover, stuwith business laptops (VK) govern- the number vious Venstre-Konservative no longer pay administrative phones 3,000 kroner per year. major points: dents will JENNIFER BULEY Master’s students look forment. Here are a few of the Not everyone, however, can the state’s fees, and prospective course tuitions Families: VK limited and junk (bør- will have prerequisite 17.5 billion ward to a cash infusion. Smokers SRSF’s first budget will spend monthly child support handouts fam- paid. The government will also fund higher on their per food lovers will be taxed abolish necheck) to 35,000 kroner corporations kroner on infrastructure and state-supported internship abolished, 1,500 more vices, while international plans SRSF ily. That limit has now been bills. previous taxes and restrictions tax positions. higher families will get creation: will also see and meaning that many Infrastructure and job by closing a number of AN YOU HAVE your cake ts. The government will be in- to raise revenue wisdom larger child benefi Some 17.5 billion kroner going back nearly 20 years eat it too? Conventional fertility treatments and infrastructure tax loopholes corporations budg- will also pay for vested over two years in that allowed international says no, but with their first corporate as a new rail line between power, voluntary sterilisations.

Folkeparti projects, such in Denmark to escape paying et plan since the shift of Welfare: VK and Dansk and Ringsted, a project to erne-Radikaletaxes (see more on page 15). welfare pro- Copenhagen the new Socialdemokrat (DF) introduced specialised Holbæk motorway, erosion increases in the the coalition spending widen the ts (SRSF) told, All benefi cash Socialistisk Folkeparti grammes that reduced the efforts along Jutland’s west as big as the minister Those programmes protection renovations to public hous- new budget are not appear to be giving it a shot. the new for new immigrants. coast, and economy and interior, Margrethe Many of the elements of eliminated and going Helle Thorning- of the to be re- have now been would like. She noted that state ing. Prime minister ‘kickstart’ Vestager (R), budget – which is expected all residents in need of the deficit for 2012, Schmidt has said that these ursday – will forward leased in its entirety on Th will receive the same welfare projects will create 20,000 new jobs VK under-reported to spend more. But a time when support making it imprudent increase state spending at The Danish ConstrucEU’s finanincreased. But benefits. research: from 2012-2013.

Denmark will still meet the the budget deficit has despite Higher education and predicts 10,000. come from recial responsibility benchmarks, one billion tion Association where the money would The unpopular ‘mulUniversities will get an extra Tax break:meeting she added. cit, defi aslarger costs personal the a cover mystery. be a to years mained Organise

by VK will items kroner over two timedia tax’ introduced increase A number of the new budget a predicted and sit inin on a class. by the pre- sociated with made CBS cuts at MBA spending full-time reinstate The one-year general managementip, and real-world experience. give focuses on leadership, entrepreneurshhear how the MBA can program and ally diverse Organise a personal meeting internation

C

FULL TIME MBA

Cheering a Muslim as we do a Murderer!

Page 10

FEST IS HE! RE page G9

4

ATION MEETING

MBA - INFORM FULL TIMEia’s most

Join Scandinav your career a new dimension. r 17:30-19:00 17th Novembe Thursday 3815 6022 MBA at CBS focuses on lm.mba@cbs.dk or callfull-time

Free acces s to 65 and attrac museums entire metro tions in the politan area

E-mail

Skills.

The one-year general management and Practical Business a personalp,meeting.

Entrepreneurshi to organise Leadership, up for the meeting. or call 3815 6022 to sign E-mail lm.mba@cbs.dk

Copenhagen Business School

School Frederiksberg Business n 22, 2000 Copenhagen Porcelænshave 22, 2000 Frederiksberg nba Porcelænshave www.cbs.dk/ftm www.cbs.dk/ftmba

See more at copenhag encard.co

m

BLUES COPENHA GEN w w w. c o

penhag

enblues

festiva

l.dk

John Primer w. Nisse Thorbj Joe Louis orn Band Walker [US] [US/DK] Mud Morgan | Holmes Brothe field w. Peter Louisiana Nande Band rs [US] [US/DK] Harrington Red & Paul Lamb [US/UK w. Kenn Lendin ] | Janice Keith Dunn Band [US/NL g Blues Band [US/DK Delta Blues ] ] Band | The | Johnny Max Band Thorbjorn [CA] Healers | Risager | Troels JensenShades of Blue H.P. Lange | 2011 Tutweiler Mike Andersen & Jens| Alain Apaloo | Fried Okra See ful Bluesoul Band | The Kristian Dam l progr | Grahn & Blues Overdrive amme: Malm | Ole Jacob Fischer w w w.co Trio | Svante Frimer | Paul Banks penhag Sjöblom | enblue Jes Holtso sfestiv e al.dk

SEPT. 28

- OCT. 2 ·

FESTIVA

L

& www .k

ultunau

t.dk

Special offer company subscription

We are a respected and well-established private language school and we need to add to our staff of English teachers.

Please send a written application to Penelope Mikkelsen - pm@bls.dk

SubScribe to 5 or more newSpaperS and get a diScount up to 40% contact: dima at the copenhagen post on 33 36 42 48 or by email at dima@cphpost.dk

WWW.CPHPOST.DK

35 82 12 14 www.bls.dk

BLS

B U S I N E S S L A N G U A G E S E R V I C E S

Learn Danish Start the weekend with instructive and efficient language learning

A Danish course at IA Sprog on Saturdays offers: • A combination of classroom instruction, self study and online learning • The newest technology and learning tools • Professional teachers • Speed and level tailored to each student

Busy working or studying during the week?

Try IA Sprog: Contact: 3888 3233

IA SPROG

Hejrevej 26, 2nd floor 2400 Copenhagen NV Phone: 3888 3233 Mail: info@iasprog.dk web: www.iasprog.dk

18

Culture culture

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

24 - 30 August 2012

Oscar-snubbed: now they know how Orson Welles felt Who is ...

Netflix can expect competition Lydia Deichmann The popular internet media provider will be here “when the dark months come”, a company spokesperson says

T

here’s good news for the nation’s TV fans. Not only is Netflix coming to Denmark, but the news of the popular streaming service’s arrival has caused additional changes to the Danish TV market.

Although it has not yet been announced when it will be released, the communications manager at Netflix, Joris Evers, confirmed that the service will hit Denmark before the end of 2012.

“When the dark months come to Denmark, then it will be possible to see Netflix,” he told DR News.

Similar to the online streaming provider Spotify, which provides music for a small monthly fee, Netflix streams TV series and movies that can be watched on demand.

A monthly subscription in America costs about 60kr, but it is not certain how much it will cost to access Netflix in Denmark.

Netflix has streamed to millions of members in the USA since 2007, and is the world’s leading subscription-based in-

ternet service for TV series and movies, with 27 million customers worldwide.

It was launched in Canada in 2010, Latin America at 2011, and Britain and Ireland at the beginning of this year. When it comes to Denmark, it will also be available in Sweden, Norway and Finland.

But Netflix can expect some potential competition from other media providers. DVD rental service Blockbuster has responded with its own changes, offering customers a subscription that they can use to access all the store movie titles for a fixed price.

However Søren Heilmann, the managing director of Blockbuster Denmark, acknowledged that his company will be facing stiff competition from Netflix.

“We expect that more will choose digital rentals. We saw a decline in physical rentals for the first time last year, and expect that it will continue,” Heilmann said. “The physical product that we offer is currently audibly and visually superior to that offered digitally. It will of course change with time, but right now the physical market for rental is still by far the largest,” Heilmann added.

Yet even more competition is looming in the media market, as the domestic multimedia provider YouSee also plans to launch an online streaming service in the autumn.

linn lemhag

Orson Welles at the podium in Citizen Kane, but nobody’s presenting him an Oscar

ten’, meanwhile, has been overlooked despite winning the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, as well as the best actor award for Mads Mikkelsen, Denmark’s most internationally recognisable actor, which would appear to suggest ‘international potential’.

However, while it is scheduled to be released in eight countries this year, it won’t be released in Denmark until Janu-

ary, and like ‘Hvidsten Gruppen’, there is no current plan to release it in the US this year, although this is not part of the eligibility criteria as it is with other Oscar categories.

Cousin Cannes and Uncle Oscar are rare bedfellows, and perhaps the subject matter of ‘Jagten’, child sex abuse allegation and mob mentality, was too hot for the committee to handle, who instead opted for films about a court romance, a

holiday romance and a romance between two artists.

Nielsen is confident the committee has chosen three directors who have already proven themselves on the international film scene. Among them is August, an Oscar winner with Pelle the Conqueror’ in 1988, who has not made a Danishlanguage film since then.

The committee will name the Danish candidate for the Oscar race on 18 September.

Lollipop and cool stories Francisco Perez

Evening in the Secret Garden HHHHHH

G

ood storytelling is the crux of all theatrical performances. This is a lesson that the newly-formed Moonhound Theatre group integrated well, as their Friday August 17 performance ‘Evening in the Secret Garden’ clearly showed.

The troupe, made up of four students from the Commedia School, welcomed their audience into a house garden in Østerbro. The decor was basic but cosy: mattresses, sheets, carpets and garden were spread across the grass.

As the members of the audience came through the front door, they were led across the garden by a small path marked by lollipops, granting the scene a look similar to that of the unbirthday party scene in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, thus explaining the name of the performance.

There, the troupe unveiled four short stories. Each of the four narrators told a separate one, bringing to it a personal touch and specific talents.

The stories were diverse and entertaining, highlighting the troupe’s excellent writing.

From a children’s tale – as was their first story, recalling the sad

Kirsten Eddyson

T

he best films don’t always win the top awards.

Just ask Orson Welles. In 1941, ‘Citizen Kane’ got beaten to best film at the Oscars by ‘How Green was my Valley’, a movie currently residing in TCM’s ‘where are they now’ section. And ‘Vertigo’, another perennial nominee on top ten of all time lists, didn’t win either. It didn’t even get nominated.

Sadly Welles and Alfred Hitchcock aren’t around anymore, or otherwise Thomas Vinterberg and Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis, the directors of ‘Jagten’ (‘The Hunt’) and ‘Hvidsten Gruppen’ (‘The Village: One family’s sacrifice will let a country live’) respectively, would have requisitioned their shoulders to cry on following the news that neither of their highly-acclaimed films will be battling it out at the Oscars next February.

Instead, the three films on the shortlist for Denmark’s entry in the best foreign language film category, which are chosen by a committee handpicked by the Danish Film Institute, are

Ida Corr?

RecArt

Two of the country’s most acclaimed films of 2012 have been left out of the running for the Oscar nomination

Nikolaj Arcel’s ‘En kongelig affære’ (‘A Royal Affair’), Susanne Bier’s ‘Love Is All You Need’ (‘Den skaldede frisør’) and Bille August’s ‘Marie Krøyer’.

Henrik Bo Nielsen, the committee chairman and CEO of the Danish Film Institute, explained in a press release that despite there being many qualified candidates, the committee chose the films that they best believed had “great international potential”.

Supporters of ‘Hvidsten Gruppen’ will question whether international potential and domestic box office success are linked, given that the film has so far been seen by significantly more people in Denmark (764,041 vs 526,262) than ‘En kongelig affære’, despite the latter’s inclusion on the Biografklub Danmark list.

Nevertheless, ‘En kongelig affære’ has already been released in seven other countries (Germany, Estonia, Sweden, Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand), with further release dates slated in another eight: the Netherlands (August 23), Norway (Sep 14), Belgium (Sep 19), Poland (Sep 21), the US ( November 9), France (Nov 21) and Argentina (December 13).

In contrast, ‘Hvidsten Gruppen’ has only been released in the Czech Republic.

Thomas Vinterberg’s Jag-

www.doctormacro.com

Jessica O’Sullivan

She is a Danish-Gambian singer who took her first major bow as an 11-year old on the first ever children’s Melodi Grand Prix. And on Monday it was confirmed she will be one of the judges on the next season of ‘X Factor’.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before.

No, you probably haven’t, but you’ve probably heard her voice. Her ‘Let Me Think About It’ collaboration with Fedde Le Grand was played nonstop through practically every speaker on the planet during the summer of 2007.

Oh, that was her? What has she done since then?

Not much. Her last album was in 2009, though she’s released a steady stream of singles since then – the last of which was called ‘Naughty Girl’ and is in Danish.

Is it any good?

In a word: no, she’s like a female Nik & Jay. And so far it’s not getting very much playtime but now she’s the new X Factor judge – watch this space.

I heard she has a famous boyfriend …

She has a boyfriend who plays football for Danish First Division club AB.

The Moonhound team (left-right), David Roby, Kaye and Sam Saylor and Fabiola Gonzalez, mugging it for the camera

destiny of a town punished for chasing mythical animals away – to the sadder monologue of a talking piano (their third piece, based on the story of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman), all tastes were met and all faces rejoiced.

No less impressive was the group’s acting. Hilarious gimmicks, impressive physical performances, acrobatics and entertaining accents were the trademark of the multicultural group.

British siblings Kaye and Sam Saylor hypnotised the crowd with their lively Yorkshire accents. Sam, giving a solo performance, charmed guests with his warm around the fire-like

storytelling. Kaye kept the audience sharp, energetically bringing the stories to life.

Fabiola Gonzalez from Mexico convinced the audience with her whimsical gimmicks, while enacting a fussy goddess with whom a mortal had fallen in love with.

American born David Roby gave the most applauded display: his powerful voice and á la Chaplin body language pleased a laughing crowd.

Regardless of the odd location – and of the neighbour’s loud music – the foursome pulled off an unexpectedly good show, which they hope will be the basis for future performances.

So he’s not exactly famous then, is he?

If you manage to find a channel that shows their games, he’s the goalie with the beard who looks like he’d be more at home on the pages of National Geographic under the headline: ‘Yeti found in Gladsaxe’.

Do we have any idea of what she’s going to be like in the judge’s chair?

She claims she will be kind and mellow. We’re hoping she’ll take some inspiration from her latest single and bring some naughtiness to the table and maybe pick a fight with Thomas Blachman. Let’s face it, anyone would have been an improvement on Pernille Rosendahl.

24 - 30 August 2012

DENMARK THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

19

Holy cow: the public’s favourite bovine was the cream of the icons JANE GRAHAM

W

Britain had the Everly sisters, Denmark the ‘Karolinepiger’

Butter! Good for the ticker, it keeps me in nicker!

Bjerre-Christensen and Aksel Larsen), helped butter fly off the shelves with their slogan ‘Use butter, we do’. And between 1966 and 1976, their butterheavy recipes dominated their hugely popular television show – until, that is, they were fired for endorsing the product for money.

Though the

Karoline brand continues to this day, Karoline the cow disappeared sometime in the ‘90s. Her ‘mother,’ Grete Rich, meanwhile died in 2001, at the age of 93.

You might want to have a look in the attic for any old Karoline memorabilia. Its status as a collector’s item was cemented at a recent auction held by art dealers Bruun Rasmussen in Vejle in Jutland, where a wooden figure edition of the cow sold for 2,000 kroner.

The piger toured abroad, promoting Danish dairy HASSE FERROLD

ITH THE annual culinary festival Copenhagen Cooking now wafting its tempting aroma over Denmark’s capital until September 2, newcomers to this country might think its kitchens were filled with nothing but the delightful, seasonal treats of the orchard and the Baltic. Right up until the Nordic cuisine movement, however, there was one cookbook that dominated the kitchen shelves: ‘Karolines’, a brand created by national dairy co-operative Arla back in the early 1960s.

In 1957, exports of butter from Denmark to the UK were suddenly and dramatically cut, resulting in an ever-rising ‘butter mountain’ back home. In an attempt to reduce the surplus, dairy co-operative Arla introduced the Karoline brand: a name that was to be known in almost every Danish household for the next five decades.

‘Karoline girls’ became ambassadors across Europe, recipes were passed between neighbours and relatives, and Karoline the Cow became the mascot of the dairyrich Danish kitchen.

The importance of the ‘Karolines Køkken’ (Karoline’s kitchen) brand to ordinary Danish life in the second half of the 20th century was significant enough for it to be studied by historians, and it is currently the focus of an exhibition at Nationalmuseet’s Brede Værk in Lyngby until 23 September, entitled ‘Åh, Karoline: 50 Years of Karoline’s Kitchen and Danish Food Culture’.

“Karoline’s Kitchen has played a very large role in Danish food culture from 1962 to now,” Niels Kayser Nielsen, a cultural historian from Aarhus University, told Danish website www. foodculture.dk.

“I think personally that ’Karolines Køkken’ is one of the few Danish brands to have achieved icon status. The aim was to make it a part of Danish culture – one that consumers actively seek out, rather like how Michelin is in France. Karoline’s Kitchen is an active part of most Danes’ history and filled with memories. There are not many other brands that have enough substance in their past to fill an exhibition at a recognised museum.”

Karoline the Cow was the creation of Aarhusian graphic designer Grete Rich, who reputedly used her own kitchen curtains to make the red and white checked body of this beloved farm animal, complete with a red and white daisy dangling from

of the country, thus marking the debut not only of the ‘Karolinepige’, but also of the Karoline uniform, which looked something between that of milkmaid and nurse – with Karoline the Cow appliquéd to the left breast.

‘Karolines Køkken’ came later, in 1962, taking its name from the still-popular cow and containing recipe books and ideas for average families and housewives. The influence of these recipes has been significant enough for several historians and cultural critics to credit Karolines Kitchen with teaching Danes how to cook.

The Karoline brand was not the only place where milk products were promoted, however.

Denmark’s first ever TV cooks, Conrad and Aksel (Conrad

WWW.ARLA.DK

Arla’s ‘Karoline’ adorned our milk cartons for four decades, revolutionising the kitchens of our homes and promoting our dairy products abroad

her mouth, that was to become and cream cartons and into adverts, appearing as its familiarknown the land over.

Karoline the Cow made her ity increased on everything from debut at Tivoli in 1958. Clad recipe books to key rings and ballpoint pens. in her red and The cow’s name white checked was to be the material and springboard for the size of a real cow, the mascot Karoline’s Kitchen has an entire brand.

Next to arwas introduced onto the stage played a very large role rive were the girls’, by no less than in Danish food culture ‘Karoline six young amthe prime minbassadors who ister at the time, from 1962 to now were trained by HC Hansen.

Arla and sent to After some tweaking later in the year, the Germany in 1961 to promote design made its way onto milk Danish dairy products outside

The Karoline memorabilia has become something of a cash cow

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

WANT TO SPEAK DANISH? INTENSIVE COURSES - SIGN UP NOW

Bernstorffsvej 20, 2900 Hellerup

T 3946 3050 F 3946 3051

Tuborg Boulevard 4, 2900 Hellerup Klampenborgvej 221, 2800 Lyngby

E info@sprogcenterhellerup.dk W sprogcenterhellerup.dk