Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Thursday
New 20 kroner coin to go into circulation, minister open to non-Danish speaking air traffic controllers, Greenland government critical of Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Denmark to lower abortion age. Here's some of the day's news.
New 20 kroner coin to go into circulation on Friday
A new 20 kroner coin will go put into circulation on Friday, featuring a new portrait of Queen Margrethe II by the sculptor Eva Hjorth. The new portrait is intended to reflect the Queen's experience, authority and age.
In a press release, Denmark's Nationalbank explained that it was a national tradition for the highest value Danish coin to feature a portrait of the ruler, with the portrait updated as the ruler ages.
There have so far been three different coins featuring Queen Margrethe, with the most recent, by the sculptor Lis Nogel, in circulation since 2011.
The new 20 krone will not replace the current coin, but will be sent into circulation alongside it.
Danish vocabulary: 20-kronemønt – a 20 kroner coin
Minister wants to end Danish language requirements for air traffic controllers
Denmark's transport minister, Thomas Danielsen, has said he wants to end a requirement that air traffic controllers must speak Danish to help combat a shortage of controllers that has led to significant delays at Copenhagen Airport.
"I have already asked the Danish Transport Agency to initiate investigations into the possibilities," Danielsen wrote in a response to a parliamentary question.
However, he warned that such a change could take until at least 2026 to implement as it would require ensuring that ground staff moving around the airport's runways can communicate in English.
Jens Meilvang, transport spokesperson from the Liberal Alliance, asked the minister whether the language requirement could be lifted so that more air traffic controllers could be recruited from abroad in the future.
Danish vocabulary: flyveleder – an air traffic controller
Greenland government critical of new Danish government
Greenland's Prime Minister, Múte B. Egede, has strongly criticised Denmark's new government in an interview with the Politiken newspaper, accusing the new foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, of showing disrespect to Greenlanders by appointing Tobias Elling Rehfeld, Denmark's ambassador to South Africa as the country's new Arctic Ambassador.
"The procedure shows how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks at us and does not involve us, even though we are the Arctic country in the kingdom. The picture speaks for itself," he said.
He also criticised the government's failure to yet launch a government inquiry into the thousands of Greenlandic women fitted with contraceptive coils or, IUDs, without their consent.
Danish vocabulary: samtykke – consent
Denmark plans to lower abortion age
The government wants to relax the law on abortion in Denmark so that girls aged 15 to 17 can have an abortion without parental consent, Equality Minister Marie Bjerre announced on Wednesday.
Bjerre made the written statement to newswire Ritzau on the day that marks 50 years since Denmark legalised abortion.
"The government wants young women to be able to decide about their own bodies and their own lives. They must be able to make the choice themselves about whether to have an abortion."
Danish vocabulary: aldersgrænsen – the age limit
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New 20 kroner coin to go into circulation on Friday
A new 20 kroner coin will go put into circulation on Friday, featuring a new portrait of Queen Margrethe II by the sculptor Eva Hjorth. The new portrait is intended to reflect the Queen's experience, authority and age.
In a press release, Denmark's Nationalbank explained that it was a national tradition for the highest value Danish coin to feature a portrait of the ruler, with the portrait updated as the ruler ages.
There have so far been three different coins featuring Queen Margrethe, with the most recent, by the sculptor Lis Nogel, in circulation since 2011.
The new 20 krone will not replace the current coin, but will be sent into circulation alongside it.
Danish vocabulary: 20-kronemønt – a 20 kroner coin
Minister wants to end Danish language requirements for air traffic controllers
Denmark's transport minister, Thomas Danielsen, has said he wants to end a requirement that air traffic controllers must speak Danish to help combat a shortage of controllers that has led to significant delays at Copenhagen Airport.
"I have already asked the Danish Transport Agency to initiate investigations into the possibilities," Danielsen wrote in a response to a parliamentary question.
However, he warned that such a change could take until at least 2026 to implement as it would require ensuring that ground staff moving around the airport's runways can communicate in English.
Jens Meilvang, transport spokesperson from the Liberal Alliance, asked the minister whether the language requirement could be lifted so that more air traffic controllers could be recruited from abroad in the future.
Danish vocabulary: flyveleder – an air traffic controller
Greenland government critical of new Danish government
Greenland's Prime Minister, Múte B. Egede, has strongly criticised Denmark's new government in an interview with the Politiken newspaper, accusing the new foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, of showing disrespect to Greenlanders by appointing Tobias Elling Rehfeld, Denmark's ambassador to South Africa as the country's new Arctic Ambassador.
"The procedure shows how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks at us and does not involve us, even though we are the Arctic country in the kingdom. The picture speaks for itself," he said.
He also criticised the government's failure to yet launch a government inquiry into the thousands of Greenlandic women fitted with contraceptive coils or, IUDs, without their consent.
Danish vocabulary: samtykke – consent
Denmark plans to lower abortion age
The government wants to relax the law on abortion in Denmark so that girls aged 15 to 17 can have an abortion without parental consent, Equality Minister Marie Bjerre announced on Wednesday.
Bjerre made the written statement to newswire Ritzau on the day that marks 50 years since Denmark legalised abortion.
"The government wants young women to be able to decide about their own bodies and their own lives. They must be able to make the choice themselves about whether to have an abortion."
Danish vocabulary: aldersgrænsen – the age limit
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