It’s finally settled: We are the world’s best
Bold energy plan becomes reality
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30 March - 4 April 2012 | Vol 15 Issue 13
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Søvndal: aid, but no recognition, for Palestine
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Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk COLOUBOX
NEWS
Schools add the teaching of other religions to curriculum; church and politicians support idea
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NEWS
They’re taxing what? Following the fat and sugar taxes, government now looks to tax beer as well as “widespread” chemical
3, 10 SPORT
Value judgement Couple’s decision to have a ‘saviour sibling’ sets off ethical debate
With six of its ice hockey stars still involved in the NHL, how will Denmark fare at the world champs?
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HISTORY
Nearly 900m kr windfall to benefit schools and parents
A royal affair, indeed
RAY WEAVER
As ‘En Kongelig Affære’ hits the big screen, we look at the infidelity that threatened the monarchy
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Unexpected windfall will help ten schools throughout the city and eliminate forced daycare closures
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HERE IS nothing quite like the feeling of sticking your hand into the pocket of an old jacket or pair of trousers and finding a crumpled 100 kroner note you had forgotten was there. Imagine then what city officials must be feeling now that they have found 9 771398 100009 nearly 900 million unused kroner. The council used 872 billion kroPrice: 25 DKK ner less than it budgeted for in 2011. Organise a personal meeting After some early political posturing and and sit in on a class.
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disagreement about how to handle the money, the council has voted to use 330 million kroner of the windfall to renovate ten schools around Copenhagen. The agreement received the support of politicians from nearly every major party. The planned renovation of the schools includes not just cosmetic improvements, but what Copenhagen mayor Frank Jensen called “attic-tobasement” reconstruction, including better heating and cooling systems. “We have already renovated six schools and now we have the funds to renovate ten more,” Jensen said in a statement. “My goal is that all 58 of our public schools are totally renovated in the next few years.”
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Copenhagen’s deputy mayor for children and youth, Anne Vang (Socialdemokraterne), agreed with Jensen’s plan to completely renovate a few schools, rather than scatter smaller amounts of money to every school in the city. “It makes sense to use the 330 million kroner on fewer schools and get them finished,” said Vang (S) to Politiken newspaper. “It will cost less in the long run and children won’t spend their entire school career on a building site.” Socialdemokraterne (S) were early supporters of using the money on schools. “Our priority has always been school renovations,” said spokesperson Jesper Christiansen (S). “We have a backlog of
schools that need help and we must see to it that students in Copenhagen attend the most modern schools possible.” Along with the planned school improvements, funds have also been earmarked to abolish the forced two-week shutdown of daycare institutions in the city. “It was very important for us to eliminate the closure weeks so that parents themselves can decide when they will take holiday,” Rasmus Jarlov, a Konservative representative on the council, told Politiken. Other funds will be used to renovate nursing homes and other municipal institutions, as well as to make improvements,
Windfall continues on page 5
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Week in review
The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk
30 March - 4 April 2012 Scanpix/Keld Navntoft
Camilla makes a killing
THE WEEK’S MOST READ STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK Expat turns Facebook friends into headhunters with finder fee School fined for giving Muslim student choice she had to refuse Two-year-old’s fancy footwork makes him a star Do it in the nude: public pools offer naked swimming Charles and Camilla to visit Denmark
FROM OUR ARCHIVES TEN YEARS AGO. A survey shows that 80 percent of Danes believe the krone will be gone in ten years’ time. FIVE YEARS AGO. Copenhagen is ranked the world’s third most expensive city in the Economist Group’s Worldwide Cost of Living survey. ONE YEAR AGO. Queen Margrethe makes her first trip to Afghanistan to visit Danish soldiers.
Reputed “addict” of Danish TV programme ‘The Killing’, Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, receives a trademark sweater from the TV show’s star, Sofie Gråbøl, as Crown Princess Mary looks on during the last day of the British royal couple’s visit to Denmark (see more on pages 12-13)
employees complained publicly about their treatment, saying they worked long hours with no breaks, had no heat in the winter, and were belittled by management. When Meyer apologised on TV and said he was “ashamed”, the workers countered that he was still not telling the truth about the working conditions.
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Cancer rates up
Recent figures from Kræftens Bekæmpelse (the Cancer Society) show that 11 percent more young people between the ages of 15 and 29 develop cancer today than they did in 1989. The largest increase has been in cases of melanoma among young women. Doctors attribute the rise to increased exposure to the
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
sun and the increasing popularity of solariums. Although the number of cancer cases is on the rise, the mortality rate has fallen by about 49 percent due to improved treatment methods. Doctors predict that the numbers of young people with skin cancers will continue to climb over the next 20 years.
Editorial offices: Slagtehusgade 4 – 6 DK 1715 Copenhagen V Telephone: 3336 3300 Fax: 3393 1313 www.cphpost.dk News Desk news@cphpost.dk 3336 4243 The CPH Post welcomes outside articles and letters to the editor. Letters and comments can be left on our website or at: comments@cphpost.dk
Colourbox
Celebrity chef Claus Meyer is in desperate need of a new PR team, after finding himself in the news once again for all the wrong reasons. Following criticism of his decisions to hire an attempted murderer and to film a reality show in prison, Meyer is now in hot water over the working conditions at his bakeries. Several
Colourbox
Scanpix/Maria Hald
More trouble
CORRECTION Our TV listings said that SV1 was showing a documentary about Susan Palin. We of course meant former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. You betcha!
Dirty toys
The University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, and Aalborg University have established a consortium to examine the extent that children in daycare conditions become ill from handling the institutions’ toys, pillows and other equipment. The research will establish which areas are hotspots for bacteria,
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which cleaning solutions are most effective at killing bacteria, and how to prevent further infection of equipment. Researchers say these solutions would be more cost effective than increasing the amount of space available per child. Children at daycare institutions take about 15-20 sick days each year.
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NEWS
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
Green energy deal finally in place PETER STANNERS The government’s bold energy plan is to become a reality after political agreement on plan to end reliance on fossil fuels
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HE FUTURE of Denmark’s energy was secured last week after the government’s energy plan gained the support of seven out of eight parties in parliament. The plan, which outlines Denmark’s climate and energy policy from 2020 to 2050, will see 35 percent of the nation’s energy being produced by renewable sources by 2020, at which point it will be emitting 34 percent less greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990. “It is the broadest, greenest and the longest-lasting energy agreement ever to be made in Denmark,” the energy and climate minister, Martin Lidegaard, said. The plan also foresees a 12 percent drop in energy consumption by 2020, compared to 2006 levels, at which point half of Denmark’s electricity will be produced by wind power. The energy plan is designed to end Denmark’s reliance on fossil fuels while also positioning it as a leader in green energy technologies. Elements of the
plan, such as producing gas from agricultural waste, have been praised by businesses and industrial lobby groups. Its 3.5 billion kroner cost will be shared by consumers and businesses and lead to an average household paying an additional 1,300 kroner for their energy by 2020, and an extra 200 kroner cost per employee for businesses. The plan is not universally popular however, as increased prices will only create a greater burden on Danish consumers who, according to Eurostat, are already paying for the most expensive electricity in Europe. “It is strange and contradictory to, with the one hand, financially support wind energy and then, with the other, pass on the cost to consumers so that it becomes too expensive to use,” Frans Clemmensen, the chief economist at the environmental policy think-tank Concito, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. Other experts argued that making electricity so expensive created a disincentive to purchase electric cars. Lidegaard responded by saying that Europe’s oil bill increased by 700 billion kroner between 2010 and 2011, meaning a move away from fossil fuels was needed sooner rather than later. “Transforming a society from being dependent on fossil
The broadest, greenest and the longest-lasting energy agreement ever to be made in Denmark fuels to green energy requires investment,” Lidegaard said. “But the costs may be much greater if we do not act in time. At the same time, the transition will benefit the environment and ensure the future competitiveness of Danish businesses.” The deal was agreed after tough negotiations between the government and the main opposition party Venstre (V), who were mostly critical of the plan’s cost. V managed to reduce the energy plan’s cost from 5.6 billion kroner to 3.5 billion kroner by scaling down one of the two offshore wind farms that together will produce an extra 1,000 MW of electricity. V also forced the government not to implement a total ban on the installation of oil furnaces from 2016 in existing homes. The party argued that too many homes in poor regions were too far from district heating alternatives, and would therefore have to pay for expensive geo-
Booze next in line for sin tax
thermal heating systems. While existing buildings with no other heating alternatives will be able to keep their oil furnaces, new buildings built from 2013 will not be allowed to instal them. Liberal Alliance (LA) was the only party to vote against the plan on the grounds that it was too costly and would have little effect in the battle against climate change. “If we want to do something about CO2 emissions we need a global agreement,” LA leader Anders Samuelsen told metroXpress newspaper. “Without it, pollution will simply move from country to country. We should instead have used some of the money for research into future energy forms.” Other critics have pointed out some counter-intuitive consequences of Denmark reducing its carbon footprint. Firstly, the total amount of carbon released in Europe will not necessarily decrease because Denmark will free up carbon credits that other countries can purchase and so increase their own emissions. And secondly, by stopping the consumption of oil and coal, Denmark is reducing the pressure on these resources, meaning that their price will not rise as quickly and in turn reduce the incentive for others to move to alternative non-carbon sources of energy.
Biggest meeting of EU presidency on tap PETER STANNERS EU finance ministers to call on Copenhagen this weekend
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HE BIGGEST meeting in Copenhagen of the Danish EU presidency to date will be held this weekend when European finance ministers meet at Bella Center for informal talks. No formal decisions will be made during the ECOFIN meetings on Friday and Saturday, though ministers are expected to make headway on a number of pressing issues. One of the major points is likely to be how the EU can increase the size of its bailout funds. Starting in July, one of the funds, the ESM, will make 500 billion euros in cheap loans available to countries struggling to pay their debts. But there are concerns that this will not be enough to ease market fears that debt-laden countries such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland can find funding should they need it. The European Commission has made several proposals about how to increase the size of the bailout funds. The most likely seems to be allowing the remaining 240 million euros left over from another bailout fund,
the EFSF, to run alongside the ESM. This option means member states will not have to reach so far into their own pockets to strengthen the funds. The controversial financial transaction tax (FTT) – a levy on the trade of certain financial products such as stocks, shares and derivatives, also known as the Tobin Tax – will also feature in the negotiations. The European Commission’s proposal of an EU-wide FTT still lacks the backing of the UK – without whose support the tax is not likely to be implemented. As a result, other levies on the financial services industry are being considered in order to find ways of getting the industry to contribute more in taxes – and to also create a disincentive to the risky trading that is partially blamed for the current financial crisis. Finally, the EU’s next sevenyear budget, covering the period 2014-2020, will be discussed. Denmark’s push for green growth in Europe can be seen in the proposals for the budget, otherwise known as the Multi-annual Financial Framework. But MEPs this week questioned whether spending 20 percent of the budget on environmental and climate programmes was necessary.
We have the largest collection of fine hand-knotted carpets in Denmark
New sin tax could be bad news for Danish drinkers, but good news for German shop owners
Imported from Iran, Pakistan, India, China, Afghanistan, Nepal and Turkey
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FTER already being handed a sin tax on fat and bracing for a similar one on sugar, consumers could soon also be paying more to consume alcohol. A proposal from the prime minister’s Socialdemokraterne (S) to raise alcohol prices comes on the heels of a report by health institute Dansk Sundhedsinstitut indicating that local governments spend 3.1 billion kroner a year on issues relating to alcohol abuse. A report by statistics bureau Danmarks Statistik shows that Danes drank 453 million litres of beer in 2010, down 26 percent from the 614 million litres they consumed in 2000. Spirits consumption has also declined, while wine drinking has increased. But although the consumption of beer and spirits has decreased steadily over the past six years, young Danes still drink more alcohol than any of their European counterparts. Health specialist Kit Broholm said that drinking was a part of the culture of the Nordic countries, and that influenced young people in the region. “We know that young people who start drinking early are at a higher risk of developing alcohol abuse problems later in life,”
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With two locations in Denmark for the past 40 years, Orientalia is the oldest and most trusted supplier of fine hand-knotted carpets in the country.
It might possibly be the best beer in the world, but, on its home turf, it might also start costing you more to enjoy it
Broholm told education journal Børn & Unge. “Higher prices, limited accessibility, age limits, and similar societal messages are the most effective methods for reducing alcohol abuse.” Christian Thulesen Dahl (Dansk Folkeparti) attacked the price increase as another attempt by the government to use taxes to dictate people’s behaviour. “We obviously don’t want young people to drink as much as they do,” Dahl said. “But Socialdemokraterne’s knee-jerk tax increases as their response to everything is an overreaction. Just last year we raised the age limit to buy alcohol as a way to curtail young people’s drinking.” The ongoing discussion about alcohol prices has also had another effect. Danes are flocking to supermarkets just south of the German border to buy their beer and wine in bulk, according to Mike Simonsen, the managing director of the Fleggaard chain of stores in Germany.
“All the hype in the news is definitely positive for us,” Simonsen told Berlingske newspaper. “My price compared with the Danish market is, as it has always been, around 20 to 25 percent cheaper. Now people are beginning to realise this.” Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, health issues spokesperson for S, indicated that the enforcement of the age limit and the lower German prices are just some of the issues the party is looking into. This is not the first time the government has increased the price of alcohol. As part of a series of measures that came into effect on January 1 of last year, the price of beer in Denmark increased by 3.3 percent. At the same time, the age limit was also raised to 16 to purchase beer and 18 for spirits. (CW)
Bad news, good news While beer could get more expensive in shops, it could be cheaper at cafés. See page 5.
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COVER STORY
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
Denmark has its first ‘saviour sibling’ RAY WEAVER
first saviour sibling to be good news. Thomas Ploug, a professor at Aalborg University Copenhagen in Ballerup and a member of the Ethics Council, says he believes that it is important that children are brought into the world for their own sake. “I understand the terrible situation of the parents and admire their efforts to help their child,” said Ploug. “But I am worried that this is another case that seems to question the value of individual human life and dignity. This does not rule out the legitimacy of creating a child for the sake of a sibling, but it is important that the parents are aware of the value of each child for its own sake.” The older brother of the child in Aarhus is waiting to receive a transfusion of cells, which were taken from the umbilical cord of his baby brother and will be injected into his bone marrow. The operation is similar to the one that saved the life of Charlie Whitaker, a British boy who suffered a rare genetic condition and was saved by stem cells transplanted from the umbilical cord of his brother Jamie, who was born by in vitro fertilisation specifically to provide a tissue match. The Whitakers had to go to the United States for the procedure that was banned at the time in Britain. Much of the debate surrounding rearing so-called ‘harvest children’ has been about the psychological impact on those children born specifically to save older siblings. Some believe that it is totally unethical to bring a child into to the world to be what they see as a commodity rather than a person. In a paper written around the time of the Whitaker case entitled ‘Should selecting saviour siblings be banned?’, professors Sally Sheldon and Stephen Wilkinson of the Centre for Professional Ethics in the United Kingdom concluded that a ‘saviour child’ may actually develop a deeper sense of self worth than a baby conceived for ‘normal’ reasons. “The fact that the parents are willing to conceive another child to protect the first suggests that they are highly committed to the well-being of their children, and that they will value the second child for its own sake as well,” observed their paper.
Parents conceive baby to rescue seriously ill older child
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OR ANY PARENT it would be a terrible dilemma. Their child is desperately ill with a rare disease and their only hope is to create a compatible donor by having another baby specifically designed to save the first child. Is this a valid reason to bring a child into the world? They are called ‘spare parts babies’ or ‘saviour siblings’ and Denmark now has its first. Aarhus University Hospital recently announced that, after trying for five years, a couple was successful in conceiving a baby whose stem cells could be used to rescue the life of their seriously ill older child. The baby, a boy, is now nine months old. The news has once again sparked the debate surrounding the ethics of designing a child whose principal role is to supply the umbilical cord blood and stem cells needed to save the life of a sibling. “This is groundbreaking,” Dr Jakob Ingerslev of Aarhus University Hospital’s fertility clinic, where the new child was born, told JyllandsPosten newspaper. “It is the first time in Denmark that a child has been born that was conceived to supply the umbilical cord blood that could rescue a sibling.” Ingerslev will not identify the family, but said that they had also conceived a child in 2009 whose blood and tissue matched their older son’s, but decided to abort the pregnancy when it was discovered that the foetus had Down’s syndrome. I n gerslev said that the decision to end the earlier pregnancy proved that the parents were not just looking for a ‘spare parts baby’, but indeed wanted to have another healthy child. “They aren’t just looking for parts,” he said. “Otherwise, they would have kept the Down’s syndrome child.” Not everyone considers Denmark’s
Rejsekort not as cheap as it claims Commuters who use monthly passes may not save as much as the company behind the electronic travelcard says
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HE COMPANY behind the Rejsekort is being accused of misleading customers over the price of using the electronic travelcard, metroXpress newspaper reports. Rejsekort’s website states that commuters using the card to travel up to 38 times a month in Zealand stand to benefit from switching over from monthly passes and the discounted ten-ride Klippekort. But according to calculations made by metroXpress, commuters are actually better off buying a monthly pass if they travel to work and back on public transport more than 15 times in a month. Their calculations show that the Rejsekort can cost between 200 and 800 kroner more a month than a monthly pass when travelling to and from work in a typical 18-day working month. The revelations drew criticism from Michael Randropp, the head of commuter association Pendlerklubben, who argued that the cost of using the Rejsekort needed to be more clearly advertised. “Nowhere does it state to commuters that adding extra trips in the Copenhagen area can quickly make the Rejsekort more expensive than using a monthly pass,” Randropp told metroXpress. The price variations are due to the fact that the Rejsekort’s prices are currently the same as those of a Klippekort. Commuters travelling long distances, over more zones, therefore end up paying much more than a monthly pass if they make just a few more trips every month. Commuters who now travel using a monthly pass will have to wait until 2014 before Rejsekort offers a similar electronic product. Responding to the criticism, Thomas Boe Bramsen, Rejsekort’s head of marketing, argued that there was no need to add warnings for commuters currently using monthly passes. “We have not publicly marketed the travelcard toward customers in the capital area. We’ve only done it through the traffic companies’ membership programmes,” Bramsen told metroXpress. “There we state that there is currently an offer in which customers can travel at Klippekort rates.” The Rejsekort system has been beset by a raft of technical issues that have delayed its introduction by years and nearly doubled its cost, which now stands at a projected 1.4 billion kroner. The electronic travelcard is currently being rolled out in Zealand and northern Jutland, but some areas of the country have announced they are hesitant to adopt it out of fears that it is too costly. (PS)
ONLINE THIS WEEK Opposition criticised for not revealing economic details
Parliament agrees on spending ceilings
Captain of stranded ship was drunk
OPPOSITION party Venstre (V) is under pressure to reveal how they would afford tax breaks that its leader, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, recently said Danes ought to be granted. “It is paradoxical that [Venstre] are so focused on having the government release a 2020 plan while also not releasing their own 2020 plan,”
REGIONAL health services and national and local government will soon be forced to stick to strict spending limits or face sanctions, after the government this week agreed on a new budget law. The government introduced the law partially to address runaway spending by the councils, and mainly to fulfil the require-
THE RUSSIAN captain of a Maltese-flagged oil and chemical tanker that slammed full speed into a sandbar just north of the Øresund Bridge last week on Thursday was drunk. Doctors examining the captain following the incident said he had a blood
Bjarne Corydon (S), the finance minister, told Politiken. Criticism of V – currently the most popular political party thanks to the support of over 30 percent of Danes according to most polls – also came from the other end of the political spectrum, with Liberal Alliance’s tax spokesperson accusing the party of “pure populism”.
ments of the EU’s financial compact treaty that Denmark signed earlier in March. Together with a proposal to grant the government’s financial advisory board, Det Økonomiske Råd, greater power in overseeing government spending, the budget law is expected to pass in parliament by a vast majority.
alcohol level of 0.22 percent – more than four times the legal limit of 0.05 percent. “He was so drunk that the doctor did not dare let him leave the ship using a rope ladder,” Henrik Orye of the Copenhagen Police department told the Newspaq news bureau.
READ THE FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK
NEWS
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
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Frank Jensen: There can be only one (mayor) Church welcomes teaching SCANPIX/SØREN BIDSTRUP
CHRISTIAN WENANDE Political parties are opposed to mayor’s idea of restructuring city government
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AYOR Frank Jensen wants to merge the City Council’s seven administrations into a single one, with himself as über mayor. Currently, the council is composed of seven separate administrations, each with its own council director and deputy mayor. The positions are distributed between the various parties based on proportional representation, and are often held by members of opposing political parties. But incumbent mayor Jensen wants to alter the council’s structure so that there is only one administration with a majority rules principal, making him the only mayor and reducing the other six to the position of committee chairmen, as is the practise in other councils throughout Denmark.
Jensen said that the consolidation would be more cost-effective
The proposal, which Jensen argues is compensation for the equalisation agreement that is aimed at dispersing the finances equally amongst the country’s wealthy and poor councils, has been met with fierce criticism from his political peers. Jakob Næsager of Konservative (K) said that Jensen’s proposal is contrary to the agreement made last November that the council would remain a split administration. “We don’t want a single
mayor presiding over 40,000 public employees,” Næsager told Politiken newspaper. “If Frank Jensen is unable to stick to the mandate extended to him, then perhaps we should send a chaperone or babysitter with him during negotiations.” Employment and integration deputy mayor Anna Mee Allerslev said that Jensen’s proposition not only lacks support, but amounts to blackmail. “It seems odd that Frank Jensen would demand one-
council government in compensation for the equalisation agreement,” Allerslev told Politiken. “It’s a strange method of blackmailing the government, especially since the two issues are not even connected.” Jensen disagreed that democratic legitimacy will be compromised by having only one mayor, highlighting an increase in transparency and cheaper expenditures. “The mayor only has the power that he can obtain through the council,” Jensen told Berlingske newspaper. “It will not make anyone more powerful, but simply make the system more transparent for the citizens. Additionally, it will be cheaper as there will be only one administration rather than seven.” According to Jensen’s estimates, the city could save 150 million kroner if the seven administrations were merged into one. Ritt Bjerregaard, who was the mayor of Copenhagen from 2006 to 2010, was also critical of the current form of government during her tenure, saying that it was too bureaucratic.
Cheaper beer on the menu for outdoor cafés? MALENE ØRSTED Part of city’s unexpected surplus will enable it to remove outdoor service fees, possibly resulting in cheaper prices for consumers
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NJOYING a beer in the sun could now be cheaper – for the restaurants and cafés at least – as the City Council has decided to apportion 15 million kroner of its unexpected 872 million kroner windfall towards waiving a fee on outdoor service for the rest of 2012. As part of the plans for the surplus funds, the council agreed
to waive the current fees for outdoor service, which they say contribute negatively to the vibrancy of the city because cafés and restaurants pass the costs on to customers, making it very expensive to eat and drink outdoors. Allan Agerholm, the regional chairman of Horesta - the national association for the hotel, restaurant and tourism industries – greeted the decision with enthusiasm. “It’s fantastic news,” he told Berlingske newspaper. “We have wanted improved conditions for tourism for a long time and now it’s happening. It will create a more vivid city life, and I also ex-
pect it to increase employment.” Agerholm said that cafés and restaurants would probably be able to reduce the prices on drinks, and that more cafés would be able to offer an outdoor service. “I can’t find any losers in this, and I would be very surprised if the amount of applicants for outdoor service didn’t increase,” he said. Carsten Krusse, a spokesperson for the trade association Danmarks Restauranter og Cafeer told Politiken newspaper that waving the fee would benefit restaurant owners and consumers – particularly tourists, who will view the
city as more friendly and open. “In the end, it will mean cost-competitive prices for consumers,” he said. During the peak tourist season, Copenhagen restaurants normally pay up to 364 kroner a month per outside square metre. Though the outdoor service fee has been waived, restaurants and cafés still need to get authorisation before putting tables and chairs outside. Depending on the effect of the fee removal – if it creates more life in the city and growth at the restaurants – the council will evaluate the arrangement at the end of 2012 and consider if it should continue.
of Islam in primary school Teaching children about other religions will reduce prejudice and radicalisation, politicians and clergymen argue
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EMBERS of the Danish Church have reacted positively to the decision by schools to teach their youngest students about religions other than Christianity. Danish students used to only learn about other religions once they had reached seventh grade, but a recent decision by parliament has introduced the teaching of other religions, such as Islam, into the Christianity studies curriculum at a much younger age. According to Per Bucholdt Andreasen, the chair of the Danish Association of Priests (Den Danske Præstforening), it was a wise decision. “Our society is in a completely different situation than it was only a few decades ago, so it is about time that religious studies in school are overhauled,” Andreasen said. “I think it is completely natural that the youngest students are taught about other religions. Many people today are religiously illiterate and don’t know much about the world’s religions. They have a hard time understanding the importance of religion in other people’s lives and in society as a whole.” The association of church parishes, Landsforening af Menighedsråd, also welcomed the introduction of other religions into the curriculum for young students. “In schools where there are students from other ethnic backgrounds, it makes sense to introduce other religions even though it isn’t necessarily in the curriculum,” the chair of the association, Inge Lise Petersen, said. “It would be disrespectful to students with
Windfall
Feel at home in Copenhagen
continued from front page
including better cycling lanes, to Nørrebrogade. The money could also even result in cheaper beer at outdoor cafés and restaurants (see related story above). Additionally, 60 million kroner will go towards creating new parking spaces throughout the city. Although Jarlov had earlier gone on record saying that he thought the windfall should be returned directly to taxpayers, he told Politiken that the parking spaces were a good idea. “People with cars also live in Copenhagen. We need more parking spaces,” he said. Jensen said he was pleased with the council’s decision. “I am very pleased that a broad majority in City Hall took responsibility for creating better schools, improving conditions for the elderly, and creating jobs.”
different backgrounds to pretend that they do not exist.” The bishop of the Fyn diocese, Kresten Drejergaard, said it was a great idea to teach about other religions such as Islam. “It is in those early years that prejudices arise,” Drejergaard said. “It will ensure both that ethnic Danes develop a realistic view on Islam and that students with Muslim backgrounds feel recognised and of equal standing in Danish society. Children don’t become Muslim simply because they learn about the existence of Islam.” Many of the schools that have adopted the new curriculum are in Copenhagen. The deputy mayor for integration, Anna Mee Allerslev, hopes more schools will follow. “It’s important that we move away from simply teaching about Christianity in the youngest years,” Allerslev said. “Many young Muslims are drawn towards radical interpretations of Islam because they gain much of their knowledge about the religion from the media. Young Muslims can get a much more balanced relationship to their religion if they are taught about it in school.” Allerslev added that it could improve integration by challenging the prejudices of Christians about Islam. The curriculum change is supported by the child and education minister, Christine Antorini, though political parties Konservative (K) and Dansk Folkeparti (DF) both take issue with introducing other religions so early in the curriculum. “We have to keep a close eye on this development as it could easily lead to a slippery slope where more and more education about Christianity is replaced,” K’s education spokesperson, Mai Henriksen, said. (J-P)
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News
The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk
30 March - 4 April 2012
Peter Stanners Foreign minister pledges 120 million kroner of aid to Palestinian Territories and calls on militants to stop rocket attacks on Israel
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he Palestine Territories are to receive 120 million kroner of Danish aid over the next three years, foreign minister Villy Søvndal said on Monday in an interview with Politiken newspaper. The announcement came ahead of Søvndal’s meeting on Monday with his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki. In the interview, Søvndal announced that 45 million kroner would be handed over in the first year to support the Palestinians in paying pensions and salaries, as well as funding anti-poverty programmes. But while Denmark will now formally refer to the region as Palestine in future dealings, the foreign minister stopped short of unilaterally recognising it as a state, as Iceland did last November. “One can either be focused on the symbolic gestures in this conflict, or one can contribute by actually getting something done on the ground,” Søvndal said. While the government’s official policy is to work toward recognising Palestine as a state, Søvndal added that a political solution on statehood was best addressed through the EU. With the continuing encroachment by Israel into the West Bank, Søvndal wants consumers to be more aware of products that come from settlements in the West Bank that are considered illegal under international law. But Søvndal acknowledged that no solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine could be found as long as Palestine continued to pose a military
Scanpix/Michael Bothager
Søvndal guarantees aid but not statehood for Palestine
Immigrant cleaners detained in false identity case Jaya Rao Following an organised raid, police discover that cleaning personnel at the University of Copenhagen are working under false identities
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Søvndal and his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki on their way to a press conference at the Foreign Ministry on Monday
threat to Israel. “From the Palestinian side, it is necessary that they stop their rocket attacks on Israel,” Søvndal said, adding that it was expected that the Palestinian Authority use the funds to build their state and improve the security of the region. “There is an interest on both sides to develop economically and socially. But everyone knows how long and complicated the history is between them.” Denmark’s funding is far from enough to save Palestine from the financial hardship it faces. This year it has a budget deficit of over 2.5 billion kroner and debt to banks of about 5.5 billion kroner. But despite financial efforts by EU states such as Denmark to improve the standards of living for Palestinians, the success of the projects is far from guar-
anteed. Installations that make up part of a two million kroner renewable energy project in the West Bank, funded by the EU, were placed on a demolition list this January and will leave 400 people without electricity. While the Israeli authorities claim the hybrid solar and wind projects were constructed without the correct permits, Euractiv reports that the demolition orders arrived after a confidential and critical EU report on Israel’s building and demolition activities in the West Bank. The sum is a drop in the ocean compared to the over one billion kroner that the EU has pledged to spend on Palestine in the coming year. Last week the EU pledged 250 million kroner to build a waste water treatment plant in the West Bank and improve border crossings.
openhagen Police carried out a raid aimed at the University of Copenhagen’s cleaning staff last week and took nine of the 33 cleaning personnel into custody under suspicion that they are working illegally under false identities, Politiken newspaper reported. On Tuesday of last week, three of the detainees appeared in City Court for a preliminary hearing on charges of using a false identity, and residing and working in Denmark illegally. The detainees will be in police custody for 13 days. According to senior prosecutor Erik Hjelm, the police crackdown at the university reveals only the tip of the iceberg. “It presents a picture of how organised crime is involved in identity fraud. The police are now trying to get an overall picture during the 13 days they are in custody,” Hjelm told Politiken. During the hearing, a 37-year-old Ghanaian woman testified via an interpreter. “When I came to Denmark, I could not find any work for nine months,” she said. “I met a man who claimed that he had a cleaning company and offered help to get me a job. He also offered me to get legal permits for a sum. I told him that I would find the papers, and then I met a woman who offered me her identity.” The woman said that she paid 3,000 kroner of her monthly salary of 9,000 kroner to the woman as a payment for lending her the identity. The other two cleaners, also Ghanaian, told the court that they used the same method to get a job. According to the police, a larger pattern is at work. “The action is part of another investigation. Earlier this year we arrested seven people on the same grounds,” deputy police commissioner Kjeld Farcinsen, the head of the police’s immigration control
group (Udlændingekontrolgruppen), told Politiken newspaper, adding that the fee of loaning an identity is typically 57 percent of the illegal worker’s salary. The detained workers all work for Denmark’s second-largest cleaning company, Forenede Service, which recently came under fire for exploiting Romanian workers in Zealand. This time, however, the company has not been charged for employing the nine detainees. “The company has done everything you possibly can to ensure that these individuals had their papers in order,” Farcisnsen told Politiken. “The cleaning company had no chance of knowing that they lied about their identities. If the employer asks to see a work permit, the workers just go back to the person whose identity they’ve borrowed and ask them for the permit.” Trade union magazine Fagbladet 3F, which broke the story of the Romanian workers, reported that Antonino Castrone, the deputy director at the University of Copenhagen, would be meeting with Forenede Service. “The right thing to do is to call a meeting with Forenede Service and ask them to explain what happened from their point of view, and then I’ll hear whether all guidelines were met, including taxes,” Castrone told Fagbladet 3F. “I’d like to have assurance that the companies we work with comply with all the proper guidelines.” Fagbladet 3F reported that Castrone was not planning to keep closer tabs on external suppliers of services to the university. “From a resource standpoint, it would be too cumbersome if we are going to control external suppliers because they are already being checked by other authorities and auditors,” he said. The police will further investigate the authenticity of the workers’ papers. The workers could face imprisonment of 40 days and a travel ban for six years. According to Politiken, the nine detainees are from countries including Sweden, Ghana, Thailand, Turkey and Belgium.
Aid to Mali suspended after military coup Swedish resident’s jailing criticised Peter Stanners Foreign Ministry freezes over 200 million kroner in aid following a military takeover in the west African country
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anish development aid to the western African country of Mali has been suspended following a military coup in the capital of Bamako last week. According to reports, a separatist group has closed the country’s borders and taken control of the media, the presidential palace and the airport, and the Danish government has accordingly decided to freeze the 215 million kroner in aid Mali was due to receive this year. The development minister, Christian Friis Bach, who was visiting countries bordering Mali at the time of the coup, said that the takeover only added to the country’s woes. “Mali is a very poor country in a region facing a range of economic, environmental and security issues,” he said. “The military coup in Mali makes
the situation even more fragile, and we in Denmark are following the situation closely.” The coup is linked to an ongoing conflict in north Mali where the separatist group, Mouvement National de libération de l’Azawad (MNLA), has been fighting for an independent country for the Toureg people. The conflict has intensified in recent months due to heavily-armed members of the MNLA returning from Libya and attacking villages. After freezing the aid, the government pledged 10 million kroner to support the work of the UN’s refugee agency, UNCHR, which is helping the over 160,000 people who have fled the country as a result of the conflict. Discontent with the situation in the north of the country is reportedly the motivation for members of the Malian army to topple the government and put in its place the newly-formed National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR). “The CNRDR … has decided to assume its responsibilities by putting
an end to the incompetent regime of Amadou Toumani Touré,” said spokesman Amadou Konare, according to the Guardian. “We promise to hand power back to a democratically-elected president as soon as the country is reunified and its integrity is no longer threatened.” The Foreign Ministry reported that the fate of the country’s former president, Amadou Toumani Touré, is unknown, though 14 government ministers are thought to be under arrest. International condemnation quickly followed the coup, with France cutting ties, and the UN and US calling for the Malian military to reinstate the constitution, a call echoed by the foreign minister, Villy Søvndal. “I strongly condemn all attempts to assume power through non-democratic means and I call on all parties to put down their weapons,” Søvndal told the Ritzau news agency. Toppled president Touré first assumed power in 1991 through a military coup of his own. After giving up power the following year, he was elected president in 2002 and again in 2007.
Court rules that the six-day detainment of Serbian national was illegal
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decision by Copenhagen Police and a city court to detain a Serbian national for six days because he didn’t have a work permit was illegal, the Eastern High Court has ruled. The man, who holds permanent residence in Sweden but works in Denmark as a cleaner, initially went to the tax office, Skat, but was told he required a work permit from the Immigration Services. But when he arrived at the Immigration Services, officials there called the police and he was imprisoned until they could ascertain whether to expel him from Denmark or merely reject his application. The Eastern High Court, however, said that the decision to detain the man was illegal and that a municipal court judge made the wrong decision to impose the initial and subsequent extension of the detainment. The man’s lawyer, Jakob Kiil, said the police had been over-zealous in detaining him for such a long period of time and
The police could easily have solved the problem by putting him on a train back to Sweden that jailing him for six days in two different jails was a waste of resources. “It’s too much. You don’t need to use such heavy-handed tactics when it is not necessary,” Kiil told Ritzau news service. “The police could easily have solved the problem by putting him on a train back to Sweden.” This is not the first time the police has found itself in hot water over rash decisions. In November last year, the high court dismissed a similar case involving another foreign worker who also lived in Sweden. Kiil encouraged the police to seek alternative options to detainment in similar cases in the future. (CW)
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OPINION
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
Right place, wrong time for single mayor proposal
Europe and the US can increase GDP by billions
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ITH A 2011 budget surplus of nearly a billion kroner you’d be hard pressed to call Copenhagen poorly managed, which is why we’re scratching our head about the timing of the mayor’s call to reform the City Council in the name of efficiency. Opponents of the mayor’s call to change the current system, which features seven administrations, each headed by an appointed deputy mayor, and working independently of the mayor, need only point to the 872 million kroner surplus to refute claims that the single-mayor system is more efficient. And it’s not as if Jensen can complain about a lack of political power. His predecessors have shown it’s more than possible to push through controversial ordinances, including a maligned waterfront redevelopment in the 1990s that, in the end, wound up bailing the city out of bankruptcy. But while Jensen’s timing may be terrible, his message is spot on. The city did indeed run a surplus in 2011, but that one-time windfall would be equalised every sixth year, if his calculation that 150 million kroner could be saved through reduced administration is correct. There is much to indicate that it could: in the area of communications, press and information alone, the city’s seven administrations spend 51 million kroner annually and employ 104, according to 2010 figures. And while the current proportionally representative system ensures that the city’s administration reflects the make-up of the council, the single-mayor system doesn’t rule out opposing parties gaining influence. In many of the 94 other councils with single-mayor systems, majorities are formed made up of parties that, at the national level at least, are sworn enemies. Furthermore, previous deputy mayors have expressed their misgivings about having to work together with political opponents. Past deputy mayors have pointed out that they often needed to spend time decoding what the true intentions of a fellow deputy mayor’s actions were. Vested interests aside, it’s understandable that city councillors are leery about a single political official suddenly increasing the size of his staff from 1,500, as is the case right now, to include all of the city’s 40,000 employees. But, on the other hand, it’s unfathomable that any responsible politician could argue against a measure that could reduce the overall city budget without reducing service levels.
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RANSATLANTIC trade is the world’s largest single standing commercial relationship. Together, the United States and Europe represent approximately half the world’s economic output. However, the value of transatlantic trade is only one third the amount of global trade, which indicates there is significant potential for improvement. On the other hand, one can also be concerned that Europe’s debt crisis will make
counted for nearly three fourths on its full potential. Recently, a (75 percent) of total foreign direct study from the European Center investment in the US in the same for International Political Econyear. All told, some omy showed that $5 trillion in comthe US and the merce takes place EU can strengthbetween US and en their combined European firms and The question is, will GDP by $180 biltheir affiliates each lion over five years the US now seriously by removing the year. The second shift its attention remaining taxes/ reason the US will duties (tariffs) not ignore Eu- to the emerging on trans-atlantic rope is the EU’s markets in the BRIC trade.T h e r e f o r e , average income, which according countries I encourage the to the World Bank Danish EU presiamounted to $31,676 per capita dency to take the lead and introin 2010. By comparison, China at duce a ‘zero tariff zone’ for transat$7,536 per capita, ranks number lantic trade. In this way, Denmark 95 in the world. And with a per can contribute effectively to future capita income of only $3,582, In- growth in the European economy. dia ranks number 124 – far behind Furthermore, since it is principalthe Dutch average of $42,475. ly much easier for Danish compaThirdly, the World Bank recently nies to enter the US market than estimated that the level of free the markets in BRIC countries, trade among the EU-27 is higher transatlantic trade should also be than anywhere else in the world an integral element in the Danish (Asia included). government’s growth policy. There are compelling reasons to focus on how to increase trans- The author is the executive director atlantic trade and better capitalise of AmCham Denmark
READER COMMENTS Against the grain No big-ism words please. Does that mean people will have to get up in the morning, go to a job, work until they can get the folkepension, not take a year off every time there’s a kid in the house and teach their children how to do it? Hang on – that’s what normal countries do. Danishriviera By website When I first moved here in 1992, my father asked to see a copy of the tax laws. After reading it with his accountant, my dad said: “get the f*ck outta there, you’ll never make any money!” The old man was right. Ziggedwhenishouldazagged By website I wish I had such a knowledgeable dad. Unlike you, I would have listened to him. After giving ten years of extreme hard-work to this country, I have learnt (the hard way) that I am in the wrong country and one has to be a complete idiot like me to put in the amount of work I put in with no real monetary gains. Bru_sque By website I like Denmark the way it is. Equality is amazing: less greed, less crimes and safer life. Why would you want to change that? Kristiyan Petrov By website Hospital denied woman who didn’t call ahead
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transatlantic trade less attractive for the US. The question is, will the US now seriously shift its attention to the emerging markets in the BRIC countries. The answer is clear, the US neither will nor can ignore Europe and transatlantic trade. The three main reasons being: 1) the size of the European market, 2) Europe’s high standard of living, and 3) Europe’s open markets. This combination of economic size, wealth and openness provides the framework for stable and profitable earnings required by multinational enterprises. With regards to market size, in spite of common perceptions, Europe remains the world’s largest economic entity, representing nearly 22 percent of world output in 2010. China’s global share of world output, 14 percent, remains well below Europe’s. In terms of foreign direct investment (FDI), the US and Europe are bound together by mutual investments. Of America’s overseas stock of FDI in 2010, over half of the total, 56 percent, was sunk in Europe. Meanwhile, European firms ac-
I had to call this clown show just last week. I explained everything to a nurse who decided I could talk to a doctor. I was transferred and had to start again. Then the doctor decided I should go to a doctor on call. In short, it’s exactly the same system except it’s more inconvenient and costs more to run. Shufflemoomin By website
For all the flaws of our American system, at least we can show up at the emergency room without calling ahead. This is ridiculous. Nicole Grzeskowiak By website It must be only me who thinks the new system is fairly sensible. Obviously, this individual case is a bit on the moronic side (but as this is just one case out of thousands, I’ll save slating everything Danish for another time), but on the whole I see the point. I suspect that the majority of people walking into A&E (that is, not in an ambulance) will come from home – and are thus able to phone ahead generally, which ensures that there are doctors there for you, but also that you’re not wasting the hospital’s time, with a problem that can be treated by an appointment with your normal doctor in the morning. I like the idea that I can phone to check whether I really should be going to A&E – it’s not always clear-cut, and I hate to feel like a jerk by taking up a place in A&E if I didn’t really need it. It goes without saying that if you’re walking in with a suspected heart attack then you shouldn’t stop to phone ahead. Abby Crispin By website School fined for giving Muslim student choice she had to refuse I sort of side with the school here. There are certain requirements and regulations that have to be met to do the job and if your religious beliefs stop you from meeting those, you’re not able to do the job. It’s not discrimination. It’s the students choice. She can’t demand that rules are changed because she voluntarily entered study for a job whose requirements she was unwilling to meet. I hope
the school can get the ruling overturned. Shufflemoomin By website Would it be right to insist a student allergic to nuts taste Pad Thai before graduation, though? HeidiakaMissJibba By website Except allergies are not a matter of choice and religious observance is a choice. Especially since there are imams that say tasting is okay (for a cook) as long as it’s not ingested. If you want to create parallel tracks for Muslims everywhere in society, then at least say so. Cliff Arroyo By website So since religion is a choice, you would have her choose to be an apostate? I’ll leave you to look up that word. While you are at it, look up the social stigma and sanctions against Muslim apostates. SNCO By website As a chef/cook you are expected to taste your food many times – how would you know if you have seasoned it correctly with out doing that. You have not done your job correctly. If you cannot do your job correctly then maybe you should find something else to do. She would have known that tasting food of all types would be a requirement. To me this is just trying to get a financial handout. I do not agree that often with things in Denmark, but with this one I am 100 percent. Rugratzz By website It’s important to remember that none of this is our business. The decision to make yourself sterile (or not), has nothing to do with the law. Having gender reassignment surgery doesn’t suddenly make you public property. Kel D By website
Actually, it is our business. That is the ‘beauty’ of socialised medicine. When the taxpayers pick up the tab for your healthcare including healthcare associated with lifestyle choices - then they have the right to influence your lifestyle choices by legislation. If Denmark were truly a free country, then you’d be correct, but it isn’t. The1youlove2hate By website Dutch pastries and double Danish So what if a handful of Americans can’t tell the difference between Denmark and The Netherlands? There are doubtless scores of people sniggering somewhere because some stupid Danish and Dutch people mistook a Montenegran for a Moldovan, or an Uzbek for a Tajik. Get some perspective; neither Denmark nor the Netherlands are so geographically distinct in the world’s mind as their people imagine. Barrington Russell By website How very dare they? Making mistakes about the world’s leading culture, economy, education and welfare systems, beer, ships, bacon, pastries … Danishriviera By website Outrage as Noma fails to get third star People being shot in the streets in Homs, children starving in Africa, Carina only getting 6,000kr a month to live on, and here we are worrying about Noma’s nebulous third Michelin star. Thorvaldsen By website
OPINION
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
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Pernickety Dicky BY RICHARD STEED English by nature – Danish at heart. Freelance journalist Richard Steed has lived in Copenhagen for nearly five years now. “I love this city and want Copenhagen to be a shining example to the rest of the world.”
Can a foreigner ever become a Dane?
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RECENTLY MET a lovely Asian cleaning lady who has lived in Copenhagen for 17 years now. She originally comes from Pakistan, speaks fluent Danish and is married to a Danish man, yet still describes herself as a foreigner. She believes that because of the colour of her skin and her different cultural customs, she doesn’t feel part of Danish society and eventually hopes to return to Pakistan to live. It made me think: firstly can a foreigner ever become Danish, and secondly, why after 17 years does this lady still feel like an outsider? Obviously firstly determining what Danish means would be a good start. So in simple terms, the description would be a person native to Denmark who speaks Danish. So the answer is no, a foreigner can never become a true Dane unless they are born here! And like in many other countries around the world, if you choose to live in a foreign land, you will always be seen as a non-native. So to the second part of the question: why does she still feel like an outsider after 17 years? The reason I am interested in this integration issue is because of the whole foreigner/Danish debate that has dogged Denmark for many years. In the late 1970s, Denmark had the most welcoming immigration laws
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in the whole of Europe. Yet by 2010, it was the total opposite and Denmark had one of the most stringent immigration policies anywhere in the developed world. Especially over the last ten years, Denmark has become well known internationally for its anti-immigration and anti-
foreigner stance and was definitely NOT the destination of choice for many searching for a better life. I think this negative rhetoric and language towards immigration and foreigners must have had some effect on those already settled here. Today, thankfully,
the influence of Pia Kjærsgaard is on the wane, so Denmark can finally allow itself to wake up to the realities of the 21st century. We are living in a global world and Denmark needs immigration to keep the economy turning. Any foreigner married to a
Dane, who has children born here, will hopefully have a good chance of successful integration as they become part of the fabric of society here. Hopefully foreigners will also want to keep their own cultural identity as well and so promote a fusion of two cultures. For example, in Britain
you often hear the terms Asian British or Black British. Does the same thing apply here : do terms like Arab Danish or Asian Danish exist? Does it also matter which part of the world you come from, or are all of us foreigners put in the same boat? Do white foreigners have a better chance of integration than non-whites? I am white and European, yet I still sometimes feel like an alien here. I’m starting to wonder if, because of this Danish tendency towards an insular and provincial outlook, I will always be seen as an outsider. So if I feel like an outsider, goodness knows how others from Africa, Asia and the Middle East must feel when they come to live and work here. So to embrace this new global world, it would be a healthy start if Danes started to review the language used to describe foreigners and those immigrants already born here. Why do I still hear terms like second-generation and third-generation immigrants? These people are born and bred in Denmark so they are Danish! Maybe it’s time to come up with some new and positive phrases and progressive words to describe all these potential new exotic global friends that we will hopefully encounter and see them as a positive influence, enriching all our lives.
CPH POST VOICES
‘STILL ADJUSTING’
‘TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK’
‘MACCARTHY’S WORLD’
‘THE LYNCH REPORT’
A proud native of the American state of Iowa, Justin Cremer has been living in Copenhagen since June 2010. In addition to working at the CPH Post, he balances fatherhood, the Danish language and the ever-changing immigration rules. Follow him at twitter.com/justincph
Born in 1942 on the Isle of Wight, Englishman Frank Theakston has been in Copenhagen 32 years and is on his second marriage, this time to a Dane. Frank comes from a different time and a different culture – which values are the right ones today?
Clare MacCarthy is Nordic correspondent for The Economist and a frequent contributor to The Financial Times and The Irish Times. She’ll go anywhere from the Gobi Desert to the Arctic in search of a story. The most fascinating thing about Denmark, she says, is its contradictions.
English-Australian theatre director Stuart Lynch has lived in Copenhagen since Clinton impeached his cigars and writes from the heart of the Danish and international theatre scene. He is married with kids and lives in Nørrebro. Visit his Danish theatre at www.lynchcompany.dk.
10 News
The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk
30 March - 4 April 2012
Copenhagen is the best city at being a best city New research from France confirms what we already knew, Copenhagen really is the best at being the best
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openhagen’s popularity is clearly on the rise. From the Guardian telling its readers to move to Nørrebro, to being the setting of hit TV shows featuring jumperwearing detectives and female prime ministers, the city is apparently able to do no evil. That assessment was only confirmed this week when researchers at the French statistics agency, Nantes Applied Research (NAR), found Copenhagen to be the Most Desirable Best City in the World. NAR’s verdict is based on a meta-analysis of top city rating surveys that also applies qualitative data from social networking
sites that the agency bought from data-mining companies. “It is important to recognise the countries that regularly achieve high positions in these surveys,” chief researcher JeanLuc Moreau told The Copenhagen Post. “Copenhagen might not top the list every year, but its dedication to global excellence on a number of fronts has led to us concluding that it is in fact the world’s very best city.” NAR gives the accolade to the city that most successfully manages to maintain a leading global media image while also keeping a steady stream of positive comments, status updates and tweets. Powerful algorithms then churn the data, applying a variety of other important indicators such as quality of life and political transparency data, before one city rises to the top. “The idea is to try and rule out fads and passing trends in the results,” Moreau said. “We
Colourbox
Peter Stanners
It is in fact the world’s very best city saw this in the Economist’s ‘World’s Most Liveable Cities’ survey for 2011 in which the Canadian city of Calgary was ranked fifth. Do you actually know of anyone who has been to Calgary? No, I didn’t think so.” The three major ‘best city’ surveys – from Monocle and Economist magazines and human resources firm Mercer – made up NAR’s core data. And then the addition of social networking data made NAR’s result stand out from the rest. “Lots of cities are really rather boring places, full of corporate signage and little true character,” Moreau said, adding that Denmark’s low growth, high taxes and poor setting for international
Copenhagen: The city where women go to work looking like this
business allowed the city to keep its cosy, slightly run-down look. Moreau also explained how Denmark’s famously strict immigration laws are actually a blessing in disguise for the city. “When judging the reputation of a city, one of the most important factors is authenticity,” he said. “There are not a lot of foreigners on the streets to interfere with tourists having a genuinely Danish experience.” Two of the most commonly discussed positive themes on social networking sites was the attractiveness of the women and the ease of cycling, and often they overlapped. “We noticed many threads on social networking sites where men encouraged others to visit the city simply to bicycle behind women on cycle paths,” Moreau said. “It seems the experience added enormous value to their lives. We don’t really understand why.”
Ministry proposes tax to stop Danske Spil giveth and spread of widespread chemical Danske Spil taketh away Ray Weaver
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he Environment Ministry is calling for a tax on Dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), an odourless and potentially lethal chemical, as a way to curtail its use after a new report from the national environmental agency Miljøstyrelsen revealed high levels of the chemical in the nation’s food supply. “This substance kills thousands every year,” said the environment minister, Ida Auken (Socialistisk Folkeparti). “As little as a few centilitres can kill if inhaled, and some of our municipalities are literally swimming in this stuff.” In a controlled environment DHMO is safe, and it is considered a possible performance enhancing substance for athletes. But when consumed it can cause tissue damage, excessive sweating and in extreme cases an uncontrollable urge to urinate.
Some of our municipalities are literally swimming in this stuff DHMO is also considered to be a vessel substance, which can aid the spread of other toxins. Auken said she would present her proposal for the tax once ministry officials had been able to study the report. However, the team behind the report measuring the amount of DHMO currently in the environment expressed concern that the chemical was too widespread for a tax to have any effect. “We are way beyond the tipping point,” study leader Anders Andersen wrote. Speaking with JyllandsPosten newspaper, Andersen, an expert on faux chemicals with the Technical University of Denmark, said: “Traces of DHMO, known also as hydroxyl acid, have been found in every stream, lake and fjord we studied.” In the report, Andersen
Claudia Santos
Colourbox
Government says voluntary reduction measures are not working and calls for levy on “dangerous” substance
called on politicians to take up the issue with the EU during Denmark’s presidency. “If it’s this widespread in Denmark, we could fear that the situation would be the same elsewhere in Europe, and possibly worldwide. Hydroxyl acid has even been detected in the Arctic icepack, and we fear that this may be a sign it’s affected by climate change.” The left-wing Enhedslisten said in a statement that the party was convinced that a total ban was the only answer to solving the problem of DHMO overuse in Denmark. “It is hard to believe that in 2012 it remains perfectly legal for irresponsible companies to dump DHMO into Denmark’s rivers, pump it underground and even store dangerous quantities of it in unsecured tanks that are a prime target for terrorists.” Auken recognised that DHMO was widespread, but said she saw a tax as a stopgap measure. “Until science can give us a safer alternative, the best we can do is regulate the use of this chemical. Voluntary agreements have not worked, so now we must get tougher.”
The evening of 20 March 2012 will be remembered by 300 Danes for providing them with the best – and worst – moment of their lives
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magine checking your email and finding out that you’ve won 28,000,000,005 kroner – yes, you read that right: 28 billion kroner. Flemming Dahl Jensen, along with 299 other lotto players, does not have to imagine such a surreal scenario, as last week on Tuesday he received that exact email from the Danish lottery firm, Danske Spil. “I got butterflies in my stomach and started to think of all the things I could spend the money on,” Jensen told nordjyske.dk. “Travel with the family, buy a new house, a new car - I got very excited.” Now imagine getting a second email, an hour and a half later – which is plenty of time to reinvent yourself as a billionaire, to ring your boss up and tell him what you really think of him etc - informing you that you have, in fact, only won enough to take your family on a bus trip to Hill-
From rags to riches and back to rags in 90 minutes
erød, buy a new doormat and pay the neighbour’s delinquent son to wash your car. Again, Jensen doesn’t have to imagine such a scenario, as he and the rest of the unlucky lotto players collectively received the same slap in the face. Danske Spil takes full responsibility for its mistake, though it also points out that the amount described in the emails was an obvious indicator that something was not quite right. “Of course it’s our fault and we’re very sorry,” Morten Hedegaard, Danske Spil’s spokesperson, told nordjyske.dk. “But
as the amount was billions, one should have been able to see that it was a mistake, as one simply cannot win that much money with us.” It is not the first time that Danske Spil has raised the expectations of its players, only to shoot them down. In January, Danske Spil misled 40,000 people into thinking they had won significantly more than they did. So lotto players beware, remember that next time Danske Spil informs you you’ve won big, it could easily be another round of ‘easy come, easy go’.
Online this week Two-year-old’s fancy footwork makes him a star
Family charged with forcing daughter into marriage
Fewer Danes walking down the aisle
Move over Siku the polar bear, Denmark has its newest internet star. A video of two-yearold William Stokkebroe shaking his stuff to Elvis’s ‘Jailhouse Rock’ has gone viral, garnering nearly six million views in just two weeks. The video (see it using the QR code) was shot in connection with the opening of a new
The Copenhagen Police arrested three members of an Afghan-origin family last week on charges of forcing their 19-yearold daughter to marry her cousin in Afghanistan against her will, TV2 news reported. The three members involved in the crime are the woman’s mother, father and brother. According
Walking down the aisle and staring into each other’s eyes whilst pledging everlasting love and devotion is not as appealing in Denmark as it used to be. According to a new report from Statistics Denmark, the number of Danes getting
dance studio, studie43, by his parents Kristina and Peter Stokkebroe, who Scan and see won the world championship in Latin dancing in 2010.
to tabloid Ekstra Bladet, the girl was forcibly locked up in an Østerbro apartment for three days. The case will be the first to apply newly-adopted stricter punishment in the criminal code’s forced marriage laws. As a result, the family members could face a prison sentence of up to four years.
married has dwindled in recent years. In 2011, only 27,200 people were married, a decrease of 12 percent from the previous year, and the lowest number in three decades. Not since 1983 have so few Danes exchanged wedding vows.
Read the full stories at cphpost.dk
COMMUNITY
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
11
No, not the ballet boiler movie, this Black Swan’s a new bar BY MIKE HOFMAN
To celebrate the Black Swan’s new location on Borgergade, the bar held their grand opening party. “We focus on high quality beers and spirits,” owner Mantas Jurkus from Lithuania explained.
Anni, Ian, Milos and Søren joined the fun
Steve Falconer and his band made sure that everyone had a good boogie
It didn’t take long before the first people stood up on the tables
Among the Brits present were Myra and Stephanie from England, and Alun from Wales
Alexander from Denmark and Simon from Australia get in the party spirit
The Baltic states were well represented too: Adomas from Lithuania and Inguna The women also made their mark amidst the men: Monika from Lithuania, and Zarah, Camille and Signe from Latvia from Denmark
Bodil from the Netherlands, one pint and she’s anyone’s. Lucky man.
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COMMUNITY
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD
(UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)
Being a dignitary normally guarantees a swift exit from any church. Pictured here, from left to right, are the priest of St Albans Church, Archdeacon Jonathan LLoyd, Prince Charles and the duchess of Cornwall, Bishop David Hamid, the church’s verger Jane Passant, and the church’s deacon Christophe Ndikuriyo. For more details regarding the Sunday service, see page 13.
There’s nothing better than having a sprinkle in the open air. The duchess of Cornwall shows off her gardening skills as her husband digs in, no doubt with a few soothing words, to plant a commemorative tree in Churchill Park next to St Albans.
The thoughts behind Copenhagen’s first ever open prototype workshop cafe are as innovative as they are intriguing. Republikken, Vesterbro’s creative workspace mecca at Vesterbrogade 24B, last week on Friday opened its new cafe in a colourful ceremony that bodes well for the future of the design house. Republikken houses over 70 professionals within fields such as design, graphics, communication and craftsmanship. Photo: Allan Mutuku-Kortbæk
The royal couple ran into Princess Mary’s husband John Donaldson and his wife Susan Moody on Sunday, and then on Tuesday caught up with Mary herself, and Crown Prince Frederik, at Kastellet where Charles laid down a wreath at the National Monument. The Royals then paid a visit to Avedøre Power Station.
The English Speaking Union (ESU) on Tuesday held the finals of their annual Public Speaking Competition. The winner was Martin Samson from Copenhagen International School (pictured here holding a rose). Also pictured are (front row, left-right) ESU chairman Claire Clausen, competition judge Susan Moody (whose husband John Donaldson is behind the countess), princes Nikolai and Felix, the Countess of Frederiksborg and her husband Martin Jørgensen, and competition judge Jørgen Olsen of the Olsen Brothers. The third and final judge, Marlene Lundy, the wife of Canadian ambassador Peter Lundy, is behind Prince Nikolai.
The royals had a royal time, especially the two princes who were presented with two pretty enormous Easter eggs, although they do look suspiciously like the ones on sale in Aldi.
With the cafe, Repubklikken hopes to attract small companies and creative entrepreneurs, who aren’t residents at the co-operative, and give them the opportunity to use rapid prototyping machinery and raw materials. “If I didn’t have the opportunity to use the laser knife and the other machines at Republikken, I wouldn’t be able to construct as many prototypes as I do and therefore I wouldn’t be able to test all my many ideas,” commented renowned industrial designer, Rikard Zetterlund. Photo: Allan Mutuku-Kortbæk
AT WORK AND AT PLAY Isabelle Valentine’s husband works at a video game company and gets to play at work. She also wanted to play for a living so she started the Montessori International Preschool. She moved to Frederiksberg in May 2008 where she lives with her young family.
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US ambassador Laurie S Fulton held a reception at her residence to draw attention to next year’s Nordic Cool 2013, a one-month exhibition celebrating the region’s arts and culture at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Among the guests (to the ambassador’s right) were Helen Henderson, the president of the center’s international committee, and Alicia Adams, the curator of the exhibition.
AVE YOU ever heard the acronym Nimby? It stands for ‘Not In My Back Yard’. It is usually used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. And this is exactly what I have been dealing with for the past nine months. It is similar to people wanting renewable energy, but not wanting to see or hear the wind turbines. In my case, most of my new preschool neighbours have written letters to the council to oppose our project of opening a children’s institution. Of course, this is understandable since we have decided to settle in one of the calmest areas of Valby. However, I have read some of the wildest arguments against my project. One neighbour argues that
our presence will reduce the value of their property. Another is convinced that due to the increased use of the toilets by the children, there is a high risk of causing a blocked sewer system in the whole neighbourhood. These baby poos are just so potent! Another argues that they are all Danish so there is no need for an international preschool in the area. Maybe they should tune into the daily news where local politicians keep on telling us how much Copenhagen needs more international education at all levels. Sure, but not in my backyard. Of course I understand that children make a lot of noise and disturb the peace, and the most fervent opponents to the project are those concerned about the noise that a preschool can cause. But while I agree that children are by nature
noisy, it’s worth bearing in mind that I have had to pay for specialists to come and measure the noise levels of the adjoining train tracks to prove that it was not too loud for the children when they play outside! Surely, the neighbourhood must realise that freight trains that pass by several times an hour from dawn til dusk should be much more bothersome than a few sweet children enjoying themselves outside for a couple of hours a day. Oh well, all together now, not in their backyard. In any case, it’s not like I’m opening a nuclear plant, a chemical waste disposal unit or even a nightclub! It is just a little children’s institution where my Nimby neighbours will most probably overhear children’s songs, a few giggles and at worst, some shrieks of delight.
COMMUNITY
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
13
Skt Josef’s the latest in the ever-growing number of international schools RICHARD STEED New department at Roskilde school will target expat families who live and work in the region
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ODAY Roskilde offers a truly wide selection of educational opportunities, from a world-renowned university and teacher training college, to high schools and a business college. Now the privately-run Skt Josef ’s School, situated in the heart of the city, plans to open Roskilde’s first international department, primarily targeting the children of the expat families who live and work in the region. For a long time, the board of trustees at Skt Josef´s School had been aware of the need for an international school outside Copenhagen. So they decided to take the initiative, and the new department will open its doors this August. “It’s obvious that Roskilde should have an international school,” explained the city’s mayor Joy Mogensen. “With the exciting new research park planned at DTU Risø and the internationalisation of Roskilde University, it’s the perfect place. Roskilde is also home to a broad range of big international companies such as Rockwool International and Nycomed Takeda, so this international school
Putting sodium in water while the chemistry teacher’s not looking
“Drats, nobody to crib off. Cameraman, how to spell snyder?”
“Flipping hell, our last teacher swore the world was flat - are you sure?”
makes a lot of sense.” The new pupils will be taught the internationally-recognised Cambridge University Examinations Programmes. With more than 160 countries already using this programme, it makes the mobility of expat families much easier, since children can start a new school knowing they will be at exactly the same stage of the curriculum that they were at their previous school.
“Skt Josef ’s School has more than one hundred years of experience in running a successful school,” said the headteacher Thorsten Dyngby. “We wanted to establish an international department because we believe that we have something important to offer: solid learning processes, tolerance, global understanding, and a strong set of values that all make an important contribution to child development.”
The international school and department is to be incorporated into the existing school, which today already has 700 pupils. This coming school year, primary children will be included in the first phase of the development, and over the next couple of years the plan is to offer a full syllabus to all 5-16 year-old pupils. “Right now we are also looking for new teachers who have
the right qualifications, so things are pretty hectic,” said project manager Line Lorentzen. “We have started enrolling pupils and we have had contact from families all over the world. We have had a lot interest from the UK, the US and Europe but also from Africa and Asia. In the future, we expect to accommodate many more children from the Asia-Pacific region too, because of the strong position
Roskilde holds with its upcoming research park within the cleantech industry.” But for the time being, the focus is on the here and now. “We have planned the first school year,” added Lorentzen. “But we want to get things right because this is the first step of a long-term plan towards offering primary and secondary schooling and IGCSE exams in the region of Zealand.”
Grand-mama would be proud COMING UP SOON BEV LLOYD ROBERTS
French Film at Grand Teatret Grand Teatret, Mikkel Bryggers Gade 8, Cph K; Mon April 2, 17:00; www.meetup.com Watch the French film ‘Les Petits Mouchoirs’ (White Lies). The group meets up at Grand Teatret’s café, where you’ll recognise the group by their French flag. You have to pay for your own ticket. The film itself starts at 18:30.
The royal couple were met by a rousing reception at St Albans
BEN HAMILTON Prince Charles attends service at church founded by his great-greatgrandmother
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T HAS been observed before that Britain’s Prince Charles is the Edward VII of our times. Like the son of Queen Victoria, Charles knows only too well what it’s like to wait an eternity for the throne – this year not only marks the 60th anniversary of his mother’s reign, but also that of him being heir! So, it was particularly appro-
priate that Charles, 63, attended a service at St Alban’s Church as it was actually founded in 1887 by his great-great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, the wife of the aforementioned Edward VII. The church is also currently celebrating an anniversary - its 125th jubilee. On Sunday, Charles and his wife Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, attended the parish eucharist as part of their fourday visit to Denmark, which started on Saturday, and ended on Tuesday. The couple had previously spent four days in Norway and Sweden.
“It was a great honour to host their royal highnesses at St Alban’s Church,” enthused Archdeacon Jonathan Lloyd, the church’s Anglican/Episcopal priest. “They asked specifically to come, and it was certainly a historic visit. The last time a Prince of Wales visited us was in 1932. The royal couple were most interested in our project to restore the stained glass windows, and we had a good chat about the role of the faith communities in environmental issues. The children were all smiling, the sun shone, and it was a perfect day.”
Poetry and Pints Sankt Nikolaj Pub, Nikolajgade 18, Cph K; Thu April 5, 19:00; sign up at www.meetup.com If you like to perform and to drink beer, this is the event to join. The Copenhagen Theatre Circle invites you to their monthly meet-up, where poetry, skits and readings go handin-hand with drinking. If you don’t have any theatrical skills whatsoever, you’re still welcome to join. Wine & Grub Langebrogade 6 E, Cph K, April 11–15, 17:30 & 20:30; sign up at www.billetto.dk/winegrub Sommelier Rasmus Amdi Larsen will present a four-wine menu reflecting the lightness of the season, while chefs Mette Dahlgaard and Kamilla Seidler will create four tastes per course (totalling 16 tastes over the evening) to enhance the wine selection.
International book club Sankt Nikolaj Pub, Nikolajgade 18, Cph K, Thu April 12, 19:00; 10kr; sign up at www.meetup. com Read some good books, enjoy some lively discussions and meet some nice people. At this meet-up, they will be discussing ‘The Swallows of Kabul’ by Yasmina Khadra. Trashion show Copenhagen International School, Hellerupvej 22-26, Hellerup; Sat April 14; 50kr; www. cis-edu.dk Students from the Copenhagen International School have been making a collection of high-end fashion from unwanted waste. Old milk tops, wine corks, juice cartons, photographs, newspapers and even bicycle tyres are just a few of the items that have been used to transform everyday waste into wearable works of art. Every krone will be donated to Roots and Shoots.
Seminar: Addressing Climate Change and Conflict in Development Co-operation Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, Cph K; Thu April 12, 09:30; free adm; sign up at www.diis.dk The aim of this seminar is to inspire practitioners and researchers working on climate-related conflicts in the developing countries on how to address climaterelated conflicts in development co-operation. Doing Business in Denmark Københavns Erhvervsservice, Njalsgade 13, Cph S; Wed April 18, 16:00; free adm; www.kk.dk/ erhverv Thinking about starting your own business in Denmark? Come to this session and get the most necessary information. Let’s go dancing: 30+ Nord Natklub, Axeltorv 5, Cph V; Sat April 7, 22:00; free adm before 23:00, 90kr after; www. nordnatklub.dk The average age of people in Denmark going to nightclubs is getting younger and younger. Fortunately there is Klub Nord, where you can only get in when you’re over the age of 30. You can meet up with other expats at 22:00 outside the club. Check www.meetup.com for more information.
MIKE HOFMAN
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sport
The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk
30 March - 4 April 2012
Contenders with pluck: how Denmark is looking to ice the competition The preliminary groups will be played in Helsinki (Group H) and in Stockholm (Group S), and the quarter-finals (rather bizarrely – presumably to accommodate travelling fans) will also be played within the groups, meaning that the teams will stay in their respective group cities until the medal games, which are all in Helsinki. Denmark is in group S with Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Norway and Italy. Russia, Czech Republic and hosts Sweden, who lost last year’s final to Finland, are the hockey giants of Denmark’s group, but since the top four progress to the quarter-finals, Denmark has a decent chance to make it. The Danish coach, Per Bäckman (a Swede), is under no illusions about what he needs to achieve success: NHL players. He also realises that for them to come, their NHL teams have to miss the playoffs, which coincides with the Ice Hockey World Championships. “I’m hoping for three, that’s half of them, but I have learned
Skating to success at the upcoming Ice Hockey World Championships hinges on help from the NHL stars
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ce to meet you,” the Schwarzenegger-esque character Rainier Wolfgang from ‘The Simpsons’ once told a group of bad guys before gunning them down in a hail of bullets. Denmark will be hoping to use a hail of pucks to dispatch their adversaries as the Ice Hockey World Championships is set to start in early May. Jointly hosted by Finland and Sweden and stretching from May 4-20, the championship is the biggest annual winter sporting event in the world. This year’s edition will see a new format introduced. Some 16 teams will compete in two preliminary round group stages, with the top four from each group progressing to the quarter-finals. The teams that finish last in each group will be relegated to the lower division.
that you don’t know for sure they are coming until they are on the ice,” Bäckman told TV2 Sport. “We hope that their NHL teams don’t make the playoffs, because then we can get them home and the Danish fans can see our best players in action.” Traditionally, Denmark has not been known for its hockey prowess, but in the last ten years it has managed some impressive results, going from traditional whipping boys to a team the bigger teams don’t underestimate anymore. The champs in 2010 saw the Danes achieve their best ever placing, beating perennial powers Finland and USA before falling to Sweden in the quarter-finals, finishing eighth. Danish hockey has been in scintillating development in recent years, and since Frans Nielsen joined the NFL as the first Dane in 2006, several of his countrymen have followed suit. Aside from the NHL boys, the Danish team is made up of a host of players who not only play in the improving Danish league, but also the stronger
Scanpix
Christian Wenande
Denmark surprised many to finish eighth in the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championshipss
play at the Olympics. We’ll try to get some good results at this year’s World Championship,” Larsen told IIHF.com. “I know [Sochi 2014] is far away, but hopefully we can get a good result and qualify.” Denmark faces stiff compe-
Swedish and German leagues. Philip Larsen, one of the six Danish players plying their trade in the NHL, said that the Danes have set a high goal, and it all starts with a strong showing in Sweden/Finland. “I think our next goal is to
tition in their opener, as they take on the Czech Republic on May 4. Coach Bäckman knows that his team must be their very best if they are to get a surprise result against a Czech team that won the bronze last year.
Factfile | Denmark’s NHL players scanpix/ DAVE SANDFORD
Scanpix/claus fisker
Scanpix/ elsa
Byrd/Texas Stars
Scanpix/Jeppe Michael Jensen
www.fransnielsen.com
frans nielsen
Peter Regin
Philip Larsen
Jannik Hansen
Mikkel Bødker
Lars Eller
Age: 27 Hometown: Herning Position: Centre Team: New York Islanders NHL 2011-12 stats: 75 games, 15 goals, 24 assists
Age: 25 Hometown: Herning Position: Centre Team: Ottawa Senators 10 games, 2 goals, 2 assists
Age: 22 Hometown: Esbjerg Position: Defenceman Team: Dallas Stars 49 games, 2 goals, 6 assists
Age: 26 Hometown: Herlev Position: Right Winger Team: Vancouver Canucks 76 games, 15 goals, 20 assists
Age: 22 Hometown: Brøndby Position: Right Winger Team: Phoenix Coyotes 77 games, 9 goals, 11 assists
Age: 22 Hometown: Rødovre Position: Centre Team: Montreal Canadians 73 games, 16 goals, 12 assists
Unfortunately for Denmark and Regin, he suffered a serious season-ending shoulder injury and hasn’t played since December. As a result, he will not feature at the World Champs. Fortunately, Denmark is well equipped in his position at centre as both Frans Nielsen and Lars Eller play there.
Larsen would be a major asset for the Danish team as he is their only defenceman playing in the NHL. This season, his breakthrough year, saw Larsen establish himself for the Dallas Stars, and he is one of the brightest defensive talents in the league. Larsen’s Stars are on the borderline for the playoffs, equal on points with Bødker’s team, so he could also be available for Denmark.
Regrettably, the most successful player in the NHL, in terms of wins and playoff success, will be highly doubtful for the Danes. His Vancouver Canucks, who lost in the Stanley Cup finals last year, are currently sitting second in their conference and are poised to make another extended run in the playoffs. Hansen is most certainly an experienced NHL’er who will be sorely missed in May, unless his Canucks underperform in the playoffs.
Mikkel Bødker is the highest ever drafted player from Denmark, picked eighth in the first round, but unfortunately, he has not lived up to expectations so far in the NHL. Still, he would be a valuable asset to Denmark, and his Coyotes currently sit on the brink of the playoffs, so there’s a decent chance he may be available during the World Champs.
If his club permits him to suit up for the Danes, he will have no problem making it to the tournament. Eller’s Canadians are one of the worst teams in the NHL and currently sit rock bottom of their conference. Eller is going through a bit of a breakout season for Montreal, even managing to score four goals in a single game. Chances are looking really good that he will have the opportunity to do the same for Denmark in May.
Frans Nielsen is the original trailblazer: the first Dane to make the trip over to the big time in the NHL. Last year he was voted one of the most underrated players in the NHL and fortunately for Denmark, he plays for the crappy NY Islanders. They will not make the playoffs and Nielsen can therefore play for Denmark. He is also one of the best penalty takers in the game, which is tougher than it sounds.
Sports news and briefs Green light for fight
Kids put skids on Clausen
Large loss for ladies
Edged out by icemen
Lucas for Liverpool?
Wooden spoon
Mikkel Kessler has confirmed he will fight American light-heavyweight boxer Allan Green on May 19 at Parken his first fight at the weight after moving up from the super-middleweight division. Fight promoter Kalle Sauerland described Green as a “high-risk fight”, but believed that victory would lead to a shot at a light-heavyweight world title.
Marc and Lee Rochester Sørensen, the teenage sons of an English expat, both got on the score-sheet (together for the first time) in HB Køge’s 4-2 win away at OB, a defeat that led to Henrik Clausen’s dismissal as coach of the Odense Superliga club. HB remain bottom of the league, ten points adrift of safety, but have now taken seven points from their last nine.
Ladies side Brøndby IF have been knocked out of the UEFA Women’s Champions League by the holders, Olympique Lyonnais. The French side, who went into the Danish leg of the tie with a 4-0 lead, scored four more to complete a 8-0 aggregate win. The only consolation for Brøndby was their attendance of 3,644 – a Danish record for the WCL.
The under-17s missed out on a place at this summer’s European finals in Slovenia, after finishing second in Elite Round Group 6 in Scotland on Sunday. A 2-2 draw against Iceland, and 3-1 and 3-2 defeats of Lithuania and Scotland respectively, were not enough as Iceland also finished with seven points, but a superior goal difference: 7-2 compared to Denmark’s 8-5.
AaB’s 17-year-old winger Lucas Andersen is a target of Liverpool, according to media, with Ajax and Borussia Dortmund also apparently interested. “I’m a boring agent who rarely says much, so I’m not talking about specific clubs,” his agent Anders Wallsten told Tribal Football. “We’ll decide in the summer if he should stay and develop further with AaB, or go elsewhere.”
Denmark finished last in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers, a 16-team tournament in Dubai that finished last weekend, from which the top two teams qualified for the World Cup later this year. The young squad beat Bermuda but then lost six in a row to finish bottom of their eight-team group. A defeat against Oman in the 15th place playoff then secured the wooden spoon.
business
The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk
30 March - 4 April 2012
15
Scanpix/Claus Fisker
Novozymes named winner of the 2012 Transatlantic Company of the Year
Novozymes
Mike Hofman American Chamber honours biotech company for its alliances and investments in the US
D
It’s been tough going for DSB, with a revolving door at the CEO position and problems with its IC4 trains
DSB reports historic loss Ray Weaver State railway operator blames Swedish operations and high costs for the greatest losses in company’s history
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tate-owned railway company DSB has released a financial statement revealing that, despite increases in both income and passengers, they continue to lose money in 2012. The company says it has lost 355 million kroner so far this year. This comes on the heels of numbers at the end of last year showing losses of just over 500 million kroner for the first nine months of 2011. DSB is also budgeting for a 300 million kroner shortfall in its Swedish operations, pushing the potential losses over the one billion kroner mark.
The company’s acting CEO said the deficit is due to increased costs and issues with its operations in Sweden. “DSB has seen an increasing number of customers and positive developments on the revenue side,” said Jacob Kjær, the CFO and acting CEO of DSB. “On the other hand, we have experienced higher costs and came out of 2011 with a sizeable deficit.” DSB’s management had previously produced a plan to cut spending by approximately one billion kroner per year by 2015. The plan included cutting approximately 1,000 jobs over the next three years. The company said most of the cuts will come via attrition, voluntary severance or reassignment. “We are turning the tide,” said Kjær. “We are focusing on earnings and especially on cutting costs. All options are on the table.”
Kjær said that cost-saving measures include streamlining DSB’s procurement processes and outsourcing IT and cleaning services. The company’s Copenhagen headquarters is also up for sale. DSB’s Swedish operations in conjunction with its Swedish subsidiary DSB Väst loses about 100 million kroner each year – a situation that Kjær says is simply unsustainable. The DSB board is negotiating with DSB Väst and the traffic authority Västtrafik in Gothenburg to find a solution that would transfer DSB operations to another operator and allow the company to be released from its current contract with DSB Väst, which is scheduled to run until 2018. “Passenger growth and punctuality are the foundations of our vital role in the community,” said Kjær. “We must focus on our core businesses.”
business news and briefs Dong firing was justified
Can’t say it? Click it
Maersk boss extends leave
Dong Energy’s decision to fire former CEO Anders Eldrup was justified, a 200-page report from law firm Norrbom Vinding declared. TV2 News reported that one of the conclusions of the study was that Eldrup “violated his CEO commitment” by giving select employees sky-high wages without board approval.
A New smartphone app has been developed, allowing users to order a taxi anywhere in Scandinavia without calling and struggling with hard-to-pronounce street names. The application, Click A Taxi, uses GPS to find your position and books a taxi for you. Click A Taxi plans to expand into the UK and Germany soon.
MAersk CEO Nils Smedegaard Andersen was due to return to work this week, but has extended his sick leave by six to eight weeks. Andersen, who underwent a heart operation in December, had an additional operation on March 28. He told Børsen that his health problems have given him a new outlook on life.
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6.14
Novozymes president Steen Riisgard said that the company continues to expand in North America
Novozymes president and chief executive Steen Riisgaard was grateful for the prize, noting that Novozymes is the world leader in the development and production of industrial enzymes. “We’ve had sales in the US for many years, and in the late ‘70s, we established production and research in North Carolina,” Riisgaard told The Copenhagen Post. “Today we have operations in several states with about one thousand employees in North America, and soon we will open a new enzyme plant in Blair, Nebraska. North
America means a lot to us, and, of course, it is nice to get recognition for our success.” AmCham’s executive director, Stephen Brugger, added that it’s important to remain focused on improving the transatlantic trade. “Although there is considerable focus on the BRIC countries [Brazil, Russia, India and China] these days, it is worth noting that the US and EU together still represent the world’s largest single economic relationship with a value of approximately $5 trillion American dollars,” he said.
BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK
Plan B: Breaking through to a better business model John Mullins, Associate Professor of Management Practice in Entrepreneurship and Marketing at the London Business School is an award winning teacher and scholar, John brings to his teaching and research 20 years of executive experience in high-growth retailing firms eg. GAP, including two ventures he founded and one he took public. If the founders of Google, PayPal, or Starbucks had stuck to their original business plans, we’d likely never have heard of them. Instead, they made radical changes to their initial models, became household names, and delivered huge returns for investors. How did they get from their Plan A to a business model that worked? Why did they succeed when most new ventures crash and burn? Drawing on examples from Apple to Zynga and more, Professor John Mullin’s talk will explore a new way to think about and develop breakthrough business models. In doing so, it debunks the “form-filling,” spreadsheet-driven mentaty that characterizes so much of today’s business planning, and offers founders and their companies – as well as larger ones – a systematic approach to developing business models that can revolutionize their industries.
We are pleased to be joining with the London Business School and Hannes Snellman to offer this opportunity to our members.
Euro EUR
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5.45
7.33
0.07
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0.84
6.26
9.09
5.73
Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency
anish biotech company Novozymes has been recognised as the Transatlantic Company of the Year by the American Chamber of Commerce in Denmark. “They have won this year’s prize due to its strong alliances based on innovation as well as its substantial investments in the US,” jury member Sten Scheibye, chairman of the Danish Trade Council, explained. He added that Novozymes is exceptionally well integrated in American industry. “They have partnerships with major US corporations such as Procter & Gamble and POET, which is the world’s largest producer of biofuel. These strong strategic alliances are based on continuous product development and innovation.” AmCham Denmark’s Transatlantic Company of the Year is awarded to an AmCham member company with business interests in the US that has demonstrated significant achievements in several areas, like investments in the US or strategic partnerships.
Date: Thursday, 19 April 2012 Time: 17.30 - 19.00 Venue: Hannes Snellman, Amaliegade 15, 1256 Copenhagen K There will be refreshments and networking on arrival. Non-members are very welcome. Please contact BCCD or go to www.bccd.dk for further information
If you would like to attend then please send us an email (event@bccd.dk) or call +45 31 18 75 58 Date: 28 March 2012
• official media partner Denmark’s only English-language newspaper
THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE SPOUSE: Isabel Douglass FROM: USA SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: My lessons are organized, fun, and based around your individual needs! My role as your private tutor is to provide you with the information you need, to keep you on schedule with your educational goal, and to provide lessons that fit your learning style. In addition, I aim to keep you excited to learn by introducing interesting material such as news articles, movie clips, and song lyrics. EXPERIENCE: 5 years of experience. LOOKING FOR: English Teaching LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English Speaker CONTACT: isabeldouglass@gmail.com Phone: 60653401 SPOUSE: Simon Rigby FROM: United Kingdom (originally Scotland) SEEKING WORK IN: Jylland, Fyn or Sjælland (anywhere in Denmark). QUALIFICATION: Secondary High School - 8 ‘Ordinary’ levels & 3 ‘Advanced’ levels achieved. EXPERIENCE: Business Development, Sales & Marketing and Client Relationship Management specialist. 15+ years experience in securing ‘insurance and lifestyle benefits’ contracts with high volume and high consumer numbers within the Affinity Group Marketing sector from a wide variety of distribution channels including banks, financial institutions, large membership affinity groups and employers, credit card issuers and insurers. Highly accomplished and skilled at ‘low cost, high perceived value’ large scale marketing to B2B and B2C target audiences through both on-line and other direct marketing channels. Entire career spent in the banking, finance and insurance sectors the latter of which I have spent in the UK employment of 3 of the top 4 global insurance brokers. A team player and a ‘people person’ with the skills and abilities to easily and comfortably interact with individuals at all levels. Natural problem solver who sees opportunities rather than obstacles. Simplistic and structured approach to finding straightforward and practical solutions to problems. LOOKING FOR: A job within an organisation (financial services or otherwise) where my Sales & Marketing and Key Account managerial skills and experience are fully utilised and where I can provide a sustainable and tangible long term contribution to my new employer as well as to my new country within which I have chosen to permanently live. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (mother tongue); German (very good); French (good); Danish (basic, but currently enrolled on a ‘Danskuddannelse 3’ language course). IT EXPERIENCE: Word - Advanced user. Powerpoint - Proficient user. Excel - Basic. CONTACT: simon040561@hotmail.co.uk or mobile +45 60 16 80 40. SPOUSE: Stephanie Bergeron Kinch FROM: USA SEEKING WORK IN: The Copenhagen area. QUALIFICATION: Several years of experience writing for newspapers, magazines, and Web sites. M.S. in Media and Communications with focus on social media. LOOKING FOR: Full-time or freelance writing and communication jobs (copywriting / journalism). LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English, Conversational Danish and Spanish. IT EXPERIENCE: Professional use of on-line social media, Microsoft Excel, PhotoShop, InDesign, Mac and PC operating systems. CONTACT: www.stephaniekinch.com or http://dk.linkedin.com/in/stephaniekinch SPOUSE: Megan Rothrock FROM: California-USA,Via SEEKING WORK IN: Toy Design, Games Design, or Photography (Syd Denmark Jutland). QUALIFICATION: Associate Arts Degree: Corporate Communication, Design, and Commercial Illustration, with a background in animation. EXPERIENCE: Former LEGO Product Designer, LEGO Universe: Level Designer, European Bureau Editor Brick Journal Magazine. I have a strong knowledge of Toy and Gaming Markets. I am driven, enjoy solving daily challenges and I’m a strong communicator wanting to join a creative team of colleagues. LOOKING FOR: Part/Full time work in an innovative and creative . LANGUAGE SKILLS: English: native- Dutch: Excellent- Danish (currently in): Danskuddannelse 3, modul 3. IT EXPERIENCE: PC and Mac - Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dream Weaver, Director, Maya, 3D Studio Max, ML Cad, LD. CONTACT: megzter1@yahoo.com +4535140779 SPOUSE: Cindy Chu FROM: Hong Kong SEEKING WORK IN: Anywhere in Denmark. QUALIFICATION: MSc in Marketing from Brunel University (West London), B.A. in English for Professional Communication from City University of Hong Kong. EXPERIENCE: 4 years experience on strategy planning in marketing, project management and consumer research. I have 3 years experience working in global research agency as a project manager and a research executive for multinational marketing projects. I worked closely with marketing team for data analysis and delivering actionable insights. I am familiar with working with staffs and clients form different countries. I have also as a PR officer in a NGO for 1 year. LOOKING FOR: Jobs in project management, marketing and PR field. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Cantonese (Mother tongue), Mandarin (Native speaker), English (Professional), Danish (Beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, SPSS, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator. CONTACT: chocolate3407@gmail.com, +45 22 89 34 07 SPOUSE: Suheir Sharkas FROM: Syria SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus and the nearby areas of the mentioned cities. QUALIFICATION: MBA–International Management, Bachelor in English Literature. LOOKING FOR: Positions in Organizations/Companies in the fields of: Administration and organization, Event & Project Management, and Assistance Management. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Arabic: Native speaker, English: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), German: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), Danish: Basic 3.3 (understanding, speaking and writing). IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Power Point) and web publishing. CONTACT: ssouheir@gmail.com, Tel: 533 721 20 SPOUSE: Sarah Andersen FROM: United Kingdom SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: BA Honours Design Management. EXPERIENCE: Creative and versatile Project manager with experience of working in both agency and client environments on projects including; digital, print and event management. Worked with a range of international clients, including Panasonic and Disney. Previously employed by NMA Top 100 Digital Agencies and D&AD Awards in London. Able to manage projects from concept to production and to meet tight deadlines. LOOKING FOR: Digital Project Manager or Event Production Manager (full, part time or freelance) LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (native), enrolled for Danish language class. IT EXPERIENCE: Office, Project, Visio, FTP and CMS. CONTACT: www.sarahandersen.net for portfolio, CV and contact SPOUSE: Kamali Ganesan SEEKING WORK IN: Jylland, Denmark QUALIFICATION: IT engineer. EXPERIENCE: LEGO systems. LOOKING FOR: IT and Multimedia jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Tamil, English and Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: 3 Years in LEGO systems. CONTACT: anbukamali@gmail.com
FROM: India
PARTNERS:
SPOUSE: Jennifer Bouma FROM: The Netherlands SEEKING WORK IN: Egedal Kommune, Copenhagen 30 km. QUALIFICATION: Managers Secretary, hands on, reliable, structured, self reliant, social, team player). LOOKING FOR: Secretary job. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Dutch, Danish, English, German, French, Italian. IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office ( Word, Excel), Outlook, SAP. CONTACT: jenniferbouma@ hotmail.com SPOUSE: Barbara Liengaard FROM: Germany SEEKING WORK IN: (Greater) Copenhagen and surroundings. QUALIFICATION: Bachelor degree in Business Administration (Germany/France). EXPERIENCE: Profound 10-years’ working experience in strategic and operational marketing, product/brand and project management from different big globally acting companies (automotive supplier, white goods and medical industry), working/cultural experience from different countries (Germany, France, Spain, U.S.A., U.K., China, Denmark), first working experience in Denmark. LOOKING FOR: A challenging job opportunity in e.g. marketing, product/brand and/ or project management, import/export; preferably in an international-minded working environment or with particular need for German. LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (mother tongue), English (fluent), French (fluent), Danish (PD3 Prøvebevis), Spanish (good). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office (Outlook, Power Point, Excel, Word), SAP (CMD-AP). CONTACT: babolz@yahoo.com SPOUSE: Lorenzo Albano FROM: Venezuela (with CPR number) SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København and Hovedstaden QUALIFICATION: PhD in Physics. EXPERIENCE: I have wide experience as an university lecturer in physics, physics laboratory, mathematics and informatics. I have done research in theoretical quantum optics and quantum information. I have done research and development / programming of numerical methods applied to geophysical problems, such as tomographic inversion and wave propagation, independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams. I have participated in gravimetric and magneto metric geophysical surveys. LOOKING FOR: Short and long term work in education in science and mathematics / research / scientific computing / oil exploration or other geophysical applications. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in Spanish (native), English and Italian. Basic Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: OS: MSDOS, Windows, Linux (Ubuntu), Solaris, incl. Shell scripting. Programming Languages: BASIC, ANSI C, C++, FORTRAN. Web: HTML, CSS, Joomla!. Typography: LaTeX2E. Software: Mathematica 7, MS Office and OpenOffice suites, several Windows utilities. CONTACT: lorenzoalbanof@gmail.com. Tel: +45 50 81 40 73 SPOUSE: Clotilde IMBERT FROM: France SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen Qualification: Master of town planning and development and master of urban geography (Paris IVSorbonne) EXPERIENCE: 5 years in field of town planning and development: - Coordinator in urban project in a semi-public company: supervised a major urban project in Paris area (coordination of studies, acquisition of lands, worked with Planning Development of the Town Council, architects, developers to define the master plan and implement the project...); - Officer in research and consultancy firm (urban diagnosis, environmental impact assessments, inhabitants consultation...). LOOKING FOR: A job in urban project field: planning department of Town Council or consultancy firm in town planning, environment and sustainable development, architecture firm, real estate development company. LANGUAGE SKILLS: French (mother tongue), English (professional usage), Spanish (basic), Danish (In progress). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, Abode Illustrator, AutoCad (basic), PC and Mac. CONTACT: clotilde.imbert@gmail.com SPOUSE: Bhargavi Lanka Venkata FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: IT industry- Software - Manual & Automation Testing. QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering. EXPERIENCE: Part Time/Full Time work in Software Testing, 4yrs and 9 months experience as Senior Software Engineer – Testing in a U.S based MNC in Bangalore, India. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Enrolled for Danish classes. IT EXPERIENCE: Manual testing, Automation Regrwession testing using QTP, Web service testing using SOA Tool, HP Quality center, Unix, SQL, XML, Basic shell scripting. CONTACT: bhargavipsk@gmail.com; Mobile: 50376689 SPOUSE: Anisha Kanjhlia FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Arhus in Teaching/Training/Administration/Media/Public Relations QUALIFICATION: Post Graduate in Advertising & Communication. EXPERIENCE: 6+ years of professional experience in Training, Customer Service, Promotions, Brand Marketing, Content Analysis and Team Management. Strong experience in planning and executing initiatives. Extensive training experience and influencing skills that will assist me in building a high potential, motivated and an effective team. Hands-on training in soft skills like crucial conversations and people management Branch Manager & Head of Training for Cosmo Aviation Training School in New Delhi, India. Proficient in analysing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision making and formulating training strategies. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus. IT EXPERIENCE: Comfortable with all the basic computer knowledge like Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet browsing. CONTACT: anisha.feb@rediffmail.com, P: 4522305837 SPOUSE: Heike Mehlhase FROM: Berlin, Tyskland SEEKING WORK IN: A job opportunity in Copenhagen (administrative position, research assistant or psychosocial care). QUALIFICATION: MPH, Master degree in Psychology, Lerntherapeutin. EXPERIENCE: Five years experience in psychological research and child psychology. LOOKING FOR: Looking for: a position to expand my experience where I can use my excellent organisational, social and communication skills. LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (mother tongue), English (fluent), Danish (Module 2). IT EXPERIENCE: I am proficient in software such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software and basic graphic editing programs (Microsoft Office, Open Office) plus statistical software (SPSS). CONTACT: heike@mehlhase.info SPOUSE: Lena Schulz zur Wiesch FROM: Berlin, Germany SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen and Capital Region. QUALIFICATION: Cand. scient. pol. from the Humboldt-University Berlin and London School of Economics. EXPERIENCE: Seven years work experience from the German Parliament (EU-consultant) and as distinguished research associate at the Humboldt-University (urban planning). Strong analytical and inter-cultural skills. Team-worker. LOOKING FOR: Jobs in consulting, public administration, politics, NGOs, international institutions or companies. LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (mother tongue), English, Spanish, French, Danish (all fluently). IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office, CMS. CONTACT: lenaszw@web.de
SPOUSE: Dr Shivanee Shah FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Homeopathic Medicine Doctor, Medical transcriptionsit, Medical auditor for medical insurances. EXPERIENCE: 5 years of experience of running own clinic, medical transcription, medical audits with national level scheme LOOKING FOR: Full time/part time opportunity with pharmaceutical company, as assistant doctor, medical transcription, medical bill audits for insurance companies, data entry related jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: ENGLISH, HINDI, DANISH CLASS TO COMMENCE SHORTLY CONTACT: pranavdsc@yahoo.com. Phone : +45 71841109 SPOUSE: Raffaele Menafra FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: A degree as Prevention techniques in Work and Workplaces. EXPERIENCE: I worked 4 years in a rehabilitation clinic. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Italian (native), English, Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: menafra1@yahoo.it SPOUSE: Mohammad Ahli- Gharamaleki FROM: Iran SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master degree in chemical engineering. EXPERIENCE: 5+ years as a chemical engineer in R&D oil/gas projects as a team leader or member in Iran. LOOKING FOR: A position in an Intrnational company to expand my experience and expertise. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Azeri (native), English (fluent), Farsi (fluent), Arabic (good), Turkish (good), Danish(beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: Professional (MATLAB, Hysys, Aspen plus, Auto Cad, others (Office, Minitab). CONTACT: mohammad_ahli@yahoo.com, (+45) 71 63 12 85 SPOUSE: Lorena Augusta Moreira FROM: Brazil SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Interior Designer. EXPERIENCE: + 3 of experience with interior design and sales of furniture and decoration products. LOOKING FOR: Position in an Organization/Company in the fields of: Interior design, lay-out and organization of vitrines, sales and assistance management. IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft office (word, excel, outlook, access and power-point) access to internet. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), Portuguese (native) and Spanish (pre-intermediate). CONTACT: lorena-augusta@hotmail.com, + 45 52177084 SPOUSE: Malgorzata Tujakowska FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Aarhus and the surrounding area QUALIFICATION: Masters in Ethnolinguistics with major in Chinese and English, Chinese HSK and Business Chinese Test certificates, 2-year long studies at Shanghai International Studies University and National Cheng Kung University,Taiwan. LOOKING FOR: Working for companies hiring Polish and Chinese employees, teaching Chinese, Polish, Business English, linguistics, translation and interpretation, proofreading, Chinese business and culture consulting, administrative work. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Polish (native speaker), Chinese – simplified and traditional (fluent), English (fluent), German(intermediate), Danish (intermediate-currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: Tel:+45 28702377, m.tujakowska@gmail.com SPOUSE: Nina Chatelain FROM: Vancouver, BC, Canada SEEKING WORK IN: Midt- og syd jylland QUALIFICATION: BA courses in english and anthropology, certificate in desktop publishing and graphic design, internationally certified yoga teacher since 1999. EXPERIENCE: Over 7 years experience as the assistant to the director (what would correspond to a direktionssekretær position) at an international university museum where i also was seconded to act as the program administrator – a project management internal communications role – for the museum’s major renovation project. I acted as the director’s right hand and the museum’s communications hub where i had daily contact with the visiting public, community stakeholders, volunteers and students. I have earlier worked as an editor and writer in various capacities, as well as a desktop publisher/graphic designer. LOOKING FOR: An administrative role in a creative company that needs someone who can juggle a variety of projects and use excellent english writing and editing skills LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (mother tongue) and Danish (fluent comprehension-studieprøven / university entrance exam). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Package, PC and Apple, have earlier worked with various desktop publishing software, quick to learn new software and systems. CONTACT: nina.chatelain@gmail.com, Phone: +45 29707430 SPOUSE: Katarzyna Szkaradek FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Mental hospitals, voluntary(Ngo) organisations, kindergartens, nurseries, babysitting QUALIFICATION: Ma in Psychology (2008), post graduate studies in psychotherapy (4th year/ 5 year). EXPERIENCE: I am a highly motivated and creative individual with excellent communication skills. From January 2010 till August 2010 I worked independly in private practice. For the last 2 years (January ,2009 -October, 2010) I worked with children (also with special needs -Autism, Asperger, Down syndrome etc) and their families as a psychologist. My duties included organizing games, monitoring children’s development , consulting teachers and parents where appropriate and providing individual therapy. For the last 10 years I was member of NGO organisation and I was a volunteer in Israel, Italy, Portugal and Romania. LOOKING FOR: Internship in mental hospitals, part – time or full time jobs in kindergartens, nurseries, job as a babysitter, voluntary job in hospitals. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English–advance level (C1), Danish – (module 3 /module 5), Polish-native speaker IT EXPERIENCE: MS Windows, basic MS Office, Internet. CONTACT: szkasienka@gmail.com tlf. 50828802
Denmark’s only English-language newspaper
THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs. If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a profile to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your profile on the spouse job page when possible. Remember to get it removed in case of new job.
EMPLOYMENT
THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
30 March - 4 April 2012
Østerbro
17
Denmark’s only English-language newspaper
I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L
Østerbro InternatIonal school Is lookIng for an MYP coordInator to joIn our aMazIng teaM of educators.
Project Intern
The successful candidate will have a part time teaching schedule and The Copenhagen Post is seeking a Project Intern to join our team immediately.
COPENHAGEN RENAISSANCE
MUSIC FESTIVAL 7 - 20 NOVEMBER 2011
FROM SCHÜTZ TO GEIST
Early German Baroque Music 1600-1700 In commemoration of Christian Geist (c.1650-1711)
Copenhagen Renaissance Music Festival Special advertising section INSIDE!
ISRAEL
Discovering Israel: Inside the Holy Land Special advertising section INSIDE!
Photo: Karsten Movang
will be responsible for guiding the staff and leading the middle school through the authorization process with the IBO.
HOLMENS CHURCH
THEATRE OF VOICES
CHRISTIAN IV
COPENHAGEN 1660
HAIFA
TEL AVIV
JERUSALEM
*ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT*
Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk ILLUSTRATION BY PETER STANNERS
Personal characterIstIcs requIred for the PosItIon:
MASADA
*ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT*
4 - 10 November 2011 | Vol 14 Issue 44 NEWS
Dane unable to obtain family reunification for his Thai girlfriend says residency rules are a Catch-22
6
Exploiting ‘fat tax’ Supermarkets are scamming their customers under the guise of the new national ‘fat tax’
• A passion for education and working with students • • IB Middle Years Program training and experience •
NEWS | 3
SPORT
Get in or get out Is now the time to join the euro, or to run like hell?
4
National coach Morten Olsen’s new contract will keep him in the job until after the 2014 World Cup.
14
A new budget to ‘kickstart’ the economy JENNIFER BULEY
Warrior Jesus
• A visionary leader who is willing to participate in the development of the school • • An excellent communicator • • An excellent level of written and spoken English • the followIng docuMents should be subMItted when aPPlYIng for the PosItIon:
• A letter of application, including why you consider yourself to be suitable to fulfill this role. • • Names, addresses, and contact information of at least 2 professional referees. • • A Curriculum Vitae. • Please send application documents by 13 april to: the headmaster (nedzat asanovski) by e-mail: - na@oeis.dk
How Christianity borrowed from Norse mythology and branded Jesus as a tough guy in order to woo the pagan Vikings
HISTORY | 19
9 771398 100009
Price: 25 DKK
SRSF’s first budget will spend 17.5 billion kroner on infrastructure and abolish previous taxes and restrictions
C
AN YOU HAVE your cake and eat it too? Conventional wisdom says no, but with their first budget plan since the shift of power, the new Socialdemokraterne-RadikaleSocialistisk Folkeparti (SRSF) coalition appear to be giving it a shot. Many of the elements of the new budget – which is expected to be released in its entirety on Thursday – will increase state spending at a time when the budget deficit has increased. But where the money would come from remained a mystery. A number of the new budget items reinstate spending cuts made by the pre-
vious Venstre-Konservative (VK) govern- the number of students. Moreover, stument. Here are a few of the major points: dents will no longer pay administrative Families: VK limited the state’s fees, and prospective Master’s students monthly child support handouts (bør- will have prerequisite course tuitions necheck) to 35,000 kroner per fam- paid. The government will also fund ily. That limit has now been abolished, 1,500 more state-supported internship meaning that many families will get positions. Infrastructure and job creation: larger child benefits. The government will also pay for fertility treatments and Some 17.5 billion kroner will be invested over two years in infrastructure voluntary sterilisations. Welfare: VK and Dansk Folkeparti projects, such as a new rail line between (DF) introduced specialised welfare pro- Copenhagen and Ringsted, a project to grammes that reduced the cash benefits widen the Holbæk motorway, erosion for new immigrants. Those programmes protection efforts along Jutland’s west have now been eliminated and going coast, and renovations to public housforward all residents in need of state ing. Prime minister Helle Thorningsupport will receive the same welfare Schmidt has said that these ‘kickstart’ projects will create 20,000 new jobs benefits. Higher education and research: from 2012-2013. The Danish ConstrucUniversities will get an extra one billion tion Association predicts 10,000. Tax break:meeting The unpopular ‘mulkroner over two years to cover costs as- a personal Organise sociated with a predicted increase in timedia tax’ introduced by VK will be
Cheering a Muslim as we do a Murderer!
FULL TIME MBA and sit in on a class.
abolished, saving some 525,000 Danes with business laptops and mobile phones 3,000 kroner per year. Not everyone, however, can look forward to a cash infusion. Smokers and junk food lovers will be taxed higher on their vices, while international corporations will also see higher tax bills. SRSF plans to raise revenue by closing a number of tax loopholes going back nearly 20 years that allowed international corporations in Denmark to escape paying corporate taxes (see more on page 15). All told, the spending increases in the new budget are not as big as the minister of the economy and interior, Margrethe Vestager (R), would like. She noted that VK under-reported the deficit for 2012, making it imprudent to spend more. But Denmark will still meet the EU’s financial responsibility benchmarks, despite the larger deficit, she added.
The one-year general management full-time MBA at CBS
focuses onTIME leadership,MBA entrepreneurship, and real-world experience.MEETING FULL - INFORMATION Organise a personal meeting hear how the MBA can giveprogram Join Scandinavia’s mostand internationally diverse your career a new dimension. Thursday 17th November 17:30-19:00 E-mail lm.mba@cbs.dk or call 3815 6022
The one-year general management full-time MBA at CBS focuses on to organise a personal meeting. Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Practical Business Skills. E-mail lm.mba@cbs.dk or call 3815 6022 to sign up for the meeting.
Copenhagen Business School
Copenhagen Business School Porcelænshaven 22, 2000 Frederiksberg Porcelænshaven 22, 2000 Frederiksberg www.cbs.dk/ftmba www.cbs.dk/ftmba
Page 10
InOut The CPH Post Entertainment Guide | 16 - 22 Sep
KIDS ON FILM YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT BUSTER!
We are looking for a candidate who has completed or is currently pursuing a marketing-related degree and who has experience planning and coordinating events. You must have excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and be able to work daily for approximately 20/25 hours per week. You should be an enthusiastic, self-motivated teamplayer with the ability to work independently at times. It would also be an advantage if you have a driving license.
THE CHILDREN’S MOVIE FEST IS HERE page
G9
The internship is unpaid but will offer the opportunity to gain valuable work experience. BLUES w w w. c o p e n h a g e n b l u e s f e s t i v a l . d k
COPENHAGEN
Free access to 65 museums and attractions in the entire metropolitan area
See more at copenhagencard.com
SEPT. 28 - OCT. 2 · 2011
FESTIVAL
John Primer w. Nisse Thorbjorn Band [US/DK] Joe Louis Walker [US] | Holmes Brothers [US] Mud Morganfield w. Peter Nande Band [US/DK] Louisiana Red & Paul Lamb [US/UK] | Janice Harrington w. Kenn Lending Blues Band [US/DK] Keith Dunn Band [US/NL] | Johnny Max Band [CA] Delta Blues Band | The Healers | Shades of Blue Thorbjorn Risager | Troels Jensen | Alain Apaloo H.P. Lange | Mike Andersen & Jens Kristian Dam Tutweiler | Fried Okra Band | The Blues Overdrive Bluesoul | Grahn & Malm | Ole Frimer | Paul Banks Jacob Fischer Trio | Svante Sjöblom | Jes Holtsoe
See full programme: w w w.copenhagenbluesfestival.dk & w w w.kultunaut.dk
www.oEIS.dka
Please send your application and CV to jeanne@cphpost.dk noting ‘Project Intern’ in the subject line. For more information please contact Jeanne Thames on 3336 3300.
Østerbro International School • Præstøgade 17 • 2100 Copenhagen Ø • Tel.: +45 70 20 63 68 • E-mail: info@oeis.dk Østerbro - 131x175 job ad.indd 1
You will be assisting with various tasks including general administrative duties, customer service/sales support, and event planning.
14-03-2012 12:30:56
Biotech Job Vacancies Ferring
Novo Nordisk
ource & Systems Manager, Clinical Development Support (temporary position) Information Specialist, CLICK Associate Director, Global Regulatory Affairs
Associate manager Safety System Expert Business Analyst Laboratory Technician Regulatory Project Manager Project Manager Department Head for Type 2 Diabetes Pharmacology Meeting Professional and HQ Tracking Responsible Global Project Manager Global Project Manager - Marketing Excellence Seeking 3 medical doctors with a need to explore Regulatory Associate
Lundbeck Specialist GCQA Systems Head of Department
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18
culture
The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk
30 March - 4 April 2012
F
or almost three years, Theatre Republique has been bringing international contemporary theatre to Copenhagen. In February it produced the worldwide premiere of ‘The Tiger Lillies perform Hamlet’, and in March it staged ‘Orakler’, a globally-acclaimed instalment by Enrique Vargas and the Spanish theatre troupe Teatro de los Sentidos. However, according to proposed plans, this is all going to end. Instead, its owner, Københavns Teater, will open a new theatre at Republique’s current home, Kanonhallen in Østerbro, to provide a home for new independent performance groups – a move that will ultimately lead to less international but more home-grown theatre. Sten Pade, the head of the state-owned Københavns Teater, told Politiken newspaper that the proposal is part of the theatre’s plans to provide a stage for independent performance artists in the city, while Republique’s artistic director Martin Tulinius conceded: “Republique is basically history, and I’m very disappointed.” “We’ve had two and a half years to build an international contemporary theatre, and I think we’ve succeeded. We have had two Reumert nominations, and we have had an international breakthrough with the co-operation with the South Bank Centre in London” – a collaboration that
DR/Agnete Schlichtkrull
Stated-owned institution’s vision will see more home-grown performances at the expense of international productions
Per Morten Abrahamsen
Mike Hofman
Erich goldman
‘Viva la Republique’ petition seeks to overturn parliament’s theatre plans Who is ... Emil Thorup?
Malene Ørsted He is a TV host Where might I have seen him? He hosts the show ‘Sexministeriet’ (the sex ministry) on DR Mama, in which he explores sex myths and fetishes. And in January his career hit the stratosphere when he hosted the Danish Melodi Grand Prix – a gig most celebrity hack wannabes would die for.
‘H3K’ became Republique’s first production back in September 2009
led to last autumn’s ‘The Bollywood Trip’ and the aforementioned ‘The Tiger Lillies perform Hamlet’, with another one in the pipeline for later this year. According to Politiken, the new theatre will have a CEO, who will have four artistic directors working under him. Of these, one will take charge of the theatre’s own productions – which will fall from eight a year to three - while the other three will oversee productions by outside contributors. The theatre’s annual budget will be reduced by four million kroner to 18 million. Republique believes that the politicians are committing a big mistake. The theatre’s chief executive/international director, Hans Christian Gimbel, told Politiken that if the proposal is adopted, there will be no room for collaboration with international partners and presenting international performances on stage.
“There simply won’t be enough money,” he said. “While Republique currently produces eight performances a year, there will only be three [of the theatre’s own productions] at the new theatre.” The association of performing artists, Foreningen Scenekunstnere, on the other hand, welcomes the new initiative. “There has been a great need for a theatre in Copenhagen,” its spokesman Bjørn Lense-Møller told Politiken. “It is necessary for the development of performing arts to have an independent and open stage. Given the task Københavns Teater has been entrusted with by parliament, this is the best solution,” spokesman Lense-Møller said. The association thinks the theatre will naturally attract international attention. Tulinius and Gimbel point out that they believe the solu-
In 2010 ‘Salò’ reinvented Pasolini’s ‘Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma’
tion lies somewhere else. Smaller stages like Frederiksbergscenen or Pakhus 11 could have met most of the needs of the independent theatre groups, they believe. The proposal has been presented as the result of a co-operation between Copenhagen and Frederiksberg Councils, the National Arts Council (Statens Kunstråds Scenekunstudvalg), the Ministry of Culture and the independent stage artists’ organisations. However, it turns out that plans to cut spending are only coming from Københavns Teater. The chairman of the National Arts Council, Rikke Juellund, explains that the committee has been part of the process and that they’re happy that it finally looks like there will be an open stage.
“An open stage will without a doubt help to lift some of the projects that get support from us, because they will get better conditions,” Juellund told Politken. “But the plan to cut spending is solely coming from Københavns Teater, which we are critical about. It is a drastic reduction going from eight to three stage productions.” Last week on Friday, a petition entitled ‘Luk ikke Republique’ (Don’t close Republique) was started. “Almost 1,834 people have signed the petition,” Karen Toftegaard from Republique told The Copenhagen Post. This week will prove whether or not the petition has had any effect – the proposal is currently in consultation, with a decision expected imminently.
Annalise Baird Orakler
I
t is difficult to have any idea what to expect as you step into Enrique Vargas’s ‘Orakler’ at Republique theatre. Little do you know, you are about to embark upon possibly one of the most memorable journeys you will ever experience. The labyrinth is a performance installment by Spanish theater troupe Teatro de los Sentidos (Theatre of the Senses). And, just as the name suggests, a person who enters the labyrinth experiences his journey with all five senses. Along the way, he interacts with various cast members in beautiful and intricatelycrafted spaces. In the first space, you speak with a kind man who relieves you of your shoes. As you continue through the labyrinth, you understand why. Under your bare feet you can feel leaves, dirt, grain, sand, wood. Your other senses are engaged as well. The
smell of spices from far off lands, flickering light from a candle, the tinkle of wind chimes, a warm gulp of tea – in the labyrinth, your senses are on fire. The experience is based heavily on trust. The actors move slowly and deliberately. They are not afraid to touch you, hug you, caress you, even arm wrestle with you. Much of your journey is in total darkness, and you wander alone. The labyrinth makes you vulnerable. The journey is highly personal and incredibly beautiful. Vargas has created a magical world into which you are permitted to wander for a short while. Then you begin to feel a chill. There is a door before you. Your shoes sit neatly beside it. You slip them on, exiting through the door and into the outside world feeling as if it was all a dream. It is no wonder that ‘Orakler’ is already sold out of tickets. The experience is truly unlike any other. It would be worth harassing Republique about any cancellations or newly available tickets. The journey is simply stunning and utterly priceless.
avier Garcia
A journey through the labyrinth of the senses
How would I recognise him? Looking like a cross between Tintin and Max Headroom’s creepy albino brother, he’s pretty easy to recognise, unless you’re at Cosy nightclub on a Saturday morning – the one place this limp-wristed poser actually fits in with his neat look, white sleek hair, darkframed glasses and overall lack of masculine features. So is he a homosexual? No, though most people assumed so for a long time. According to the man himself, it goes back to his time as an assistant on the Casper Christensen show ‘Aloha!’, when he chose to say aloha to his camp persona. But judging by the photos of him as a kid on the DR website, we would beg to differ. What does he do today? ‘Emils Damer’ (Emil’s ladies), in which he spends a whole day being the boyfriend of a well-known fruit fly, chatting and cuddling, only further confusing the audience about his orientation. But quite frankly, if they’re watching this tripe, they deserve everything they get. So there’s no action whatsoever? Well, not unless you include an accidental glimpse of his penis. The unfortunately all-too-clear reflection wasn’t noticed until a few hours before airing and couldn’t be edited out. You would have thought that if anything was going to happen, it would have done with reality princess Amalie, but she ended up going out, leaving him to spend the night in her bed – alone. Does he date anyone for real? Apparently, but we don’t know what she thinks about his love of “horny bitches”.
Some finishing touches are added towards the big opening on March 22
Yikes. Anything else? When he was 19, he appeared on ‘Popstars’ and ended up in a Danish boy-band called Back for Good. Unfortunately for us, it wasn’t long before they split for good, and he embarked on a career in TV.
30 March - 4 April 2012
DENMARK THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK
19
The dictatorial doctor, aristocratic adulterer and mad masturbator JIRI HANZN
POLFOTO
Watch the affair of the queen (Alicia Vikander) and Stuensee (Mads Mikkelsen) unfold in ‘En Kongelig Affære’ – out this Thursday
SEAN COOGAN
W
HEN JOHANN Struensee first met the young British princess Caroline Mathilde in 1766, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that he – a German doctor working in the slums of Jutland – would one day become her lover, and the most powerful man in Denmark. The brief meeting between Struensee and Princess Caroline Mathilde took place in the Danish city of Altona, where Struensee worked as a doctor in the filthy, disease-ridden slums. The 15-year-old princess was stopping over on her way from England to her new home in Copenhagen where she would join her cousin – and now husband – King Christian VII in the royal quarters at Christiansborg. Being united with her 17-year-old king was no honeymoon to say the least. She quickly learned that she was expected to play hard-to-get towards her husband, who seemed to enjoy drowning her in spiteful remarks and using her as a verbal punch-bag. It quickly became apparent that it was not a fluffy teenage romance, but a rather unhappy marriage from the start. The young king was psychologically unstable and suffered from anxiety attacks, outbursts of anger, paranoia, self-mutilation and hallucinations - possibly due to schizophrenia. He often vented his anger by going ballistic at Copenhagen’s nightspots with his entourage of hooligans, and he insisted on not sleeping with his wife. The young king reportedly had to be persuaded to consummate their mar-
atmosphere between the young king and queen. Caroline Mathilde therefore did not trust nor like Struensee, who had quickly worked his way into the king’s inner circle. Her sceptical attitude was not warranted though, as Struensee attempted to make the king appreciate his wife, whilst ordering him to take cold showers in order to control his masturbation. As Struensee’s attempts to unite the unhappy couple progressed, so did his relationship with Queen Caroline Mathilde. They spoke for hours about politics, philosophy – and love. Soon the young queen and the German doctor were fully-fledged lovers. The strange thing was that the relationship between the king and queen improved during the time that Struensee kept his boss’s bridal bed warm. As a lady of the court noted: “The strange thing about it all, is that the relationship between the king and queen apparently has never been better. They are talking to each other continually.” The affair certainly changed Struensee’s motives. As a concerned physician, he had persuaded the king to sleep with his queen, as a lover he really needed the royal couple to sleep together – how else could he explain the fact that the queen was pregnant again! A new little princess, Louise Augusta, was born on 7 July 1771. Struensee had by this time seized a great deal of power and made a lot of powerful enemies. The people affected by Struensee’s decision to fire staff and slash salaries started gossiping about his overt relationship with the queen. Christian VII seemed to have been none the wiser, yet both within the ranks of the royal court – and even outside the walls of Christiansborg – the gossip spread that the new-born princess was indeed Struensee’s child. The ménage á trois continued despite the rumours and behaved like a family. Struensee didn’t limit himself to invading the king’s territory in the royal
Chains ... kinky, and the doctor probably had access to poppers – the mind boggles
WWW.HOERSHOLM.LOKALAVISEN.DK
To coincide with the release of the new Danish film ‘En Kongelig Affære’ on Thursday, we take a closer look at the infidelity that threatened to bring down the establishment
riage, in order to secure the succession. It seems that it was the young king’s disinterest rather than shyness, which kept him from going near his wife, since he was a familiar face at Copenhagen’s brothels. Despite the cold relationship between the royal teenagers, Queen Caroline Mathilde quickly became pregnant. However, any hopes of the king settling down after this news were quickly extinguished as the king proclaimed: “I shall rage for two years,” ordering his wife to stay home during the summer, while he went away for months at a time with his mates. The king continued his rock-star lifestyle, of which sex and violence were the main components. He would raid brothels with his favorite prostitute, Anna Cathrine Benthagen, leaving smashed flats and bloodied faces in his tracks. The manhandling of her enemies seemed to be part of this prostitute’s special hold on the king, who is said to have been drawn to her, not because of her looks – which were mediocre at best – but because of her ability to satisfy his peculiar, shall we say, inclinations. The king’s uncontrollable urge to masturbate were a popular subject within the royal court, where the gossip was ripe about the time the king during a royal feast in Christiansborg entered the room with his pants around his ankles. The straw that broke the camel’s back could well have been his public humiliation of his wife, as he took his prostitute – and his dog – to the royal theatre, while his pregnant queen sat at home. The charade was put to an end by the court officials, who sent the king’s favourite mistress – and best friend – away. Christian met Struensee at the beginning of his grand tour of Europe in 1768 and was asked to join as the king’s travel-doctor. After the trip, Struensee was made the king’s personal physician. Under the surface the royal court was spilt due to the freezing cold
Could be anyone: every artist played it safe after the Anne of Cleves debacle
bedchamber. When it came to political decisions, he had also been the king’s puppeteer for years. Before long, Struensee had even made sure that he didn’t need the king’s signature to pass laws and was now in reality the country’s dictator. In the end it all became too much for the queen mother, Juliane Marie, who had watched in disbelief as the German doctor swept in and manipulated her step-son, Christian VII, and pushed her own son away from the circle of power. She swiftly arranged a coup. On 17 January 1772, at four o’clock in the morning, King Christian awoke to the sight of candlelit faces surrounding his bed. They were there to tell him that Struensee and Caroline Mathilde were plotting to kill him! Little did he know that this was part of the queen mother’s plan. The frightened king quickly signed docu-
ments authorising the arrest of the two alleged plotters. Caroline Mathilde was awoken by hammering at her door and, as it dawned on her that the curtain had fallen, her panic-stricken screams echoed throughout the hallways of Christiansborg as she cried out for her husband. She was placed under house arrest at Elsinore Castle before being taken to Germany (of all places), never to see her children again. Struensee, meanwhile, admitted his royal affair under interrogation and was sentenced to death for his crimes against the crown. His relationship with the queen was not mentioned in the official sentence though, since Caroline Mathilde was the sister of the king of England. King Christian VII was portrayed as being “freed” by the queen mother, but in reality he had just acquired a new puppet-master.
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