Danish minority gets representation in German parliament

Our colleagues at The Local Germany have been hard at work covering the historic election this weekend, but one result you might not know about is the election of a representative from a Danish local group to the Bundestag.

Sydslesvigsk Vælgerforening (SSW) or ‘South Schleswig Voter’s Association’ looks certain to gain a seat in the German parliament, news wire Ritzau reports. The party represents the Danish minority in the region just south of the Denmark-Germany border. It has not had parliamentary representation for over 60 years.

Danish-German dual national Stefan Seidler is to represent the party in Berlin according to DR.

Sentencing of 24-year-old in terror case

 A 24-year-old man who was last week found guilty of attempting to carry out a terror attack in Denmark or abroad is to be sentenced at the Frederiksberg District Court today.

The man was arrested in Copenhagen last year after attempting to buy weapons and ammunition from an undercover police agent.

Long waiting times for free psychological help

 Young people under the age of 24 can receive free psychological help if they are suffering with anxiety or depression, under a scheme that started out as a trial and was then extended and made permanent.

But waiting times for the service are currently as long as 14 weeks.

“This waiting time increases the risk that your condition worsens, or you get other complaints. When you finally reach treatment, your condition will have developed,” professor in clinical paediatric psychology Sonja Breinholt told broadcaster DR.

New sign of housing market easing

 Soaring house prices since the start of the coronavirus pandemic have been an obstacle for those wanting to buy a home for a while. Last week the government said it would not intervene in the market, citing evidence that the trend was beginning to stabilise.

A report in Jyllands-Posten’s financial section Finans this morning appears to back that. According to the report, the number of people paying above the asking price for apartments was 8.7 percent in August, roughly matching the 8.3 percent recorded in August 2020. The figure peaked at 19.8 percent in February this year.

For houses, the percentage remains a little higher at 11.9 percent, but has dropped consistently since April when it reached 16 percent.

READ ALSO: ‘Prove you’re going to stay’: The challenges of buying a home in Denmark as a foreigner