#Lars løkke Rasmussen

[dadsinsuits]

Lars Løkke Rasmussen

[jkmooneclipsesun]

Store bededag aflyst Danske politiker 😠👎

Hvorfor har vi overhovedet demokrati i Danmark, når de danske politiker ikke lytter til det folk, som har stemt dem ind og i stedet vælger at køre et diktatur?

Jeg siger, vi udskifter hele flokken! Måske på den måde, kan vi få orden i det danske samfund igen…

[nielsahlmann]

SMV-toppen på tur til Bladt Industries på Fyn

Copyright Niels Ahlmann Olesen/Berlingske.dk

[nationenskurs]

Skandalen i Unge Moderater fortsætter! Rasmus Paludan har skrevet "Du har en lækker krop! ❤️❤️❤️" til utallige mennesker!

Netop som man skulle tro, at der var ro om Lars Løkke Rasmussens unge proselytter, melder en ny spiller sig på banen. Både mænd og kvinder i “Vi mener ingenting”-foreningen Unge Moderater er nu blevet udsat for en intensiv kompliment af partilederen for Stram Kurs Gammelpressen har i mange dage rapporteret om de mange skandaler, som den ekstremt indvandringsvenlige og woke debattør Jon…

[blue-village]

Opettaja Majken Felle ja taksinkuljettaja Muhammad Aslam ovat entisiä naapureita. He asuivat vuosikausia vierekkäisissä taloissa Kööpenhaminan Mjølnerparkenissa.

Muutama vuosi sitten Tanskan hallitus puuttui asiaan. Sen mielestä alueella asui liikaa Aslamin kaltaisia ”ei-länsimaalaisia” ihmisiä.

Oli syntynyt getto, poliitikot sanoivat.

Tanskan tuolloinen hallitus ryhtyi toimeen, jotta kaupunginosaan saataisiin enemmän Tanskassa syntyneen Fellen ja vähemmän Pakistanissa syntyneen Aslamin kaltaisia ihmisiä. Alkoi tapahtumaketju, joka johti molempien pakkomuuttoon. Lopulta he veivät Tanskan valtion oikeuteen.

Kaikki tämä johtuu niin kutsutuista gettolaeista, jotka Tanskan hallitus sääti vuonna 2018. Tuolloin päätettiin, että Tanskan pitäisi päästä eroon kaupunginosista, jotka määriteltiin getoiksi.

Listalle joutui, jos alueen asukkaista yli puolet oli ei-länsimaisia maahanmuuttajia ja heidän jälkeläisiään. Lisäksi alueen piti täyttää kaksi ehtoa, jotka koskivat rikollisuutta, työttömyyttä sekä koulutus- ja tulotasoa.

Maahanmuuttajataustaisten asukkaiden määrä oli kuitenkin kriteereistä keskeinen: vaikka alue olisi täyttänyt muut määritelmät, niillä ei ollut väliä, jos ensimmäinen ehto ei täyttynyt.

Yksi tällaisista alueista oli Aslamin ja Fellen kotikaupunginosa Mjølnerparken. Sen lisäksi määritelmän täytti 28 kaupunginosaa eri puolilla Tanskaa.

Hallitus päätti, että gettolistalle joutuneilla alueilla piti vähentää voittoa tavoittelemattomien vuokranantajien tarjoamien isojen asuntojen määrää. Kyse on julkisrahoitteisesta asumisesta.

MJØLNERPARKEN sijaitsee muutaman kilometrin päässä Kööpenhaminan maamerkistä Tivolista. Alue on varsin pieni ja tiiviisti osa ympäröivää kaupunkia. Ohi kulkee pyörätie ja toisella laidalla vilkkaampi autotie.

Muhammad Aslam oli 7-vuotias, kun perhe tuli Tanskaan. Vuonna 1987 hän muutti Mjølnerparkeniin kerrostaloasuntoon. Syntyi neljä lasta, jotka kasvoivat aikuisiksi ja menivät töihin. Yksi on juristi, toinen insinööri, kolmas psykologi ja neljäs sosiaalityöntekijä.

– Nyt meidät kaikki lasketaan tilastoissa miinusmerkeiksi ja kotiamme kutsutaan getoksi, hän sanoo.

Aslamin mielestä kyse on syrjinnästä.

Aslam seisoo remonttityömaan keskellä entisen kotitalonsa edessä. Hän sai lähtöpassit keväällä, kun vuokranantaja myi rakennuksen yksityiselle rakennuttajalle.

Uudet vuokrat ovat aivan liian korkeat, Aslam sanoo.

Yksityiset vuokranantajat voivat myös asettaa tulorajoja ja valita itse, kenelle vuokraavat asunnot.

Asuntojen vuokrausmallin muuttaminen on yksi keino, jolla Tanskan johto asuinalueita muuttaa. Ihmisiä ei voi häätää kodeistaan ilman syytä, joten getoiksi määritellyillä alueilla julkisrahoitteisia taloja myydään tai puretaan.

Aslam ei voi käsittää, että hänen kodistaan puhutaan gettona. Hän kertoo esitelleensä aluetta ranskalaisille ja yhdysvaltalaisille toimittajille.

– He sanoivat minulle, että ”tämäkö muka on getto? Minä näytän sinulle oikea geton.”

-

Gettolait sääti Tanskan edellinen, oikeistolainen hallitus, jota johti [nimestään huolimatta keskustaoikeistolainen] Venstre-puolueen Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Sen tukipuolueena toimi maahanmuuttovastainen Tanskan kansanpuolue.

Nykyinen sosiaalidemokraattien johtama hallitus on jatkanut ohjelman toteuttamista. Sen noustessa valtaan ryhdyttiin puhumaan gettojen sijaan rinnakkaisyhteiskunnista.

-

ASLAM JA FELLE eivät ole alistuneet kohtaloonsa. Kymmenen muun entisen asukkaan kanssa he ovat vieneet asian EU-tuomioistuimeen. Sen tehtävä on varmistaa, että EU-maat noudattavat unionin lainsäädäntöä. Asiaa on käsitelty jo Tanskan oikeusistuimissa.

Apuna on juristeja ja ihmisoikeusasiantuntijoita. Kanteen mukaan laki rikkoo EU:n syrjinnän vastaista lainsäädäntöä, koska se luokittelee asukkaat etnisen alkuperän mukaan.

YK:n ihmisoikeusasiantuntijat ovat jo aiemmin kehottaneet Tanskaa keskeyttämään asuntojen myynnin getoiksi määritellyillä alueilla.

EU-tuomioistuimessa ensimmäinen istunto oli syyskuussa, ja päätöstä odotetaan ensi vuoden alussa.

Jos asukkaat voittavat, luvassa on todennäköisesti korvauksia. Vanhaan arkeen Mjølnerparkenissa tuskin on paluuta, mutta Majken Felle haluaisi ennen kaikkea kuulla, että heidän kotimaansa toimii väärin.

– Haluaisin, että joku sanoisi, että tällaista lainsäädäntöä ei voi tehdä sivistyneessä yhteiskunnassa, Felle sanoo.

[invenblocker]

"Prohibit such acts without compromising freedom of expression"

You see, that's the funny thing. You can't do that.

Helsinki — Denmark's foreign minister said Sunday the government will seek to make it illegal to desecrate the Quran or other religious holy books in front of foreign embassies in the Nordic country.

Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in an interview with the Danish public broadcaster DR that the burning of holy scriptures "only serves the purpose of creating division in a world that actually needs unity."

"That is why we have decided in the government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danes," he said.

A recent string of public Quran desecrations by a handful of anti-Islam activists in Denmark and neighboring Sweden have sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim countries.

Lokke Rasmussen said the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is determined to find "a legal tool" to prohibit such acts without compromising freedom of expression, but he acknowledged that would not be easy.

"There must be room for religious criticism, and we have no thoughts of reintroducing a blasphemy clause," he told DR. "But when you stand up in front of a foreign embassy and burn a Quran or burn the Torah scroll in front of the Israeli embassy, it serves no other purpose than to mock."

His comments followed a statement issued late Sunday by the Danish government saying freedom of expression is one of the most important values in Danish society.

But, it added, the desecration of the Muslim holy book in Denmark has resulted in the nation being viewed in many places around the world "as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries."

The government repeated its condemnation of such desecrations, say they are "deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals" and "do not represent the values the Danish society is built on."

In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sunday on Instagram that his government is analyzing the legal situation regarding desecration of the Quran and other holy books, given the animosity such acts are stirring up against Sweden.

"We are in the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War," Kristersson said.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has called an emergency remote meeting Monday to discuss the Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Jacob McHangama

Published: Aug 9, 2023

In 2005 a Danish newspaper published a number of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammed, which led to a global battle of values over the relationship between freedom of expression and religion. Despite multiple terrorist attacks—one of them deadly others thwarted—and concerted diplomatic pressure from the 57 Muslim-majority member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) led by countries like Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, the Danish government held firm and refused demands to impose Islamic blasphemy norms.

However, recent events have shattered this resolve. Following months of of public Quran burnings in Denmark and Sweden, as well as renewed and increased pressure from the OIC and attacks on the Swedish embassy in Iraq and a Danish non-governmental organization in Basra last month, Scandinavian democracies are retreating from their liberal principles.

On July 30, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced that the government will seek to enact legislation for "special situations where other countries, cultures, and religions could be insulted, potentially resulting in significant negative consequences for Denmark." Sweden is mulling over similar actions. These capitulations have forced these countries to debate how far they are willing to go to defend their freedoms in the face of violence and international backlash.

On the one hand, there are good reasons to be critical of book burnings. It is a poor substitute for reasoned debate and one that will forever be associated with totalitarian states, such as Nazi Germany, in our collective history. But however noxious the ideas of the far-right protestors who torch Qurans, they are not state agents, they are not speaking for the government, nor do they have the power to censor or discriminate. They are private individuals whose non-violent symbolic expressions are intended to convey a message, which however, offensive to those who disprove, is part and parcel of free expression.

The violence that accompanies these events stems both from terrorist groups as well as from counter protestors who insist that religious taboos can only be enforced through mob intimidation and violence, but they are mistaken.

In July, an Iranian citizen burned the Danish and Swedish flags as well as the Bible and Torah in front of the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen, praising Ayatollah Khomeini in the process. But few Danes cared about this deliberate attempt to provoke. No one threatened to use violence, and the protester was not arrested. Rather than demonstrating Danish hypocrisy, the protester managed to show how a secular society committed to both free speech and tolerance can handle offensive ideas, and also how these values serve as the antithesis to violence.

Despite these and other demonstrable merits of free speech, the recent steps taken by Denmark and Sweden reveal a concerning trend. Bowing to intimidation from politically authoritarian and religiously oppressive states sets a perilous precedent and gives oppressive regimes potential leverage to further undermine democratic principles. To sweeten this bitter pill the Danish government has been less than factual in its messaging. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that burning “sacred books” does not constitute an expression, despite established case law to the contrary. The government has also said that Denmark and Sweden are global outliers when it comes to permitting the desecration of “sacred books” even though both Norway and the Netherlands protect such symbolic expression. There are already also strong reasons to believe that the OIC will not be appeased by the proposed Danish legal restrictions, however rationalized.

The next day after the Danish government´s promise to explore legal remedies against Quran burnings, the OIC released a strongly worded statement admonishing Denmark and Sweden for failing to immediately criminalize them and pledging to continue to pursue the matter. The Turkish ambassador to Denmark also warned that the proposed Danish efforts were "insufficient." In other words, once democracies yield from principle, authoritarian states will not respond with gratitude and conciliatory attitudes but demand that the self-imposed restrictions on free speech be expanded more broadly. This is not only true in Scandinavia but also on the global stage.

Earlier this month, the OIC managed to secure a crucial win at the U.N.´s Human Rights Council with a resolution that calls on member states to, among other things, “address, prevent and prosecute acts and advocacy of religious hatred” as a direct response to the Scandinavian Quran burnings. The OIC argues that defamation of religious ideas and symbols constitutes incitement to religious hatred—a category of speech prohibited under international human rights law and in most European democracies. This would not just legitimize but also give legal teeth to the suppression of religious dissent, and would remove the stigma from countries where blasphemy and apostasy is severely punished.

This marks a radical departure from back in 2011, when the Obama Administration rallied democracies around the world and spearheaded a pivotal Human Rights Council Resolution to halt the OIC´s long-standing efforts to internationalize blasphemy laws. The 2011 resolution advocated education and counter-speech against religious intolerance, asserting the protection of people, not ideologies, under human rights law. It called for the penalization of "incitement to imminent violence based on religion or belief," underlining that free speech restrictions should shield individuals from tangible harm, not defend abstract religious ideas from criticism or mockery, however offensive. As then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the resolution was a step to overcome “the false divide that pits religious sensitivities against freedom of expression.”

While this broader, international perspective is critical, it is also important to consider the domestic implications of the laws Denmark and Sweden have on the table. The Danish government´s proposed legal remedy against insulting other countries doesn’t only threaten to restrict criticism of Islam. In fact, Danish Muslims protesting U.S. or Israeli foreign policy, or the mass internment of Uighur Muslims by China, could end up on the wrong side of the law, if they protest in ways deemed “insulting” to the U.S., Israel, or China and detrimental to the broad and nebulous concept of “Danish interests.”

Moreover, the Danish and Swedish governments’ misguided attempt to foster tolerance through censorship could inadvertently exacerbate social divisions within their own borders. Hard-nosed critics of Islam and Muslim immigration frequently argue that Islam is incompatible with democracy and freedom, painting Muslims as a fifth column. The external pressure from Islamic states, coupled with support for restrictive measures among some Danish Muslims, risks emboldening these divisive narratives. This stands to harm the many Scandinavian Muslims who appreciate the freedoms and equality that Denmark and Sweden offer, and which sets these countries apart from the Muslim-majority states of the OIC.

Free speech is a difficult principle to uphold consistently. Governments and citizens of democracies alike are frequently tempted to sacrifice this principle when faced with threats or adverse consequences of unpopular or extremist speech. But one only has to compare the vibrant democracies of Denmark and Sweden to the authoritarian regimes of Iran and Saudi Arabia to realize that, for all its flaws, free speech makes the world more tolerant, democratic, equal, and free. Denmark and Sweden’s defection from this core liberal principle is a dark day for the global fight for free speech.

==

You don't surrender or capitulate to bullies. Not even when they're pretending to be the victim.

[indepwom101]

🇩🇰 The Crown Prince Couple

Day 2 - Visit to India

Monday, February 27, 2023

The Crown Prince Couple's second day in India ended festively with Their Royal Highnesses being the guests of honour at a Grand Dinner on the occasion of the Danish business promotion in the country.

The dinner was the starting shot for the Danish business promotion in India, which begins tomorrow, and where 38 Danish companies are participating.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Minister of Climate, Energy and Supply Lars Aagaard also participated at tonight's Grand Dinner, as well as representatives from the participating Danish companies.

[passionat3]

in general, I agree, especially in the workplace. Don't do this to your colleagues!!

but it's so fucking funny in the context of danish politics. Those who warrant enough respect for last name only are pretty much long dead, plus surnames are so not unique.

Mette Frederiksen is Mette not just because there are fewer Mettes than Frederiksens but also because most people hate her. Same for Lars Løkke (Rasmussen). Troels Lund Poulsen and Jacob Ellemann Jensen are both full names. Magnus Heunicke is special because he has an uncommon surname, but people still use his full name.

Inger Støjberg is usually full name but sometimes just given name, Pia Olsen Dyhr is sometimes surname usually full name, Morten Messerschmidt is ... Usually full name, sometimes surname? Same for Mai Villadsen and Alex Vanopslagh.

but yeah, moral of the story, its always just Mette and Lars Løkke

If you routinely refer to every politician by their last name except for the women who you’re always apparently on a first name basis with, maybe spare a moment to ponder that habit.

[rightscoop]

Denmark struggles to keep calm in crisis over Trump's threat to seize Greenland

fake images Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is tasked with providing the national response to Trump’s threat. The gloomy weather in Copenhagen in January matches the mood among Denmark’s politicians and business leaders. “We take this situation very, very seriously,” Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said of Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland and punish Denmark with high…

[dadsinsuits]

Lars Løkke Rasmussen

[printhaysrobert]

Le Danemark peine à rester calme face à la crise provoquée par la menace de Trump de s'emparer du Groenland

fausses images La Première ministre danoise, Mette Frederiksen, est chargée de fournir une réponse nationale à la menace de Trump. Le temps maussade à Copenhague en janvier correspond à l’humeur des hommes politiques et des chefs d’entreprise danois. “Nous prenons cette situation très, très au sérieux”, a déclaré le ministre des Affaires étrangères Lars Løkke Rasmussen à propos des menaces de…

[trendingnews19]

Getty ImagesDenmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has been tasked with providing the national response to Trump's threatCopenhagen's gloomy January weather matches the mood among Denmark's politicians and business leaders. "We take this situation very, very seriously," said Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Donald Trump's threats to acquire Greenland – and punish Denmark with high tariffs if it stands in the way. But, he added, the government had "no ambition whatsoever to escalate some war of words."Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen downplayed Trump's own suggestion that the US might use military force to seize Greenland. "I don't have the fantasy to imagine that it'll ever get to that," she told Danish TV.And Lars Sandahl Sorensen, CEO of Danish Industry, also said there was "every reason to stay calm... no-one has any interest in a trade war."But behind the scenes, hastily organised high-level meetings have been taking place in Copenhagen all week, a reflection of the shock caused by Trump's remarks.Greenland PM Mute Egede flew in to meet both the prime minister and King Frederik X on Wednesday.And on Thursday night, party leaders from across the political spectrum gathered for an extraordinary meeting on the crisis with Mette Frederiksen in Denmark's parliament.Faced with what many in Denmark are calling Trump's "provocation," Frederiksen has broadly attempted to strike a conciliatory tone, repeatedly referring to the US as "Denmark's closest partner".AFPGreenland's leader Mute B Egede has met Denmark's leaders on a trip to Copenhagen this weekIt was "only natural" that the US was preoccupied by the Arctic and Greenland, she added.Yet she also said that any decision on Greenland's future should be up to its people alone: "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders... and it's the Greenlanders themselves who have to define their future."Her cautious approach is twofold.On the one hand, Frederiksen is keen to avoid escalating the situation. She's been burned before, in 2019, when Trump cancelled a trip to Denmark after she said his proposal to buy Greenland was "absurd"."Back then he only had one more year in office, then things went back to normal," veteran political journalist Erik Holstein told the BBC . "But maybe this is the new normal."But Frederiksen's comments also speak to the Danish resolve not to meddle in the internal affairs of Greenland – an autonomous territory with its own parliament and whose population is increasingly leaning towards independence."She should've been much clearer in rejecting the idea," said opposition MP Rasmus Jarlov. "This level of disrespect from the coming US president towards very, very loyal allies and friends is record-setting," he told the BBC, although he admitted Trump's forcefulness had "surprised everybody."The conservative MP believed Frederiksen's insistence that "only Greenland... can decide and define Greenland's future" placed too much pressure on the island's inhabitants. "It would've been prudent and clever to stand behind Greenland and just clearly state that Denmark doesn't want [a US takeover]."AFPDonald Trump Jr flew to Greenland this week to press his father's pointThe Greenland question is a delicate one for Denmark, whose prime minister officially apologised only recently for spearheading a 1950s social experiment which saw Inuit children removed from their families to be re-educated as "model Danes".Last week, Greenland's leader said the territory should free itself from "the shackles of colonialism."By doing so he tapped into growing nationalist sentiment, fuelled by interest among Greenland's younger generations in the indigenous culture and history of the Inuit.Most commentators now expect a successful independence referendum in the near future. While for many it would be seen as a victory, it could also usher in a new set of problems, as 60% of Greenland's economy is dependent on Denmark.An independent Greenland "would need to make choices," said Karsten Honge. The Social Democrat MP now fears his preferred option of a new Commonwealth-style pact "based on equality and democracy" is unlikely to come about.Sitting in his parliamentary office decorated with poems and drawings depicting scenes of Inuit life, Honge said Greenland would need to decide "how much it values independence". It could sever ties with Denmark and turn to the US, Honge said, "but if you treasure independence then that doesn't make sense."Opposition MP Jarlov argues that while there is no point in forcing Greenland to be part of Denmark, "it is very close to being an independent country already".Its capital Nuuk is self-governed, but relies on Copenhagen for management of currency, foreign relations and defence - as well as substantial subsidies. "Greenland today has more independence than Denmark has from the EU," Jarlov added. "So I hope they think things through."As Mette Frederiksen has the awkward task of responding firmly while not offending Greenland or the US, the staunchest rebuttal to Trump's comments so far has come from outside Denmark.The principle of the inviolability of borders "applies to every country... no matter whether it's a very small one or a very powerful one," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the EU would not let other nations "attack its sovereign borders".Their comments gave away the deep concern within the EU about how to handle the upcoming Trump presidency. "This is not just very serious for Greenland and Denmark – it is serious to the whole world and to Europe as a whole," MP Karsten Honge said."Imagine a world – which we may be facing in just a few weeks – where international agreements don't exist. That would shake everything up, and Denmark would just be a small part of it."The Danish trade sector has similarly been engulfed by deep nervousness after Trump said he would "tariff Denmark at a very high level" if it refused to give up Greenland to the US.A 2024 Danish Industry study showed that Denmark's GDP would fall by three points if the US imposed 10% tariffs on imports from the EU to the US as part of a global trade war.Singling out Danish products from the influx of EU goods would be near-impossible for the US, and would almost certainly result in retaliatory measures from the EU. But trade industry professionals are taking few chances, and in Denmark as elsewhere on the continent huge amounts of resources are being spent internally to plan for potential outcomes of Donald Trump's second term in the White House.As his inauguration approaches, Danes are preparing as they can to weather the storm. There is guarded hope that the president-elect could soon shift his focus to grievances towards other EU partners, and that the Greenland question could be temporarily shelved.But the disquiet brought on by Trump's refusal to rule out military intervention to seize Greenland remains.Karsten Honge said Denmark would have suffer whatever decision the US takes. "They just need to send a small battleship to travel down the Greenland coast and send a polite letter to Denmark," he said, only partly in jest. "The last sentence would be: well, Denmark, what you gonna do about it?"That's the new reality with regards to Trump."

[newsclickofficial]

Getty ImagesDenmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has been tasked with providing the national response to Trump's threatCopenhagen's gloomy January weather matches the mood among Denmark's politicians and business leaders. "We take this situation very, very seriously," said Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Donald Trump's threats to acquire Greenland – and punish Denmark with high tariffs if it stands in the way. But, he added, the government had "no ambition whatsoever to escalate some war of words."Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen downplayed Trump's own suggestion that the US might use military force to seize Greenland. "I don't have the fantasy to imagine that it'll ever get to that," she told Danish TV.And Lars Sandahl Sorensen, CEO of Danish Industry, also said there was "every reason to stay calm... no-one has any interest in a trade war."But behind the scenes, hastily organised high-level meetings have been taking place in Copenhagen all week, a reflection of the shock caused by Trump's remarks.Greenland PM Mute Egede flew in to meet both the prime minister and King Frederik X on Wednesday.And on Thursday night, party leaders from across the political spectrum gathered for an extraordinary meeting on the crisis with Mette Frederiksen in Denmark's parliament.Faced with what many in Denmark are calling Trump's "provocation," Frederiksen has broadly attempted to strike a conciliatory tone, repeatedly referring to the US as "Denmark's closest partner".AFPGreenland's leader Mute B Egede has met Denmark's leaders on a trip to Copenhagen this weekIt was "only natural" that the US was preoccupied by the Arctic and Greenland, she added.Yet she also said that any decision on Greenland's future should be up to its people alone: "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders... and it's the Greenlanders themselves who have to define their future."Her cautious approach is twofold.On the one hand, Frederiksen is keen to avoid escalating the situation. She's been burned before, in 2019, when Trump cancelled a trip to Denmark after she said his proposal to buy Greenland was "absurd"."Back then he only had one more year in office, then things went back to normal," veteran political journalist Erik Holstein told the BBC . "But maybe this is the new normal."But Frederiksen's comments also speak to the Danish resolve not to meddle in the internal affairs of Greenland – an autonomous territory with its own parliament and whose population is increasingly leaning towards independence."She should've been much clearer in rejecting the idea," said opposition MP Rasmus Jarlov. "This level of disrespect from the coming US president towards very, very loyal allies and friends is record-setting," he told the BBC, although he admitted Trump's forcefulness had "surprised everybody."The conservative MP believed Frederiksen's insistence that "only Greenland... can decide and define Greenland's future" placed too much pressure on the island's inhabitants. "It would've been prudent and clever to stand behind Greenland and just clearly state that Denmark doesn't want [a US takeover]."AFPDonald Trump Jr flew to Greenland this week to press his father's pointThe Greenland question is a delicate one for Denmark, whose prime minister officially apologised only recently for spearheading a 1950s social experiment which saw Inuit children removed from their families to be re-educated as "model Danes".Last week, Greenland's leader said the territory should free itself from "the shackles of colonialism."By doing so he tapped into growing nationalist sentiment, fuelled by interest among Greenland's younger generations in the indigenous culture and history of the Inuit.Most commentators now expect a successful independence referendum in the near future. While for many it would be seen as a victory, it could also usher in a new set of problems, as 60% of Greenland's economy is dependent on Denmark.An independent Greenland "would need to make choices," said Karsten Honge. The Social Democrat MP now fears his preferred option of a new Commonwealth-style pact "based on equality and democracy" is unlikely to come about.Sitting in his parliamentary office decorated with poems and drawings depicting scenes of Inuit life, Honge said Greenland would need to decide "how much it values independence". It could sever ties with Denmark and turn to the US, Honge said, "but if you treasure independence then that doesn't make sense."Opposition MP Jarlov argues that while there is no point in forcing Greenland to be part of Denmark, "it is very close to being an independent country already".Its capital Nuuk is self-governed, but relies on Copenhagen for management of currency, foreign relations and defence - as well as substantial subsidies. "Greenland today has more independence than Denmark has from the EU," Jarlov added. "So I hope they think things through."As Mette Frederiksen has the awkward task of responding firmly while not offending Greenland or the US, the staunchest rebuttal to Trump's comments so far has come from outside Denmark.The principle of the inviolability of borders "applies to every country... no matter whether it's a very small one or a very powerful one," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the EU would not let other nations "attack its sovereign borders".Their comments gave away the deep concern within the EU about how to handle the upcoming Trump presidency. "This is not just very serious for Greenland and Denmark – it is serious to the whole world and to Europe as a whole," MP Karsten Honge said."Imagine a world – which we may be facing in just a few weeks – where international agreements don't exist. That would shake everything up, and Denmark would just be a small part of it."The Danish trade sector has similarly been engulfed by deep nervousness after Trump said he would "tariff Denmark at a very high level" if it refused to give up Greenland to the US.A 2024 Danish Industry study showed that Denmark's GDP would fall by three points if the US imposed 10% tariffs on imports from the EU to the US as part of a global trade war.Singling out Danish products from the influx of EU goods would be near-impossible for the US, and would almost certainly result in retaliatory measures from the EU. But trade industry professionals are taking few chances, and in Denmark as elsewhere on the continent huge amounts of resources are being spent internally to plan for potential outcomes of Donald Trump's second term in the White House.As his inauguration approaches, Danes are preparing as they can to weather the storm. There is guarded hope that the president-elect could soon shift his focus to grievances towards other EU partners, and that the Greenland question could be temporarily shelved.But the disquiet brought on by Trump's refusal to rule out military intervention to seize Greenland remains.Karsten Honge said Denmark would have suffer whatever decision the US takes. "They just need to send a small battleship to travel down the Greenland coast and send a polite letter to Denmark," he said, only partly in jest. "The last sentence would be: well, Denmark, what you gonna do about it?"That's the new reality with regards to Trump."

[globalnews1]

Getty ImagesDenmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has been tasked with providing the national response to Trump's threatCopenhagen's gloomy January weather matches the mood among Denmark's politicians and business leaders. "We take this situation very, very seriously," said Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Donald Trump's threats to acquire Greenland – and punish Denmark with high tariffs if it stands in the way. But, he added, the government had "no ambition whatsoever to escalate some war of words."Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen downplayed Trump's own suggestion that the US might use military force to seize Greenland. "I don't have the fantasy to imagine that it'll ever get to that," she told Danish TV.And Lars Sandahl Sorensen, CEO of Danish Industry, also said there was "every reason to stay calm... no-one has any interest in a trade war."But behind the scenes, hastily organised high-level meetings have been taking place in Copenhagen all week, a reflection of the shock caused by Trump's remarks.Greenland PM Mute Egede flew in to meet both the prime minister and King Frederik X on Wednesday.And on Thursday night, party leaders from across the political spectrum gathered for an extraordinary meeting on the crisis with Mette Frederiksen in Denmark's parliament.Faced with what many in Denmark are calling Trump's "provocation," Frederiksen has broadly attempted to strike a conciliatory tone, repeatedly referring to the US as "Denmark's closest partner".AFPGreenland's leader Mute B Egede has met Denmark's leaders on a trip to Copenhagen this weekIt was "only natural" that the US was preoccupied by the Arctic and Greenland, she added.Yet she also said that any decision on Greenland's future should be up to its people alone: "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders... and it's the Greenlanders themselves who have to define their future."Her cautious approach is twofold.On the one hand, Frederiksen is keen to avoid escalating the situation. She's been burned before, in 2019, when Trump cancelled a trip to Denmark after she said his proposal to buy Greenland was "absurd"."Back then he only had one more year in office, then things went back to normal," veteran political journalist Erik Holstein told the BBC . "But maybe this is the new normal."But Frederiksen's comments also speak to the Danish resolve not to meddle in the internal affairs of Greenland – an autonomous territory with its own parliament and whose population is increasingly leaning towards independence."She should've been much clearer in rejecting the idea," said opposition MP Rasmus Jarlov. "This level of disrespect from the coming US president towards very, very loyal allies and friends is record-setting," he told the BBC, although he admitted Trump's forcefulness had "surprised everybody."The conservative MP believed Frederiksen's insistence that "only Greenland... can decide and define Greenland's future" placed too much pressure on the island's inhabitants. "It would've been prudent and clever to stand behind Greenland and just clearly state that Denmark doesn't want [a US takeover]."AFPDonald Trump Jr flew to Greenland this week to press his father's pointThe Greenland question is a delicate one for Denmark, whose prime minister officially apologised only recently for spearheading a 1950s social experiment which saw Inuit children removed from their families to be re-educated as "model Danes".Last week, Greenland's leader said the territory should free itself from "the shackles of colonialism."By doing so he tapped into growing nationalist sentiment, fuelled by interest among Greenland's younger generations in the indigenous culture and history of the Inuit.Most commentators now expect a successful independence referendum in the near future. While for many it would be seen as a victory, it could also usher in a new set of problems, as 60% of Greenland's economy is dependent on Denmark.An independent Greenland "would need to make choices," said Karsten Honge. The Social Democrat MP now fears his preferred option of a new Commonwealth-style pact "based on equality and democracy" is unlikely to come about.Sitting in his parliamentary office decorated with poems and drawings depicting scenes of Inuit life, Honge said Greenland would need to decide "how much it values independence". It could sever ties with Denmark and turn to the US, Honge said, "but if you treasure independence then that doesn't make sense."Opposition MP Jarlov argues that while there is no point in forcing Greenland to be part of Denmark, "it is very close to being an independent country already".Its capital Nuuk is self-governed, but relies on Copenhagen for management of currency, foreign relations and defence - as well as substantial subsidies. "Greenland today has more independence than Denmark has from the EU," Jarlov added. "So I hope they think things through."As Mette Frederiksen has the awkward task of responding firmly while not offending Greenland or the US, the staunchest rebuttal to Trump's comments so far has come from outside Denmark.The principle of the inviolability of borders "applies to every country... no matter whether it's a very small one or a very powerful one," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the EU would not let other nations "attack its sovereign borders".Their comments gave away the deep concern within the EU about how to handle the upcoming Trump presidency. "This is not just very serious for Greenland and Denmark – it is serious to the whole world and to Europe as a whole," MP Karsten Honge said."Imagine a world – which we may be facing in just a few weeks – where international agreements don't exist. That would shake everything up, and Denmark would just be a small part of it."The Danish trade sector has similarly been engulfed by deep nervousness after Trump said he would "tariff Denmark at a very high level" if it refused to give up Greenland to the US.A 2024 Danish Industry study showed that Denmark's GDP would fall by three points if the US imposed 10% tariffs on imports from the EU to the US as part of a global trade war.Singling out Danish products from the influx of EU goods would be near-impossible for the US, and would almost certainly result in retaliatory measures from the EU. But trade industry professionals are taking few chances, and in Denmark as elsewhere on the continent huge amounts of resources are being spent internally to plan for potential outcomes of Donald Trump's second term in the White House.As his inauguration approaches, Danes are preparing as they can to weather the storm. There is guarded hope that the president-elect could soon shift his focus to grievances towards other EU partners, and that the Greenland question could be temporarily shelved.But the disquiet brought on by Trump's refusal to rule out military intervention to seize Greenland remains.Karsten Honge said Denmark would have suffer whatever decision the US takes. "They just need to send a small battleship to travel down the Greenland coast and send a polite letter to Denmark," he said, only partly in jest. "The last sentence would be: well, Denmark, what you gonna do about it?"That's the new reality with regards to Trump."

[metacriticc-news]

Denmark is struggling to stay calm in the crisis over Trump's threat to seize Greenland

Getty Images Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has been tasked with providing a national response to Trump’s threat The gloomy January weather in Copenhagen matches the mood among Danish politicians and business leaders. “We take this situation very, very seriously,” Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said of Donald Trump’s threats to take over Greenland – and punish Denmark with high…