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Today in Denmark For Members

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Tuesday

Michael Barrett
Michael Barrett - [email protected]
Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Tuesday
The Danish Constitution, which can be thanked for the return of parliament on the first Tuesday in October each year. Photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

Parliament returns to spark election expectations, and Swedish investigations at the Nord Stream pipeline are the key news stories in Denmark on Tuesday.

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Opening of parliament 

Denmark’s Folketing or parliament returns today, following the terms set out in the Danish constitution, which states that each new parliamentary year must begin on the first Tuesday in October.

The occasion is marked by a number of traditions, including an opening speech given by the prime minister and attended by members of the Royal Family.

Parliament’s return means that Danish lawmakers can again vote on and discuss law proposals.

READ ALSO: Denmark reopens parliament: Who does what during annual custom?

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Social Liberals give government an extra day to announce election

This year’s reopening of parliament comes as the deadline of October 4th, given by the Social Liberal (Radikale Venstre) party for the government to call an election, looms large.

The Social Liberals have demanded Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen call an early general election, an ultimatum issued in response to the conclusions of an inquiry into the government’s 2020 mink scandal, which resulted in Frederiksen receiving a rebuke.

The party has threatened to bring down the government through a vote of no confidence if an election is not called before October 4th, the day after parliament reopens. As such, an election would have to be called today to meet the demand.

Talk of an election is therefore high as parliament returns, but the government now appears to have been given an extra day to call the vote, news wire Ritzau reports.

“The exact day means nothing for me. And I can also see that several commentators have noted that an election will be called on Wednesday [October 4th]. And that is completely fine with me and us,” Social Liberal political leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen said.

READ ALSO: KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in October 2022?

Sweden blocks off Nord Stream area for investigation

Swedish prosecutors said Monday that they had decided to block off the area around the Nord Stream pipeline leaks in the Baltic Sea, while the suspected sabotage was investigated.

In order to further the investigation into "aggravated sabotage," the prosecutor in charge had decided "to block off the area in order to do a crime scene investigation," the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement reported by news wire AFP.

"The investigation continues, we are at an intensive stage... I understand the considerable public interest, but we are in the early stages of a preliminary investigation and I can therefore not comment on details about which investigatory measures we are taking," public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist was quoted saying in the statement.

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