Danish King and Queen in Sweden on state visit 

King Frederik and Queen May arrived in Stockholm on Monday at the start of the couple’s first state visit since Frederik became Denmark’s king in January. 

The couple were rowed in the gold-plated rowing boat “Vasaorden” to the Skeppsbron quay in the heart of the Swedish capital, receiving cannon salutes, before they were received by the Swedish royal couple, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

The Danish royal couple are godparents to Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, the children of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.

Over two days, the royal couple will participate in a series of events particularly centered in Stockholm.

Danish vocabulary: gudforældre – godparents

Copenhagen University rejects call to condemn Gaza ‘genocide’ 

The University of Copenhagen has refused a demand from students protesting on its grounds that it recognise Israel’s attack on Gaza as a “genocide”, and condemn it, saying it cannot take a position on behalf of students and employees. 

“The University of Copenhagen as an institution has no, and will have no, position on the ongoing conflict in Gaza,” the university wrote on its page on X. 

In the post, the University of Copenhagen made it clear that both students and employees werewelcome to express their position on the conflict – and to do so on the university’s premises.

“But the university management cannot and must not express an opinion on behalf of the university’s employees and students about political matters, including about the ongoing conflict.” 

Students erected a tent camp on the university grounds on Monday as part of a pro-Palestinian demonstration, issuing six demands to university management, which also included selling any investments in companies that benefit from the conflict. 

Danish vocabulary: igangværende – ongoing 

Danish PM does not sign document ruling out far-right cooperation 

The signature of Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was notably absent from a document pledging to “never” cooperate with the far-right presented at the conference of PES; the the Europeanb Union of Social Democratic parties, the Politiken newspaper has reported.

48 Social Democrats from 27 countries signed the declaration to “never” cooperate with a party that belons with the ECR and ID European party groups,  

A number of top European social democrats have signed a common declaration that they will “never” cooperate with the European far right.

However, Denmark’s Social Democratic Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, is not among the signatories, writes Politiken.

Specifically, the signatories have committed themselves that they will not cooperate with the European party groups ECR and ID. The Danish People’s Party belongs to ID, writes Politiken.

As many as 48 social democrats from 27 European countries signed the declaration at a PES conference in Berlin at the weekend. PES is the European Union of Social Democratic Parties. 

Among the other signatories were Stefan Löfven, PES chairman and theformer Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden, and senior social democrats from Spain, Italy, Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France and Hungary. 

Danish vocabulary: fælles – joint/common

New Danish rules on bringing foreign spouses to apply ‘at point of decision’

Anyone whose application to come to Denmark to join a Danish partner is still outstanding when new rules come into force on July 1st will be treated under the new rules, the Danish Immigration Service has confirmed.

This means that they will only have to deposit 57,000 kroner in an account for their local municipality, rather than 114,000 kroner under the existing rules, and also means the Danish partner will not have to prove they have reached Danish 3 or higher in a Danish test if they have worked in Denmark full time for five years or more.

The new rules, which make small but still significant changes to Denmark’s draconian system of family reunion for spouses, are set for their final vote in the Danish parliament on May 30th.

Danish vocabulary: ægtefællesammenføring – spousal reunification