Voting guide for the council & regional elections 2013 by Lyndsay Jensen

votiNg guiDE FoR thE

couNcil & REgioNAl ElEctioNS 2013

“OUR CITY NEEDS YOUR VOTE!” www.facebook.com/heidiwang.LA www.twitter.com/heidiwangdk

E T O V

E H FOR

! G N A W I ID

CIL TY COUN IL I C N E G HA NC R COPEN REGIONAL COU O F E T A N D CANDI ENHAGE AND COP

✓ REDUCING BUREAUCRACY ✓ BETTER CONDITIONS FOR THE BUSINESS OWNERS ✓ INCREASING FOREIGN INVESTMENTS ✓ WELFARE WITH DIGNITY FOR BOTH THE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY CHALLENGED ✓ MORE HOSPITAL BEDS ✓ MINIMIZING THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORKLOAD, MORE TIME FOR EACH PATIENT ✓ SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

REDUCING BUREAUCRACY, NOT WELFARE - VOTE NOW ✗

go votE! W

e live in a globalised world where, at any one moment, hundreds of millions of people are on the move seeking opportunity, refuge and experience. Migration is particularly easy for Europeans who can take advantage of the EU’s open border policies to live and work in each other’s countries with a minimum of bureaucracy. But thankfully living in a foreign country no longer means automatic disenfranchisement and the elections on November 19 – to elect representatives of the five Danish regions and 98 councils – is open to all EU citizens registered as living in Denmark as well as non-EU citizens who have been reg-

istered in Denmark for at least three years. Many foreigners may jump at the chance to vote and relish the opportunity to participate for its own sake. Others may wonder whether there is any point in casting a ballot that elects a local government that is ultimately subservient to the whims of the national parliament. But before you can place your ‘X’ next to a candidates name, you may want to know how local government works and what impact they have on day-to-day life. Local government does not sound sexy, but it’s influence is not insignificant, especially in Copenhagen whose budget this year was almost 50 billion kroner.

The City Council has enormous influence over the shape that Copenhagen takes – from decisions on cycle lanes and parking spaces, to public transport and wider roads. This supplement will guide you through the ins and outs of the election with a particular focus on the Copenhagen City Council. Meet the mayors, find out why Frederiksberg has remained independent from Copenhagen and what exactly the local and regional councils do with those billions of kroner they are given to spend. By the end of it, we hope that you will decide to make your voice heard and contribute to making Copenhagen an even better city to live in.

By ANDREAS JAKoBSEN

ElEctioN FoR DummiES While only Danish citizens can vote in the parliamentary elections, next month’s local elections are different. Foreigners holding a permanent resident permit can also vote at the local level, thus giving them a say in who should get a seat on the governing boards of Denmark’s 98 councils and five regions. voting in Denmark is not mandatory like in some other countries, but if you qualify to have a say in deciding who should be in charge of your local government, it would be a shame to stay home when the voting booths open on November 19.

this guide will hopefully answer your practical questions about voting in the 2013 local government elections.

❱❱ ARE you EligiBlE to votE? ✔ If you are at least 18 years old and have your permanent home address in Denmark, you may be able to vote in the particular council and region you live in (for example, the inhabitants of the city vote for in the Copenhagen City Council and Region Hovedstaden elections). If you are a citizen of the Nordic countries or a citizen from another EU country, you can vote no matter how long you have lived in the country. ✔ For foreigners who come from a country outside the EU, you can still vote if you have lived within the Kingdom of Denmark (that includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands) for three years prior to the election date on November 19. That means that if you came here from the US, for example, and officially became a resident before 19 November 2010, you are automatically a registered voter.

❱❱ gEt A polliNg cARD ✔ Being a registered voter means your name and address is on the national electoral register – a list of voters who will automatically receive a polling card (valgkort) in the post five days before the election date, which always falls on the third Tuesday of November every fourth year. ✔ If your local council should fail to deliver a card to your home address, you can contact your nearest council (borgerservice). In Copenhagen, there are three borgerservice centres: One in the city centre, one in Sundby and one in Bispebjerg. ✔ The polling card will inform you where the voting takes place. The polling stations are usually located in public institutions like schools and sports halls. At the polling station, you will be given two ballots: One for the council election and one for the regional election. Each ballot contains a full list of the candidates in your area. Be sure to bring some photo ID like your passport or driver’s licence to the station, so that even if you lose your voting card, you may still be able to vote. ✔ Behind the curtains of the voting booth, you will mark your ballot. You can choose to vote for an individual candidate or a political party.

❱❱ votE By poSt If for some reason you are unable to show up at the assigned polling location, you are still able to vote either through the post or by visiting another postal voting station. This is an option for people who have their permanent address in Denmark but are working or travelling in another country on the election date. This option is also available to those who are unable to leave their homes for medical reasons. You need to apply to the council for a mail-in ballot at least three weeks in advance, and you will then receive the official voting papers.

it is already possible to vote in advance, and you can even change your vote as many times as you want until November 16, four days before the election date, but you can’t vote electronically.

❱❱ Who to votE FoR The full list of candidates for your local council and region will be available at the polling stations from October 28, and will also be published on your council’s website. To familarise voters with parties’ stances on issues that are of particular interest to the international community, The Copenhagen Post will be profiling all of the political parties and interviewing some of the candidates in the lead-up to the election.

President and Publisher: Ejvind Sandal ● Editor: Peter Stanners ● Layout: Lyndsay Jensen ● Sales Director Supplements: Hans Hermansen, hans@cphpost.dk, +45 2420 2411 All pictures used in this supplement are courtesy of: www.copenhagenmediacenter.com 3

FRANK JENSEN

Lord Mayor Frank Jensen

Lord Mayor Frank Jensen (Social Democrats) has a big job. He oversees a 50 billion kroner annual budget, employs over 40,000 staff and is responsible for ensuring that the city’s 550,000 residents get the services their taxes pay for. And the job is growing. Every year the city grows by 10,000 residents, putting services under pressure and forcing the city’s politicians to make important decisions about the city’s future direction. But they are challenges that Jensen – together with the remaining 54 members of the City Council – is committed to tackling.

What is the most important aspect of your role as mayor? I have many roles as mayor but I think the most important job is trying to make Copenhagen a better place to live. I’m the CEO of a large business and I am also a community leader, but the most important goal is to create results. I want to improve the quality of life in the city and make sure that everyone can find work, a place to live, and move about the city safely. I want to build a city where there is space for everyone.

What are the City Council’s most significant achievements of the past four years? There used to be thousands of families who faced uncertain futures because they didn’t know if they could get their children looked after while they were at work. But now all families are guaranteed a place in day care for their child within four kilometres of their home. This promise helps families structure their lives and really improves their quality of life.

Will foreigners play an important role in the city’s future? It’s absolutely vital that Copenhagen attracts foreign workers and specialists who have the skills that businesses need to grow. But we also need to attract young students from abroad and help them while they are here in the city. They may not choose to live here forever, but we need them to be good ambassadors for the city after they leave. We live in a globalised world based on trade, so people who move here need to feel as welcome as I did when I moved here from Jutland many years ago. Not all foreigners have had a positive experience so we have tried to help them by creating a council service centre specifically for them, International House, as well create more places in international schools. These help keep international workers in the city and reduce the pressure to leave and find better places to work.

Is it important that foreigners participate in the elections? I am very interested in making sure our foreign voters take part in the vote. I think it encourages people to feel an even stronger sense of ownership over the city. We should always take advantage of the opportunity to participate democratically, even if we don’t plan on staying forever. This is especially the case with local elections, where a vote has far more influence. It only took around 4,000 votes for a candidate to get voted into the City Council in the last election and with around 30,000 foreigners eligible to vote in the coming election, they could have a significant impact on the outcome.

“I am very interested in making sure our foreign voters take part in the vote.”

Copenhagen_post_annonce_Layout 1 22/10/13 10.30 Side 1

VENSTRE - THE LIBERAL PARTY OF DENMARK

Read more www.detstarterikøbenhavn.dk

NEW TIMES NEW SOLUTIONS COPENHAGEN AS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY LESS BUREAUCRACY MORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

N I S T R A T IT S HAGEN N E P CO PiaAllerslev 5

By ANDREAS JAKoBSEN

hoW DoES thE city couNcil WoRK? on November 19, copenhagen’s more than 500,000 inhabitants will have the chance to vote for the candidates they think should govern the capital for the next four years. if this is your first time voting, or if you are not quite sure who makes the decisions in copenhagen, this overview will take you behind the doors of city hall.

❱❱ city couNcil REpRESENtS RESiDENtS In Copenhagen the local government is called Københavns Borgerrepræsentation and is the city’s supreme political authority. In layman’s terms, The Copenhagen Post refers to the board as the City Council. It has 55 members, representing the full breadth of the political spectrum, who are all elected for a term of four years. Only the mayors of the various departments are full-time politicians – the majority of the representatives are residents who have ordinary jobs on the side.

❱❱ thE loRD mAyoR iS thE REAl mAyoR Copenhagen has seven mayors, but the Lord Mayor (Overborgmester) is the chairman of the City Council and sets the agenda for the meetings. Frank Jensen (Socialdemokraterne) is the current Lord Mayor and took office in 2010 after the last local election. Copenhagen has had a Socialdemokraterne (S) mayor since the position was created in 1938, and the party currently controls the most seats in the City Council.

❱❱ committEES coNcENtRAtE oN thEiR SpEciFic AREAS The six other deputy mayors are each the heads of different political committees. The local government of Copenhagen is divided into a Finance Committee and six other standing committees that are responsible for the day-to-day administration of each of their respective fields. The City Council sets up the frameworks of the seven committees’ tasks. This type of government is supposed to ensure that the committees are able to make the final decisions within their areas without having to submit all of their proposals to the whole City Council. The lord mayor is also the head of the Finance Committee, the most important of the seven committees. Six members of the City Council and the six deputy mayors of the different committees join him at the roundtable. They are in charge of the city’s budget and the overall co-ordination of the city’s affairs.

❱❱ hoW DoES it WoRK? The six other committees are the Technical and Environmental Committee (Teknik- og Miljøudvalget), the Culture and Leisure Committee (Kultur- og Fritidsudvalget), the Children and Youth Committee (Børne- og Ungeudvalget), the Health and Care Committee (Sundheds- og omsorgsudvalget), the Social Services Committee (Socialudvalget), and the Employment and Integration Committee (Beskæftigelses- og Integrationsudvalget). The current six deputy mayors of these committees are respectively: Ayfer Baykal (Socialistisk Folkeparti), Pia Allerslev (Venstre), Jesper Christensen (S), Ninna Thomsen (SF), Mikkel Warming (Enhedslisten) and Anna Mee Allerslev (Radikale). With the exception of Warming, all the other politicians currently in mayoral positions are running for re-election to the City Council, but returning to their positions is no guarantee. All six deputy mayor positions and the lord mayor’s position will be decided by the November 19 elections, although not directly by voters. The different political parties are granted seats on the City Council and in the different committees according to the ratio of both party and personal votes received. The mayoral appointments are decided following political negotiations.

By Peter Stanners

Pia Allerslev Mayor of Culture and LeisurE If you borrow books from a library, play indoor football after work or like to visit museums on the weekend, Pia Allerslev (Liberal Party) probably played a part in making sure the doors were open. She is the mayor of culture and leisure and is responsible for over 100 sports facilities, libraries, cultural centres, museums, national archives and exhibition facilities. These give Copenhageners – both old and new – the opportunity to get out and experience the city in its entirety.

How important is it for foreigners to take advantage of the city’s culture offerings? Foreigners move to Copenhagen mostly to work or study, but some will hopefully have time to relax too. We think it’s important they get out and use our restaurants and theatres and music venues, or join our sports clubs and associations. We are constantly advertising our services, primarily through the Copenhagen Citizen Service or the annual gathering at the City Hall, where all clubs, associations and organizations get a chance to tell all foreigners where to go and find ways to lead an active life. We try to make it as convenient as possible for people to participate in daily Copenhagen life and the long Danish tradition and heritage that our social clubs have. It’s also a great way to meet other Copenhageners. If your children are playing football at a local club, it’s easy to just strike up a conversation with another parent watching their child. You never know, you might just get a friend for life!

How is your department coping with the challenges of a growing city? One of our major challenges is that we don’t have enough sports facilities. We need extra football fields, swimming pools, and badminton and handball courts. We are now trying to build up our capacity but it takes time. We

“If you work crazy hours or get home late, then you’re still able to go to the library or sports facility of your choice.”

haven’t been building enough over the past few years, particularly in new areas such as Ørestad which are really lacking culture and sports facilities. Culture and leisure are one of the main reasons people move to Copenhagen from around the country. We have to make sure that people get the access they need and don’t end up on a waiting list just to join a football team.

What is one of the most successful initiatives launched by your administration recently? We recently extended the openening hours at council facilities to everyone between 8am and 10pm. All you need is your social security number and a pincode to gain access. The idea was to make it as convenient as possible so if you work crazy hours or get home late, then you’re still able to go the library or sports facility of your choice. And it works. It has been a particular success for libraries.

REgioNS & couNcilS, WhAt’S thE DiFFERENcE? if and when you head to the ballot box on November 19, you’ll be casting a vote to influence local government. But before you do, it’s worth knowing how the decisions of local government affect your everyday life and about the responsibilities that different levels of government hold.

There are four levels of government that Danes and Danish residents get to vote on: EU, national, regional and council. November’s elections are to choose representatives for Denmarks five regions and 98 councils, the two levels of government responsible for providing the majority of welfare services. Each year, the government negotiates a budget with the representatives of the local and councils – Kommunernes Landsforening and Danske Regioner respectively. These deals set spending limits for the various services they provide. Between them they spent almost 480 billion kroner in 2010, representing 70 percent of public sector spending. So the decisions made by these elected representatives can have an enormous socio-economic impact on the lives of the people they represent.

❱❱ couNcilS Besides Copenhagen City Council, the greater Copenhagen area includes 12 other councils including Gentofte, Frederiksberg and Tårnby. The majority of Danish councils serve around 20,000 to 100,000 residents, though the largest, Copenhagen City Council, serves 562,379. The smallest, Læsø, serves a mere 1,864.

Since 2007 there have been 98 councils in Denmark. they provide a wide variety of welfare services.

Councils are Denmark’s smallest political unit and must have between 25 and 31 elected members though Copenhagen Council is the only exception with 55 members. (Read more about how Copenhagen City Council operates on page 6.) Half of all public spending is made by councils, which are responsible for a vast majority of public services, including: schools, eldercare, sports and cultural facilities, childcare, adult education and integration programmes. While councils have to provide certain services for the funding that they receive from the state, they have enough decentralised power to choose which areas to particularly invest in. This is dictated by the political priorities of the particular council.

❱❱ REgioNS Denmark’s five regions were established in 2007 and are primarily responsible for providing healthcare, but also have a role in areas such as specialised welfare, regional traffic, soil pollution, tourism and initiatives to promote economic growth in both rural and urban areas. If you live in Copenhagen, you are covered by the Capital Regional Council (Region Hovedstaden), which is headquartered in Hillerød and covers north Zealand and the island of Bornholm. Each region is run by 41 elected representatives whose main focus is improving the quality of healthcare by, for example, getting cancer patients treated faster, reducing mortality rates in hospitals and extending psychiatric care. Ninety percent of a region’s budget is normally put towards healthcare. Due to variations in geography and population, regional councils will tackle their various tasks differently. For example, with regards to its role promoting economic growth, Region Hovedstaden spent 20 million kroner on supporting new businesses in 2012, while the Central Jutland (Region Midtjylland) chose to spend almost 320 million kroner on the same task. Different regional councils will also choose to structure their healthcare system to adapt to local demands and constraints. The main political jobs carried out by the regional councils are finalising an annual budget, agreeing on an overall health plan and planning the services that hospitals and general practitioners carry out.

FocuS oN FREDERiKSBERg couNcilS largest geographic: Ringkjøbing-Skjern - 1470 square kilometres Smallest geographic: Frederiksberg - 8 square kilometres most populous: Copenhagen - 562,379 residents least populous: Læsø - 1,864 residents

❱❱ FREDERiKSBERg Depending on who you ask, Copenhagen’s borders will fall at different places. Around 1.2 million Udskrevet: 22-10-2013 10:41:45 people can say they live in Greater Copenhagen which covers 13 local councils and 300 square kiloPapir: A4-LANDSCAPE Målestok: 1:39000 metres. Only around 562,000 people fall under the jurisdiction of Copenhagen council which controls © Frederiksberg Kommune

the heart of Denmark’s most important metropolis. But there are another 100,000 people living in Copenhagen who are outside the influence of Denmark’s biggest council. They live in Frederiksberg, a city surrounded on all sides by Copenhagen. It’s got the Copenhagen Zoo, the area’s third largest park and the lowest tax rate in Denmark, but technically, it’s not Copenhagen. This election supplement has focussed on Copenhagen, but it’s worth taking a moment to point out that Frederiksberg is an independent administrative entity and hopefully prevent some first-time voters heading to the wrong polling station on voting day. So let’s take a look at Frederiksberg, how it ended up independent from Copenhagen, and what the major administrative differences are. Frederiksberg council is the fifth largest of Denmark’s 98 councils in terms of population, but the smallest in terms of its surface area – a mere eight square kilometres. This island of prime real estate is the most densely populated council in Denmark, and it seamlessly merges with the rest of Copenhagen. It’s often difficult to know you’ve travelled from one council to the other, but Frederiksberg has a strong cultural and political identity forged from more than 150 years of independence from Copenhagen. Sitting high upon a hill at the centre of the council is Frederiksberg Palace and Gardens which was built well outside Copenhagen’s city limits in the early 18th century. A town was built at the foot of

thE FivE REgioNS, populAtioN AND AREA

the hill that slowly transformed over the following 150 years from an agricultural village to a trading centre with small factories, shops and homes for Copenhagen’s wealthy residents who wanted to

Region

population

Area (Square kilometers)

Density (inhabitants per square kilometre)

capital Region

1,736,889

2,561

678

Region Zealand

816,769

7,273

112

Copenhagen had built a series of fortifications to defend itself from attack and a parliamentary de-

Region North Jutland

1,201,448

12,191

cree prevented any permanent construction beyond these defences. But in 1852 parliament recog-

Region central Jutland 1,273,814

13,142

nised that the defences wouldn’t be able to protect Copenhagen and it extended the building limits,

Region South Denmark

579,864

7,931

total

5,608,784

43,098

130

escape the city.

only to abandon the limit altogether several years later. The decision coincided with the industrial revolution, resulting in rapid expansion and economic growth in the two urban centres. Copenhagen and Frederiksberg were soon pressed against each other and starting to fill out within the geographic limits of their power. Copenhagen at first started to buy up land in

Services carried out by councils:

Services carried out by regions:

neighbouring councils and parishes within which to expand, but soon realised that the only solution

✓ Social care ✓ Child care ✓ Schooling ✓ Adult education ✓ Elderly care ✓ healthcare: preventative health care, physiotherapy, addiction therapy, dentistry ✓ Employment initiatives ✓ Integration and language education for immigrants ✓ Resident’s services ✓ Environmental services and planning ✓ Tourism ✓ Local road network ✓ Sports, musical and cultural services ✓ total national budget in 2013: 369 billion kroner

✓ Hospitals, psychiatry, health insurance, specialty doctors ✓ Regional development of the environment, business, tourism, employment, education ✓ Ground pollution ✓ Mapping of natural resources ✓ Services for marginalised groups with special needs ✓ Regional traffic ✓ total national budget in 2013: 107 billion kroner

would be to swallow them up instead. In 1902 Copenhagen successfully managed to annexe the district of Valby to the south-west and the district of Brønshøj to the north-west – Frederiksberg is now an enclave. For much of the past century, the two councils have been run by political opponents with the Conservatives in control of Frederiksberg and the Social Democrats of Copenhagen. They do manage to find middle-ground, however, and have cooperated to build the Copenhagen Metro as well as roll out a new City Bike system this autumn. But while the invisible border between the two may not have a practical impact on the majority of the city’s commuters, the political and administrative differences between the councils are not insignificant. Before you head to the polls, find out which side of the border you live on – you might not be living in the city you thought you were! 9

Anna Mee Allerslev

Mayor of integration & EMPLOYMENT

Copenhagen is a modern cosmopolitan city, but it could do a better job at attracting and retaining foreign workers argues Anna Mee Allerslev (Social Liberal Party), mayor of integration and employment. Her administration is tasked with increasing employment and promoting inclusion. She views the local government election as the perfect opportunity for the city’s immigrants and new residents to start investing in their city – and hopefully get them to stay.

What role are foreigners playing in the future of Copenhagen? Copenhagen is growing by 10,000 new residents a year and many of them come from beyond Denmark’s borders. But while we have done a lot for foreigners, both ihelping them find their way here and assisting them once they arrive, we still haven’t done enough. We want to be Europe’s most inclusive city by 2015 and that ambition guides most of our work in my administration. Copenhagen’s development and growth is dependent on foreigners and our success at attracting and retaining them.

What has the city done to accommodate foreign residents? We have taken a look at different cities around the world and what they have done to help foreigners and have implemented many of the good ideas. For example, we started a host programme which enables Copenhageners volunteer to help a new residents find their way around the city and get settled in – sort of like a buddy. We also started the First Job in Denmark programme that provides professional help to foreigners as they look for employment after arriving in the city. Both of these programmes are offered at International House, which we opened this year and which gathers together all the services that foreigners need under one roof, even the tax agency. It’s big step forward.

Is it important that foreigners participate in the elections? Yes, if they want to have their voices heard! It is also important for Copenhagen because we know that there is a strong link between being heard and wanting to stay and be a resident in the city. So voting both helps people have an influence, and also encourages them to stay in the city by helping them feel included. But there is still more we can do to help foreigners feel more at home. Foreigners tend to be resourceful and educated, but it’s still difficult to be a foreigner in most cities, even Danish ones. Copenhagen is not the worst in this regard, but we are not the best in Europe – yet!

“We want to be Europe’s most inclusive city by 2015 and that ambition guides most of our work in the department.”

VOTE AND MAKE

YOURSELF BE HEARD Have you been living in Denmark for more than 3 years? Or are you from a Nordic or EU country? Then you can vote in the local and regional elections on 19th November, even if you are not a Danish citizen. We hope you will take this opportunity to exercise your democratic right to vote.

Are you a Conservative? Det Konservative Folkeparti is the sister party of Conservative parties throughout Europe and North America. We stand for the same core values as the CDU in Germany, Moderaterna in Sweden, the Conservative Party in the UK and Høyre in Norway. If you are a Conservative in your home country, you should consider voting for us here in Denmark too.

Our values Keeping public spending and taxes down are some of the key issues for Det Konservative Folkeparti. We safeguard the rights of the individual to private property ownership and value our nation’s cultural heritage and

traditions. Making sure the Danish state school system provides high quality education is of great importance to us – including our children’s ability to speak Danish and communicate in other languages as well. If you agree with our values, please give us your vote on 19th November.

Residents allowed to vote Anyone over the age of 18 may vote or stand for election in municipal elections. This includes citizens from Nordic and other EU countries resident in Denmark. Citizens from any other country may vote if they have been permanent residents in Denmark for more than three years. If you’re eligible to vote you receive a ballot paper by mail with instructions on how and where to vote.

JARLOV

JARLOV.DK

By dave nothling

Jesper Christensen

Mayor of Children and youth affairs Jesper Christensen has been mayor of children and youth affairs (Social Democrats) since the beginning of September of this year. He took over the seat after his predecessor Anne Vang decided to take another job and leave politics before election campaigning began. As an elected officer, he has worked with children and youth policies for almost 12 years. His administration maintains and develops services within daycare, schools, afterschool activities and services for children with special needs.

What are some of the challenges the youth of Copenhagen face? Our goal is to have 95 percent of young people continue their education after they complete mandatory schooling. To achieve this goal we specifically focus on children with difficulties due to social conditions and children with integration problems. Furthermore I believe in creating strong youth environments, both within schools and in after school services, in order to meet teenagers’ needs and enable them to take control of their own future.

What are the most significant initiatives your department has started over the past four years? My administration has implemented a long list of policies. These include: integration, development of skills, special needs, teaching quality and equality of opportunities. These themes are all part of the overall goal that all Copenhagen children must be ensured equal possibilities, regardless of the particular challenges and family conditions they may face. Our daycare guarantee – that promises daycare within four kilometres of family’s home – has also been a top priority that we have managed to accomplish.

How do you see the future of youth development within the city of Copenhagen? In the coming years we want to secure good social club services for teenagers in Copenhagen. I am, myself, inspired of The Door in New York. It is a club service with a broad focus including social workers, health workers and other resource personnel ready to advise young people. It is very important to me that we don’t let our young people down once they complete their mandatory schooling, but rather that we keep on providing the necessary support for them to grow into self-supporting adults.

Why do you believe in the city of Copenhagen? We have provided the correct balance between growth and quality of life. We have made Copenhagen an ideal city in which to do business, and we make our economy healthy and secure for the benefit of all. This balance is supported by a broad political agreement, which we fundamentally work on to maintain.

“Together with parents we create the framework in which children and youth of Copenhagen will be able to develop themselves, obtain a quality education and live a healthy childhood.”

By dave nothling

Ayfer Baykal

Mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs

Ayfer Baykal (Socialist People’s Party) says her administrations represents the citizens of Copenhagen. Some of the key focus areas for her administration include safe and easy ways to get around in the city on their bikes, by investing in bicycle lanes, and greenways that separate cyclist from cars. She also says that her department has put together one of the most ambitious climate adaption plans in the world.

What are some of Copenhagen’s environmental challenges ? Like other cities, we face the challenge of climate change. For years we have worked intensively to meet environmental challenges and have now adopted a climate adaption plan to ensure that Copenhagen becomes more robust to environmental factors such as heavy rain. We have also adopted a climate plan with the goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral capital by 2025. We want to show that it is possible to combine growth and increasing quality of life while also reducing carbon emissions and meeting environmental challenges.

How is your department coping with the challenges of a growing city? My department’s focus is very much on mobility. We want to create green infrastructure that ensures that more people can get around in the city, while also ensuring that the city is liveable. That’s why we built the metro, fast lanes for busses and a bicycle infrastructure that is matched by few cities around the world. We basically want people to choose a bike, bus or metro to commute to work or study instead of a car. The department has invested around DKK 720 million in this initiative, with the aim of reducing carbon omissions in the process.

“We want people to choose a bike, bus or metro to commute to work or study instead of a car.”

What have some of your highlights as mayor been? Other than the already-mentioned initiatives, another project of interest is our climate adaption plan that makes the city better able to cope with heavy weather in an environmentally friendly manner. We don’t want to build a huge pipeline under the city to channel rainwater into the harbour. Instead we want to make open channels, green trenches and parks that handle the water, while also improving the value of the city for its residents. I think that this approach is unique for a capital city. Another highlight is the implementation of a cleaning plan that has made it possible to swim in the city harbour that 20 years was a black soup full of waste. The harbour bath is now one of the most popular places in Copenhagen. This demonstrates to me that environmental improvement and green growth can go hand-in-hand with liveability.

By dave nothling

Ninna Thomsen

Mayor of HealthCare

Copenhagen’s mayor of healthcare, Ninna Thomsen (Socialist People’s Party), says that her administrations’ two main areas of responsibility are public health and care for the elderly. Her responsibility to Copenhagen residents is to make sure that everyone gets the correct and proper healthcare so that they can continue to live the lives they want to live.

What are some of the healthcare challenges facing Copenhagen? Copenhagen is a very diverse city and there is a huge gap in life expectancy from area to area since low income groups are more susceptible to a variety of diseases, illnesses and general unhealthy living, compared to the more high-income groups. That is the biggest challenge we face right now, which is why I’ve chosen to reallocate resources to battle poor levels of health, especially in the Nørrebro and Bispebjerg area. We have managed to get a meal service in our primary schools, which will ensure that our children eat properly every day. These meals are less expensive or free for low income families so that we don’t only favour the higher income and more resourceful parents.

What are the most significant initiatives your department has started over the past four years? Our first agenda was the ‘confidence’ program that removed unnecessary rules and the micro management of employees in our home care units. The next step is to implement this standard in our nursing homes and our rehabilitation centres. Our second agenda was the ‘passive to active program’ that focussed on helping the elderly take care of themselves and continue to stay active at an older age. The goal is to give them more purpose and a higher quality of life. Finally, we started the ‘smokeless Copenhagen’ program. Smoking is one of the major risks to public health and the program was focussed in particular on low income groups which are most affected by smoking.

How do you see the future of health care in Copenhagen? We all lead our own unique lives Copenhagen’s healthcare should reflect that. We have to continue the battle against social problems, which continue to be concentrated in the lowest income groups, and work towards giving everyone the same opportunity to live long and prosperous lives. Our shared welfare will be further developed by professionals within the healthcare field and by taking advantage of the new developments in welfare technology that will benefit everyone – from residents in nursing homes to the employees that work there. This will allow us to maintain the high standard of welfare that we treasure so much in both Copenhagen and in Denmark.

“We all lead our own unique lives, and the health care in Copenhagen should reflect that.”

By dave nothling

Mikkel Warming

Mayor of Social Affairs

The role of mayor of social affairs, Mikkel Warming (Red-Green Alliance), is to provide a platform where he and his department can speak out on issues affecting the social welfare of Copenhageners. This enables his administration to take initiative and provide a framework for policy development.

What are some of the social challenges Copenhagen faces? The overall challenge facing social welfare in the city is is the growing inequality; differences between on the one hand the upper class who have jobs, and their kids go to top schools and well educated, and on the other people living on the poverty line. Inequality is rising simply because the welfare state is being undermined, and as a result the fabric of the city is being threatened. Social issues such as mental health problem and people with physical disabilities are seeing an increase and a weakened social welfare system cannot provide for these people. Over the years we have built a system that provides a support system for these people – the challenge going forward is to improve and maintain this system. Another challenge is ensuring that we prevent youngsters from growing up into adults with social problems. We are able to make a change if we intervene early, and work with families and in particular youngsters. Handicap and mental illness are becoming more common in Copenhagen; in order to provide adequate social support for these persons my department needs increased funding.

What are the most significant initiatives your department has started over the past four years? Other than preventing social issues, as mentioned above, there are two main initiatives that need mentioning. Firstly, drug consumption in Vesterbro: We are helping drug users to survive and minimise drug-related problems

“Even though we have and are facing mounting social problems we still have a safe city where you don’t need to fear for your life.”

in the neighbourhood. This has been really successful. The second initiative is housing: Through the help of my department we have built and modernised over 1000 houses for people with disabilities. For the first time in decades we are providing more help and support in this way.

What are some of your highlights during your tenure as mayor? As mayor I’ve put poverty back on the table. We have a poverty line, and every two years we do a study on how it’s developed and what the poverty situation is in the city. The studies have proven that poverty in itself brings about other social problems. We have also focused on foreign homelessness, as we have a responsibility to help foreigners that are living on our streets, and get help for them.

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Fighting poverty and injustice

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