Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday
A proposal to deport more foreigners, where tax kroner will be spent in 2023, and the PM rejecting the mink 'scandal' are among the top news stories in Denmark on Wednesday.
Danish immigration minister pushes for more deportations
Minister for Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek hopes to make it easier to deport foreign citizens who break the law in Denmark, newswire Ritzau reports.
His proposal aims to ensure that anyone without permanent residency or citizenship would be deported if given an unconditional prison sentence. Bek would do away with current standards, referred to as the 'stepladder model,' which mean that only more serious crimes can trigger deportation if the offender has lived in Denmark for longer than five or nine years.
However, Bek's own ministry issued a press release saying the proposed changes would be ineffectual and are based on a misunderstanding of the current law.
"Every criminal alien who is deported is good. No matter how many there are," the minister wrote to news outlet Information. "We must do everything we can to get criminal aliens deported."
READ MORE: Danish authorities criticised for use of physical force on asylum seeker
Where will your tax kroner go in 2023?
Printed versions of the government's draft budget for next year were distributed to ministers late Tuesday afternoon.
Highlights include a 1.3 billion kroner Covid warchest, 2 billion set aside for inflation aid, and 100 million to boost internet access in rural Denmark.
Keep an eye out for a more detailed breakdown from The Local today.
Russia shuts off gas to Germany — again
As scheduled, Russia has cut off the flow of gas to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline citing maintenance needs, though German analysts say the continued disruptions are theatre designed to punish Germany and the EU for sanctions against Russia.
Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom says the outage will only last 72 hours, but there are fears the tap won't be turned on again — with potentially disastrous consequences for Europe's winter gas supply and the current price of electricity.
READ ALSO: Why this week could be crucial for Danish heating this winter
PM: is mink saga really a scandal?
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen took issue with a reporter referring to the 'mink scandal' at a Wednesday press conference.
"When a minister resigns, a commission inquiry is launched and the government is criticised. Is it a scandal? Yes, it's a scandal. It is a political scandal," Frederiksen later wrote on Facebook.
"But is it a scandal that the mink were killed? No, I don't think it is. The mink were culled because the government received a risk assessment that made clear that continued mink farming would pose a 'significant risk' to public health, including the possibility of preventing Covid-19 with vaccines," her post continued.
"I do not believe there is any villain in this mink issue," Frederiksen said at the press conference. "A mistake has been made. There was no legal basis for a decision that was necessary."
These statements have rankled critics who see Frederiksen as unrepentant for her administration's mishandling of the case, despite the suspension of two ministers and several officials warnings last week.
READ MORE: Half of Denmarks' mink breeders did not take Covid-19 tests despite requests
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Danish immigration minister pushes for more deportations
Minister for Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek hopes to make it easier to deport foreign citizens who break the law in Denmark, newswire Ritzau reports.
His proposal aims to ensure that anyone without permanent residency or citizenship would be deported if given an unconditional prison sentence. Bek would do away with current standards, referred to as the 'stepladder model,' which mean that only more serious crimes can trigger deportation if the offender has lived in Denmark for longer than five or nine years.
However, Bek's own ministry issued a press release saying the proposed changes would be ineffectual and are based on a misunderstanding of the current law.
"Every criminal alien who is deported is good. No matter how many there are," the minister wrote to news outlet Information. "We must do everything we can to get criminal aliens deported."
READ MORE: Danish authorities criticised for use of physical force on asylum seeker
Where will your tax kroner go in 2023?
Printed versions of the government's draft budget for next year were distributed to ministers late Tuesday afternoon.
Highlights include a 1.3 billion kroner Covid warchest, 2 billion set aside for inflation aid, and 100 million to boost internet access in rural Denmark.
Keep an eye out for a more detailed breakdown from The Local today.
Russia shuts off gas to Germany — again
As scheduled, Russia has cut off the flow of gas to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline citing maintenance needs, though German analysts say the continued disruptions are theatre designed to punish Germany and the EU for sanctions against Russia.
Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom says the outage will only last 72 hours, but there are fears the tap won't be turned on again — with potentially disastrous consequences for Europe's winter gas supply and the current price of electricity.
READ ALSO: Why this week could be crucial for Danish heating this winter
PM: is mink saga really a scandal?
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen took issue with a reporter referring to the 'mink scandal' at a Wednesday press conference.
"When a minister resigns, a commission inquiry is launched and the government is criticised. Is it a scandal? Yes, it's a scandal. It is a political scandal," Frederiksen later wrote on Facebook.
"But is it a scandal that the mink were killed? No, I don't think it is. The mink were culled because the government received a risk assessment that made clear that continued mink farming would pose a 'significant risk' to public health, including the possibility of preventing Covid-19 with vaccines," her post continued.
"I do not believe there is any villain in this mink issue," Frederiksen said at the press conference. "A mistake has been made. There was no legal basis for a decision that was necessary."
These statements have rankled critics who see Frederiksen as unrepentant for her administration's mishandling of the case, despite the suspension of two ministers and several officials warnings last week.
READ MORE: Half of Denmarks' mink breeders did not take Covid-19 tests despite requests
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