The Copenhagen Post - Jun 29-Jul 5 by The Copenhagen Post

Hitting the streets with the cycle cops

Surely a day at Roskilde won’t hurt

Celebrating American independence

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USA INDEPE 4 JULY 2012

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29 June - 5 July 2012 | Vol 15 Issue 26

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NEWS

Christiania threatens to scupper buyout deal after lawlessness allegations against commune

NEWS

Vexed over visas Business and pleasure travel still suffering nine months after rule change saw end of visa partnership

7 SPORT

A reason to celebrate? It’s time to party for secondary-school grads, but the lousy economy has cast a shadow over their future Chris Anker Sørensen is seeing spots ahead of the Tour de France as the favourite to win the King of the Mountain title

Heaps of heads Christian II’s attempt to retake Stockhom in 1520 was a bloody disaster for the Swedes, literally

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Businesses call on state to trim fat and sugar taxes RAY WEAVER

HISTORY

While tax negotiators use controversial levies as bargaining chips, business leaders just want them gone

HE COUNTRY’S business leaders are unequivocal in their desire for the nation’s new tax deal to toss the current fat tax and proposed sugar tax into the bin. “These taxes cost Danish jobs,” Jens Klarskov of Dansk Industri, a Danish business advocacy group, told TV2 News. While the taxes remained in place Friday evening when the government forged its tax reform deal with the oppostion party Venstre, Politiken newspaper reported that by Sunday the government had offered to eliminate them

in exchange for making up the funds by jobs out of the country,” Hoppe told raising the basic tax rate by 0.34 per- Politiken newspaper. Hoppe said he believed that the two cent. MPs from Venstre would not agree levies could easily cost 2,000 jobs in to the deal, however. “We can not raise the threshold Denmark. The fat tax garnered international for top-bracket tax on Friday and then raise the marginal tax rate on Sunday,” attention when it came into effect last Torsten Schack Pedersen, Venstre’s tax year with news outlets as far-flung as the spokesperson, told the newspaper. “That BBC, Time Magazine and Al-Jazeera all reporting on the levy. Health specialists is not how we work.” Meanwhile, the country’s business and policy makers around the world are leaders continued to call for the taxes to waiting to see if the fat tax will actually cut the country’s obesity rate or, as busibe dropped. Jørgen Hoppe, the president of ness leaders claim, just send customers HK, a union for clericial and service- to Sweden and Germany to load up on sector workers, said he was “enormously lardy foods. Business leaders warn that the sugar happy” when he heard there was a chance they would be cut from the tax tax set to come into effect next year will not only cost jobs, but may even cause reform deal. “Every time you put new taxes on some businesses to close. Food manufacturer fat, sugar and alcohol, people simply a personal Organise meetingBeauvais said cross the border to shop and that sends the tax will cause the price of a jar of

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jam to nearly double and could cause the company to shut down its Danish plants. “It would be a counter-productive move to increase taxes that are likely to cause much more damage than the modest benefit it will bring to the treasury,” said Klarskov. Even though Venstre rejected the government’s latest proposal, the economy minister, Margrethe Vestager (Radikale), said the issue is still open to discussion. “Negotiations are not over and we realise that these two taxes are harmful,” Vestager told Politiken. “The contribution that sugar and fat taxes make to better health is outweighed by their effect on businesses.”

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Week in review

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

29 June - 5 July 2012 Scanpix/Jens Nørgaard Larsen

Flower power

THE WEEK’S MOST READ STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK Marrying the Danes Nigerian prostitutes nabbed in in red light raid Hunting the Danes Taxi murderer yearns for freedom after 26 years Where to go when your shirt gets stuck to your back

FROM OUR ARCHIVES TEN YEARS AGO. Danish Newspaper Publishers’ Association files a landmark complaint against Newsbooster, a Copenhagen-based internet news service providing ‘deep links’ to other websites. FIVE YEARS AGO. One of Denmark’s biggest music stars, the rapper and actress Natasja Saad, is killed in a car accident outside Kingston, Jamaica.

Some 15,000 people visited the Botanical Gardens last week to witness its specimen of the world’s largest flower, titan arum, bloom for the first time in nine years. The Amorphophallus titanum (‘giant misshapen phallus’) measured 50cm across and 130cm tall. It bloomed for several days.

swings have been torn down, and critics have called it a poster boy for bad taste – but the bicycle paths traversing the park become dangerously slippery when wet. The park is made up of three sections, named black, red and green, and features 121 pieces of art as well as trees and plants from 60 different countries.

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper Since 1998, The Copenhagen Post has been Denmark’s leading source for news in English. As the voice of the international community, we provide coverage for the thousands of foreigners making their home in Denmark. Additonally, our English language medium helps to bring Denmark’s top stories to a global audience. In addition to publishing the only regularly printed English-language newspaper in the country, we provide up-to-date news on our website and deliver news to national and international organisations. The Copenhagen Post is also a leading provider of non-news services to the private and public sectors, offering writing, translation, editing, production and delivery services.

Visit us online at www.cphpost.dk

New rape case

In the second trial of the man known as the ‘Amager Attacker’, Marcel Lychau Hansen was convicted by Copenhagen City Court this week for planning another rape after he was already behind bars. The indictment states that Hansen smuggled his semen out of his cell in envelopes and asked his son

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive Jesper Nymark Editor-in-Chief Kevin McGwin Managing Editor Ben Hamilton News Editor Justin Cremer Journalists Jennifer Buley & Peter Stanners

to attack and possibly rape a woman and plant the sperm on her body. In December, Hansen was sentenced to life in prison for raping six women and killing two over 20 years, Hansen believed that the presence of his DNA on a victim after he was behind bars would prove his innocence.

Editorial offices: Slagtehusgade 4 – 6 DK 1715 Copenhagen V Telephone: 3336 3300 Fax: 3393 1313 www.cphpost.dk News Desk news@cphpost.dk 3336 4243 The CPH Post welcomes outside articles and letters to the editor. Letters and comments can be left on our website or at: comments@cphpost.dk

colourbox

The brand new Superkilen Park opened last Friday in Nørrebro to a subdued and sparse crowd that had been thinned by terrible weather. But perhaps the poor weather was fitting for the opening of a much-heralded park already fraught with problems. The colourful park has not only experienced vandalism – the

Scanpix/Claus Bech

scanpix/ Jens Nørgaard Larsen

Rain pain

ONE YEAR AGO. Danish citizen and activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja is sentenced to life in prison after participating in prodemocracy demonstrations in Bahrain

Third best

For the second year in a row, Copenhagen has ranked third among the world’s best cities to live according to the Most Liveable City chart published by the lifestyle magazine, Monocle. In 2008, Copenhagen was at the top of Monocle’s list. The magazine praised Copenhagen’s city lifestyle and improving in-

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frastructure, and its aim to be carbon neutral by 2025. But it said that the business climate would have to improve for Copenhagen to once again become number one. It was especially concerned about Denmark’s high tax burden and the number of companies that were moving their production abroad.

Layout and design Justin Cremer Aviaja Bebe Nielsen Logo by Rasmus Koch The Copenhagen Post accepts no responsibility for the content of material submitted by advertisers. The Copenhagen Post is published weekly by CPHPOST.DK ApS Printed by Dagbladet, Ringsted. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited by law.

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

Medical Emergency? Please call ahead

COLOURBOX

Summer In Denmark

The A&E department awaits, but from the spring of 2014 you will need to call them ahead of your arrival

RAY WEAVER Are departments attempting to cut waiting times by forcing patients to call before they turn up

EGINNING IN 2014, people needing emergency medical treatment will be required to call the local A&E to have their condition assessed over the phone before they are permitted to head to a hospital, according to an agreement between the government and Danske Regioner, the national association of regional councils. Known as a ‘referral plan’, the system is the most effective way to reduce A&E waiting times, according to a recently released report by the Health Ministry’s emergency committee. The health minister, Astrid Kragh (Socialistisk Folkeparti), expressed her support for the mandatory referral plan. “I am very happy that by the spring of 2014 everyone will be required to call before they show up at A&E,” Kragh told Berlingske newspaper. The referral plan will allow doctors to determine whether people need

emergency care or if they can wait to see Despite her reservations, Lee said that their general practitioner. hospitals in the region would start inKragh said this filtering process will forming the public of the new requirereduce the waiting time for those need- ments this autumn. ing emergency care. Recent reports had Kragh emphasised that any pasome patients with minor injuries wait- tient brought to a hospital requiring ing for over 12 hours to be treated. emergency treatment will receive care, Most healthcare regions already regardless of whether they had called have voluntary acute or not. hotlines that operate on The long-term goal the same principle. The of the referral plan is voluntary hotline in the to allow people with Greater Copenhagen minor injuries to wait health region has been I am very happy that for treatment at home, in place since January of at the A&E by the spring of 2014 instead and receives over 600 department. A smartcalls per day. Calls to everyone will be phone app would let the acute line are anpatients know the swered by specially- required to call before length of the waiting trained nurses who give they show up at the time and when to go to people advice if they are the hospital. emergency room injured or sick. The government Officials on the and the various mediGreater Copenhagen regional council cal and patients’ rights groups are still at are not completely sold on the concept odds over just how long is too long for of mandatory calling. patients to wait at A&E. “You can tell people that they must During the 2011 election camcall the emergency phone before they paign, the current government made a come, but if they just show up it is pledge to limit A&E waits to under 30 hard to turn them away,” Kirsten Lee minutes, but dropped it after the elec(Radikale) told Berlingske newspaper. tion saying that they “miscalculated” it.

Christiania lawyer threatens to cancel buy-out PETER STANNERS Residents may respond to criticism that the commune has become a hive of lawlessness by scuppering its deal with the state

HEAD OF the planned land buy-out by Christiania’s residents, security in the self-styled ‘freestate’ is being questioned following an assault on an undercover journalist and revelations regarding the sheer scale of organised crime there. Since the police’s withdrawal from Christiania following their failed attempt to shut down its cannabis trade in 2004, the Hells Angels biker gang has become firmly embedded in the area, turning over a billion kroner a year selling the illegal drug. But with Christiania residents expected to hand over the first payment as part of their planned takeover of the state-owned land, Christiania lawyer Knud Foldshack has warned that resi-

dents will cancel the handover unless they are treated with more trust. “Twenty-two governments over 40 years have tried to find a solution for Christiania. Now a solution has been found in which a group of people take on an enormous responsibility and work hard to take over the free-state,” Foldshack said according to the Ritzau news bureau. “If we are going to be met with mistrust in this way, we won’t take on the responsibility for the takeover,” Foldschack added. The police have also responded to criticism that they are doing too little to stop Christiania from becoming a lawless state within Copenhagen. In an official statement, Johan Reimann, the head of the Copenhagen Police, wrote that it is well known that many of the rules that are followed in much of the country have not applied in Christiania since the disused naval base was taken over by squatters in 1971. “It will take time to change this and it is my hope that the handover will be the first step in the right direc-

tion,” Reimann wrote. “Christiania is not a recreational area for criminals or anyone being sought after by the police. But the police can confirm that it is normal practice to send larger numbers than usual when carrying out activities in Christiania.” The justice minister, Morten Bødskov, defended the police’s handling of Christiania. “The fact that Christiania has problems is definitely not news,” Bødksov told Politiken newspaper. “Politically we have chosen to target the criminal masterminds. That’s why we’ve established various task forces that target biker and gang communities. I believe that this separation of politics and operational police work is appropriate.” Last June, Christiania residents signed a deal with the previous government to buy the land for 76.2 million kroner. Christiania has raised 8.5 million kroner by selling ‘people’s shares’ while another 55 million kroner was recently secured as a loan from mortgage lender RealKredit Danmark to cover the first payment, which is due on July 1.

Join us for the next six weeks as we explore Denmark! Starting with our next issue, we’ll be bringing you a weekly 10-page summer section that takes you around the city and coast to coast.

Check out these weekly sections: neighbourhood safari – Discover the hidden treasures of Copenhagen’s different districts europe in Copenhagen – Take trip across the continent, without ever leaving home kulturklik – Your guide to the best of the region’s museums Island hopping – Visit a new island each week regional guides – Find out what else there is to do beyond the confines of Greater Copenhagen

4 COVER STORY Graduates to learn the hard way in unstable economy THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

ELISE BEACOM

School’s out for summer

Gymnasium students cap off their secondary school education this week, but the future looks less cheery as they embark on further studies and navigate one of the most uncertain job markets in years

Four graduates reveal their hopes and fears for the years ahead “I plan to go to the University of Copenhagen to study building engineering after the summer holidays. I would really like to get a job in construction after I finish, and if all goes well, I would like to start my own firm or business. Of course, you’re always afraid you won’t get a job after your education, but I hope the world will be different in three-and-a-half years. If you really want a job, you can get it with a combination of hard work and good luck.”

ILLED WITH hopes and ambitions for the future, the latest batch of gymnasium students are celebrating their graduation this week – it’s a moment they should relish, because their prospects look grim from here on in. These graduates are entering the ‘real world’ at a time when the economy is weak, with 13.8 percent of Danes aged 15-24 unemployed, according to the OECD’s 2011 figures. Malene Nyborg, the chair of national gymnasium student organisation DGS, told The Copenhagen Post that students are well aware they are graduating during a difficult period. “I think we have to make sure we don’t expect too much. It’s hard to get a job, and a university degree isn’t a guarantee of a job afterwards,” Nyborg, who completed her exams this week, said. “You could want to become a lawyer but you end up in a grocery store – if you can’t get what you want, that’s a problem.” A quarter of Danish university graduates are still looking for a job a year after completing their studies and while Nyborg found these figures concerning, she hoped the situation would improve by the time she and her classmates enter the workforce. (For university students, that’ll be in at least four years.) The gymnasium students

who go on to further education might avoid the job squeeze all together, provided they continue studying for long enough. “We have to stay positive and still take an education and fight for what we want,” Nyborg said. Jens Boe Nielsen, the chair of headmasters’ association Gymnasieskolernes Rektorforening, said some graduates are focusing on studying in fields where there are jobs. He said these students prioritised a promising career and comfortable lifestyle over doing something they are passionate about. “About 20 or 30 years ago when people chose what to study, they would choose something they were interested in, but this is not the case anymore,” Nielsen said. “Students are thinking more about the needs of society in the future. They realise that if they want to study something they enjoy, there’s a strong possibility they won’t get a job.”

Factfile | Colour-me graduated Graduating students wear caps with a coloured band signifying the type of programme they completed. Here is a list of the most common colours: Bordeaux red – for students passing the Studentereksamen, a university preparatory programme (three-year) Light blue – two-year higher preparatory (two-year) Royal blue – higher commercial (three-year) Purple – basic vocational (twoyear) Navy blue – higher technical (three-year)

Flags – internationally orientated commercial (three-year) Black cap – the ‘original’ Scandinavian cap for secondary-school graduates. Now the cap of choice for gymnasium students studying Latin or Greek Cap insignia also vary depending on the programme. Students not wishing to bear a cap with the Cross of the Dannebrog can choose a crescent moon, a Star of David or a non-denominational maple leaf.

“I can assure you young man, we most definitely didn’t honk three times.”

But Hanne-Grete Lund, the chair of secondary school guidance councillors’ organisation Studievejlederforeningen for Gymnasieskolerne og HF, said it was unwise for students to select a programme that they are not interested in. “I think some of our students who go to university straight after gymnasium, to study something that will give them a job afterwards, often drop out after a year,” she said.

Lund suggested gymnasium graduates who are unsure about what course to choose should take a year or two off to work, travel or take a bridging course. She added that those who took a break between gymnasium and university were more likely to finish their university programme. “These students have been at school from the age of five to 18 – it’s good for them to see there’s a world outside these buildings,” she said.

Factfile | Hats off to you

Factfile | Back on the wagon

When gymnasium students graduate, they each wear a cap with different badges and hatbands, depending on the type of study they completed. The caps carry a strict set of rules for students on graduation day: • Classmates sign the inside of the cap • Grade from the final exam is written inside the cap • Secret love notes go underneath the sweatband • Cut a square in the sweatband if you drink a crate of beer in 24 hours • Cut a triangle in the sweatband if you see the sun come up • Cut waves in the sweatband if you skinny-dip with the cap on • Best friend must bite the brim of the cap • Cut the brim off if you get so drunk that you need your stomach pumped • Reattach the brim if you score the nurse

On graduation day, each class of gymnasium students will don their caps and career around on the back of a truck. • The joy ride begins in the morning and the truck travels around to each of the students’ homes, where the graduates have a drink, and sometimes eat snacks, before moving on to the next house. • Some of the trucks will be decorated with signs. For example: “honk once for a little drink, twice to down a drink, three times for a flash.” • Some students scrawl a tally of how many beers they have drunk on their arm. • Traditionally, if the celebration is in Copenhagen, students might finish dancing around the statue of King Christian V on Kongens Nytorv, but that area is a metro construction site at the moment.

“I’m applying to study in the University of Copenhagen’s anthropology department and planning to go straight to university after summer. I would like to take the ambassador stream and become an ambassador, preferably in Japan. University feels like a safe environment where I know what’s expected of me. I think it’s scarier to get a job because it’s really tough at the moment. Anthropology takes about six years so I hope after that time it will be much better – I’m really taking a leap of faith here.” “I’m definitely going to university because I really like studying, but I’m not sure what I’ll choose. I’m taking a year off to work and travel. When I choose my course, it will have to be something I’m interested in, and I’ll take the job trouble when it comes. For young graduates, it’s hard to get jobs, but I think the Danish state is aware of it. And I believe that by the time I am finished with my higher education, they will have figured something out.” “I would love to study medicine at the University of Copenhagen. It has been my dream to become a doctor for the past six years. Now I plan to take a year off to work, travel and take supplementary classes (chemistry and maths) to get into medical school. I’ve been trying to find a casual job, but it’s not easy. You hope that after university you can find a job, make money and enjoy what you’re doing at the same time, but I fear finding a combination of all these is hard at the moment.”

Mads Jakobsen, 18 Selandia CEU

Amanda Brødsgaard, 18 Virum Gymnasium

Ida Vinggaard, 18 Virum Gymnasium

Alexandra Bungum, 19 Virum Gymnasium

ONLINE THIS WEEK Taxi murderer yearns for freedom after 26 years

Copenhagen and Beijing become sister cities

Fishing for plastic

CONVICTED murderer Seth Sethsen Nielsen has once again asked to be paroled. Nielsen shot and killed taxi driver Kurt Gaarn-Larsen during a robbery in 1985. Prosecutor Zlatan Tajic has demanded that the 57-yearold Nielsen submit to psychological testing – something he has refused to do. Life sentences

COPENHAGEN’S mayor, Frank Jensen, has signed a sistercity partnership with Chinese capital Beijing. The Beijing-Copenhagen sister-city agreement is specifically expected to boost co-operation in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy, and to reduce traffic congestion i – local businesses and

A NEW NET could help clean up the oceans and give fishermen some extra income. The plastics industry has developed the trawling net that is designed to fish plastic waste out of the sea. It is estimated that over 20,000 tonnes of waste is tossed into the North

in Denmark are on average commuted after 17 years. Nielsen’s 26 years behind bars makes him the second-longest currently serving prisoner in Denmark. He was last denied parole in December of 2011. The Glostrup Municipal Court is scheduled to decide next week whether Nielsen should remain behind bars.

universities will work together to develop green technologies. The agreement marks the first time in decades that Copenhagen has chosen such a partnership. Jensen and Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong are both participating in the 2012 Beijing Forum on the Sustainable Development of Cities.

Sea each year. Much of it is plastic, so members of the plastics industry felt they had a responsibility to help with the clean-up. The EU fisheries commissioner, Maria Daminaki, has suggested that fishermen use the net during periods when they are not allowed to fish.

READ THE FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

news NEWS

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

29 June - 5 July 2012

Peter Stanners The government accepted compromises on welfare in order to ensure broad support for its tax reform

scanpix/ Uffe Weng

PM: Tax deal with opposition was the right move

ax on employment will be reduced and the top tax bracket will be raised after the government shunned its far-left support partner, Enhedslisten, to forge a cross-aisle tax-reform with the opposition at the last minute. After the deal with Venstre and Konservative was announced on Friday, the finance minister, Bjarne Croydon (Socialdemokraterne), argued the deal, tailoring the reform to benefit those in employment most, would benefit the economy. “The deal means that it will become more attractive for everyone to work,” Corydon wrote on the Finance Ministry’s website. “It will mean more growth and a solid foundation underpinning the Danish welfare system.” Not holding an absolute majority in parliament, the government was forced to compromise in order to pass a tax reform. Typical to Danish politics is the search for broad consensus in order to ensure that policies do not swing dramatically with successive governments. This presented the government with a conflict. It could either forge a tax reform with its far-left support party Enhedslis-

Finance minister Corydon’s deal with the opposition left the government ally Enhedslisten looking in from the outside

ten or with the opposition. The former would produce a reform more in keeping with ‘red’ (leftwing) politics, but would be more divisive, while the latter would be more stable, though more ‘blue’ (right-wing). The result is a tax reform that benefits those in work by increasing the earned income credit, while many with middle and upper incomes will benefit from having the top tax bracket increased by 57,900 kroner to 467,000 kroner by 2022.

The reform will end up costing the government more than it hoped, however, after it allowed the rise in the top tax bracket to also be enjoyed by pensioners, who were initially excluded from the deal. Further costs were incurred after they also had to give up their attempt to reduce the amount of interest on mortgages that homeowners can deduct from their taxes while also agreeing to freeze property taxes until 2020.

An irate Enhedslisten declared on Friday that it was now “in opposition to the government”, but speaking on television on Monday morning, PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Socialdemokraterne) argued the government made the right decision signing a deal with Venstre and Konservative. “We will better be able to afford welfare better than we would have done with Enhedslisten,” Thorning-Schmidt said on Go’ Morgen Danmark. “It’s

the deal that is closest to what the government proposed from the start. We will be able to help the worst off better with this deal.” The tax reform will mean that the government is underfinanced by 300 million kroner, which would be needed to fund the 0.8 percent annual increase in public spending. This fact was admitted by the economy minister, Margrethe Vestager (Radikale), on TV2 News. “There will be less money for public use because we spent

some of the money on tax relief,” Vestager said. “The government wanted to find three billion kroner for welfare. We got 2.7 billion and that is very close to the goal.” The tax reform received praise from Danish businesses. “It is incredibly difficult to reduce tax on work,” Karsten Dybvad, the managing director of Dansk Industry, a business advocacy organisation, told the Ritzau news agency. “A higher earned income credit and a higher top tax bracket will mean that many in work will benefit from working extra.” Political commentators are warning that the taxreform has further alienated core left-wing supporters of Socialdemokraterne and coalition partner Socialistisk Folkeparti, continuing a trend that has seen voters fleeing both parties in droves, partially in response to the perceived lack of commitment to ‘red’ policies. Socialistisk Folkeparti, the government’s most left-wing party, was particularly disappointed at having to accept a reduction in the rate of increase in social welfare adjustments – a move it has said will increase social inequality. “When five parties join in a deal, there will be elements that do not chime with the party’s politics and have to be accepted as part of the compromise,” the party announced in a press release after an emergency meeting in Copenhagen last weekend.

Researchers’ results to be free for all

Syrians not given automatic asylum, despite plea

Christian Wenande

Peter Stanners

Despite adopting a new protocol called ‘Open Access’, the research councils indicate that Denmark is still lagging behind when it comes to sharing publicly-funded research

he politicians may be playing the waiting game, but Denmark’s research has ratified a new policy that will force researchers who have received support from one of the country’s five state-funded research councils to publicise their scientific articles for free. The policy, known as ‘Open Access’, has been agreed to by the research councils group, which consists of the Danish Council for Independent Research, The Danish National Research Foundation, the Council for Strategic Research Advanced Technology Foundation and the Council for Technology and Innovation, which distributes 4.3 billion kroner a year to research. “Free access to research results will benefit society in general, as well as companies’ opportunities to become more innovative and contribute to economic growth,” Jens Christian

Djurhus, who is chairman of the board for The Danish Council for Independent Research, told Information newspaper. Until now, research results were protected by a paymentwall that requires researchers and research institutions to pay a substantial fee to gain access to their own research results after they are published in scientific journals. Many of these scientific journals can cost more than 100,000 kroner a year in subscription fees, which means that larger companies can struggle to pay for a subscription, while small and medium-sized companies may only be able to afford to pay for individual articles. The science community has already rebelled against what they consider a dire situation regarding access to research results, and using the name ‘An academic spring’, more than 12,000 scientists have begun boycotting scientific journals. But despite the research councils adopting the new Open Access policy, Denmark is still lagging behind when it comes to the sharing of publicly-funded research. In 2007, Denmark joined an EU initiative that conveyed the importance of making publicly-

financed research freely accessible to all, but politicians have since been dragging their feet on the issue in an attempt to protect Danish-speaking scientific journals. The research councils have addressed this issue with the Open Access policy model, which means that researchers will be allowed to publicise their findings in a free online version parallel to the scientific journal’s article, but only after a six to 12 month waiting period. Karl Bock, who is the chairman of the Danish National Research Foundation, is under no illusions when it comes to implementing the new model. “We are well aware that a full transition to Open Access won’t occur over night,” Bock told Information. “But in the long run, we must change the publishing model so that all users can freely access research that has already been funded through public taxes.” Advocates of Open Access research maintain that the advantages of the model include accelerated discovery, as scientists are able to read and further findings; public enrichment, as tax payers are able to see what they invest in; and improved education.

Norway and Sweden grant automatic asylum to Syrians because of the on going conflict, while Denmark has only halted forced repatriations

yrian asylum seekers will not be granted automatic residency due to the ongoing instability in the country, despite an appeal from the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). Sweden and Norway, on the other hand, have decided that Syrians will be automatically granted asylum simply because of the widespread conflict in their home country. Both countries based their decisions on a precedent-setting European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision last year that said two Somali men could not be deported, despite having committed crimes, due to the risks they faced in the troubled country. In a letter to the DRC, however, Flygtningenævnet, which serves as an appeals board for asylum applicants, said it did not find that the situation in Syria necessitated granting Syrians residency based solely on the general situation in the country.

Eva Singer from the DRC differently from Norway and found the verdict disappointing. Sweden. “They do not argue for why it “It is often said that it is hard is not the case,” Singer wrote in a to compare asylum policies in press release. different countries because of the While Syrians are not granted differences in individual cases,” automatic asylum Singer said. “But in Denmark, those here we are talkwhose applications ing about an ashave been rejected sessment of conwill be permitditions in Syria ted to remain in It is often said generally in relaDenmark after the that it is hard to tion to the verdict Flygtningenævnet that the [ECHR] stopped forced re- compare asylum made in relation patriation to Syria policies in different to article three due to the conflict. [of the European And in a let- countries because Convention on ter to the DRC, Rights].” of the differences in Human Flygtningenævnet In Sweden, wrote that it has individual cases the verdict by the not “ruled out the ECHR has led to possibility that the general secu- immigration authorities deterrity situation [could be] so severe mining that the situation in Syria and extreme in nature that a per- means that the conditions for an son fulfils the conditions [for asy- ‘alternative need for protection’ lum] simply because of it”. have been fulfilled. Despite this assurance, the Syrians who are granted asydecision by Flygtningenævnet lum under the ‘alternative need still means that Syrians applying for protection’ are given tempofor asylum will be judged indi- rary residence in Sweden for three vidually rather than as a group, years. as is now the case in Sweden and According to the Syrian opNorway. position, 17,434 people have Speaking to Information been killed in Syria since March newspaper, Singer questioned 2011, while 65,000 are missing how Denmark could interpret and another 212,000 demonstrathe findings of the ECHR so tors have been imprisoned.

News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

29 June - 5 July 2012

peter stanners

The trail to establishing a new asylum centre like Centre Sandholm (pictured) can be a long one - it only takes a few protests for a council to reconsider

New asylum centres facing resistance Peter Stanners Local residents and opposition MPs reject Red Cross claims that new asylum centres will not lead to an increase in crime

Immigration authorities plan to build three new refugee centres and expand several existing ones in order to accommodate an increasing refugee population in Denmark. About 100 new applicants for asylum are arriving each month. And while that is down from previous years, the overall number of asylum seekers has risen, due to a halt on forced repatriation to three countries that are either too dangerous to return asylum failed seekers to – Somalia and Syria – or where Denmark does not have an agreement in place for repatriation: Iran. Problems with formally identifying asylum seekers from Afghanistan, the largest single group of refugees in Denmark, has also contributed to the increase. As a result, new asylum centres are planned for the Zealand towns of Ringsted and Hillerød, and on the island of Lolland, while existing centres in the towns of Auderød and Sigerslev will be expanded to be able to accommodate an additional 50 and 80 people respectively.

Local opposition, however, has led to several other proposed centres being cancelled – a development that saddened Anne la Cour, the head of asylum at the Red Cross in Denmark. “It’s a trend that is unfortunately on the increase,” la Cour told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “Councils often react to the protests even though there is usually only a small group protesting.” One new asylum centre that faced opposition is located at a former hotel in the Jutland town of Juelsminde. The asylum centre has a capacity of 134 and last Friday the first 37 took residence. “It’s wrong that they are changing the hotel into an asylum centre without first asking local residents what they think,” Juelsminde’s mayor, Kirsten Terkilsen (Venstre), told Jyllands-Posten. “It’s going to affect the local economy because tourists won’t have anywhere to stay – and my opinion has nothing to do with the people that are moving in.” Anders Ladekarl, the secretary general of the Red Cross in Denmark, was also disappointed about the location of the new centres, but for entirely different reasons. “It’s sad that the placement of the new centres are so remote,” Ladekarl wrote on Facebook, referring to the social and psychological problems faced by

asylum seekers who are forced to live in rural areas for long periods of time with little to occupy them. “It is often the myth of increased crime that worries people. But there is nothing dangerous about having an asylum centre. On the contrary, it creates new work places and trade.” Anti-asylum politics Not everyone shares Ladekarl’s opinion, however, and last week asylum seekers and asylum policy were the targets of further attacks by the opposition. Martin Henriksen, the immigration spokesperson for the right-wing Dansk Folkeparti, said he understood the concerns of those who felt they would be affected by the arrival of asylum centres near or in their towns or villages. “The reality is that certain politicians and organisations don’t realise that things happen in local communities when groups like these move in,” Henriksen told Jyllands-Posten. And Inger Støjberg, the immigration spokesperson for Venstre, predicted that the government’s proposals to improve living conditions for asylum seekers will only make things worse. “You can’t blame people for being sceptical, but it’s the government’s fault and there

is no point in turning against the asylum seekers,” Støjberg told Jyllands-Posten. “It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy because

But they also have to be able to be integrated. The Somali group has been shown to be very difficult to be integrated and that’s why we need to not make the same mistake as in the 90s when the Socialdemokrat government let in a lot of people that the society couldn’t accommodate the government has promised asylum seekers that they will get their own home and work permit. That will clearly lead to fewer people leaving voluntarily.” A parliamentary committee has proposed that the government allow asylum seekers to live and work outside asylum centres after six months, but that would only apply to those

who co-operate with the immigration authorities’ efforts to repatriate them. A steep rise in the number of asylum seekers from Somalia has also drawn criticism from both Venstre and Dansk Folkeparti. Almost 400 Somali refugees have come to Denmark since the start of the year compared with 109 over the whole of 2011. The rise is being attributed to a precedent-setting 2011 European Court of Human Rights ruling that found that the deportation of two criminal Somali asylum seekers in the UK contravened their human rights because of the danger they faced in the capital Mogadishu. As a result, Somali refugees will not be forcibly repatriated if their requests for asylum are turned down. Støjberg said that the increase in Somali asylum seekers is problematic. “We need a strong and fair asylum policy and accept those who are entitled to asylum,” Støjberg told Politiken newspaper. “But they also have to be able to be integrated. The Somali group has been shown to be very difficult to be integrated and that’s why we need to not make the same mistake as in the ‘90s when the Socialdemokrat government let in a lot of people that the society couldn’t accommodate.” Dansk Folkeparti has called on the government to stop ac-

cepting asylum seekers from Somalia and instead build asylum centres in nearby countries such as Kenya. “The proposal means that after a Somali travels to Denmark and seeks asylum, we will then send them back to a centre [near their country of origin] while we consider their application,” Henriksen said. “If they are granted asylum, we will provide the individual job training and release them in the nearby vicinity, not in Denmark.” Speaking to Politiken, Said Hussein, the secretary general of the Copenhagen branch of the Somali Diaspora Organisation, said the rise in Somali asylum seekers will probably come back to haunt the government. “Dansk Folkeparti will probably play Somali immigration as a card in the next election and call us tax cheats and criminals who cost society money,” Hussein said. “The reality is that most Somalis are sensible people. The problem is that some Somalis haven’t had time to adjust. But it’s not that they don’t want to.” The idea to build asylum centres abroad was first floated, and almost passed, in 2009 by Venstre when it was in a coalition government together with Konservative. There are currently about 4,800 asylum seekers in Denmark, and about half of them have had their requests denied.

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

‘Pind’-emonium continues for visa applications RAY WEAVER Nine months after policy change Danish borders still effectively closed to visitors from 19 countries

HE PARTING decision by former immigration minister Søren Pind (Venstre), which demanded that foreign consulates participating in the Schengen Agreements began forwarding visa applications to Denmark for review on the grounds of Danish national security, continues to be a diplomatic headache. Under the Schengen Agreements, other countries processed visa applications for Denmark according to a common set of rules, giving Denmark the advantage of having consulates in 29 countries where it did not have diplomatic representation. Germany and Finland refused to comply with Pind’s demands, however, saying that the new policy created administrative problems and was an exception to Schengen rules, ending Denmark’s consular presence in 15 countries. France also objected and dissolved its agreement. People in the affected countries could no longer seek a Danish visa – whether for business,

tourism, or visiting family members – without travelling to a city with a Danish embassy. Although new agreements have since been forged with some countries, settlements are still pending in 19 others. Travel and trade between Denmark and some of those countries will continue to suffer into 2013. The reason for the continued log jam is Germany’s announcement it is still not ready to agree to Denmark’s rules. When the diplomatic entanglements first came to light in January, the justice minister, Morten Bødskov (Socialdemokraterne), downplayed the issue as a “technical problem”. Bødskov told Politiken newspaper at that time that an agreement with Germany would be reinstated within a few months and that alternative agreements were being sought with other countries. Bødskov now says he was overly optimistic. “Germany has announced that it cannot resume its Danish representation agreements at this time,” said Bødskov and the trade and investment minister, Pia Olsen Dyhr (Socialistisk Folkeparti), in a joint statement to Politiken. “On the positive side, Germany has announced it is prepared to resume the agreements in June 2013.”

Still no Little Mermaid for visitors from 19 countries

The delay in resuming an agreement with Germany until next summer means that people from at least eight countries remain effectively cut off from Denmark, including travellers from several Central Asian and African countries. The Danish travel agency association, Danmarks Rejsebureau Forening, said a solution needs to be found.

More language options for university students CHRISTIAN WENANDE Students at Roskilde University will have the option of taking French or German to supplement their degrees from autumn; University of Copenhagen looking to follow suit

HILE FEWER students are choosing to study French and German at university, all humanites and social science bachelor’s degree students at Roskilde University will be offered French and German language supplement diplomas after the summer holidays. Hanne Leth Andersen, the university’s prorector, maintains that it is imperative to open students’ eyes to other languages as it gives them a broader insight into vocational material available in other languages. “If you only use English and Danish sources, then you only have access to the part of the world from which someone has decided to translate, and the tendency is to focus primarily on English in the Danish education system,” Andersen told Politiken newspaper. The students will receive a language indicator in their di-

plomas indicating that they are proficient in German or French culture or are proficient to use either language in business situations – something that is not a coincidence. Germany is Denmark’s most important export market and, along with French and English, German is one of the three working languages of the European Union. In an effort to build on the language skills students learn in secondary school, RUC has dedicated 1.3 million kroner to the new language endeavour. “We don’t offer language proficiency courses, but if 90 percent of the students want that, then we’ll have to plan for it,” Heidi Bojsen, the international co-ordinator at RUC, told Politiken. “The starting point is that they are strong enough in German or French, and then we take it from there.” A lack of funding and declining student enrolment has led to several universities scrapping some of their foreign language programmes. The problem was addressed in 2011 by the Education Ministry in its ‘Language is the key to the world’ (Sprog er nøglen til verden) report, which featured recommendations for how to promote languages to students, something that the Uni-

“It is of great concern to us that this is taking so long to resolve,” spokesperson Lars Thykier told Politiken. “If sales continue to drop in 2013, the effects will be felt all over the country.” Members of Dansk Industri, a business association that represents some 10,000 businesses, have said that the current visa muddle is costing Denmark over 500 billion kroner each year in

lost trade and tourism. Thykier mentioned the World Health Organisation. Its European headquarters are in Copenhagen, but it is forced to hold its meetings in Switzerland because participants from Central Asian countries cannot gain entry into Denmark without a major struggle. In order to obtain a visa to come to Denmark, citizens of

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan must travel to Moscow, a journey of some 3,000km, to apply for a visa at the Danish embassy. Central Asian advocacy organisation Centralasiatisk Selskab works to strengthen relations between the region and Denmark. Spokesperson Muborak Sjaripova said the closed-border policy is making that work nearly impossible. “The situation is affecting Denmark in many ways,” Sharipova told Poiltiken. “It affects those who live here and it affects tourism and trade because travellers here buy Danish goods.” Sharipova is originally from Tajikistan and recently had a niece visit her in Denmark. In order to get a visa, they were forced to pay 7,000 kroner for a flight to Moscow and then pay for a two-week stay in the city until the visa was approved by the Danish embassy. Finland has agreed to once again process Danish visa requests, and Bødskov said that other Schengen countries have agreed to represent Denmark in Armenia and Qatar, beginning in the summer. He said that work is continuing “at full force” to find solutions for other countries where agreements are suspended or terminated.

Learn Danish with CLAVIS New language school in Lyngby

We don’t offer language proficiency courses, but if 90 percent of the students want that, then we’ll have to plan for it versity of Copenhagen has also embraced. “If students have to go to South America, then it is useful for them to learn some Spanish, even if they haven’t had it at secondary school,” Anne Holmen, a professor of languages at the University of Copenhagen, told Politiken. “In theology, they have been requesting German text reading, and political science students want improved French skills before they do their internships in Brussels. The report recommends that post-secondary programmes should offer foreign languages as elective courses for all students, that Denmark should have a higher level of language proficiency, that the level of English should be improved, and that people should know two foreign languages.

Efficient Danish courses for • • •

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Greve – Roskilde – Copenhagen – Lyngby

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

A letter for the future

EAR GRADUATES you’re going to be too drunk over the next few weeks celebrating your academic accomplishments, and too excited during the months after that getting settled into your studies, to listen to much advice given to you by adults, let alone total strangers. Instead, save, print out, photocopy or cut out this editorial, and put it away for a few years. The advice it contains will make more sense to you in a few years anyway. By the time you get around to reading this, you’ll already be well under way with your education, maybe even almost done. But even though you’ll have spent a couple of years on your studies by this point, stop and ask yourself whether your studies are getting in the way of your success, to paraphrase Mark Twain. Education, though an important path to success, is neither a prerequisite (neither Bill Gates nor Steve Jobs ever earned a degree) nor a guarantee (the best-paid job in the US in the 1970s was a metallurgist, today it’s an all but non-existent job field). It’s hard to know what tomorrow’s hot skill will be, but one thing is for certain: if you don’t like what you do, no matter how hot your skill is, you’ll wind up regretting that you didn’t change before it was too late. Second, if you haven’t already done it yet, we’d recommend that you hurry up and spend some time abroad, preferably in a country where they don’t speak English. Take our advice on this one. As foreigners ourselves, we know first-hand the excitement that life abroad can offer. We also know how exasperating it can be. Nothing, though, will broaden your horizons as quickly as time living in another culture. Roskilde University and the University of Copenhagen have just launched programmes to promote learning foreign languages other than English. Take full advantage of them. Home will never look the same again. Third, hope the economy is bad when you are getting started in your career – not when you are getting settled as a family. In your lifetimes, the economy will go up and it will go down. Better to begin your working lives facing adversity and being forced to work hard to establish yourselves than to have a bad economy hit when you can afford it least. And, last, don’t be afraid to pick up a broom. It will give you respect for the people who have no choice but to do it every day, and it will make you appreciate the value of your education. And if the economy does go entirely to pieces, it’ll be a job skill that’ll come in useful.

29 June - 5 July 2012

What can we do for you today?

JAN TRØJBORG

HAVE OFTEN wondered why foreigners willingly choose to move to Denmark. The weather is bad, the language is hard to learn, and taxes and costs of living are high. So why do you move here? Earlier this year an article appeared on the website of Politiken newspaper. The headline was ‘British blogger praises Denmark to the skies’ (Britisk blogger skamroser Danmark). The British blogger was Cathy Strongman, who followed her husband to Denmark three years ago. The story of Cathy Strongman soon became one of the most read – and talked about – articles of the day. What made me take notice was what Cathy Strongman focused on in her praise of Denmark. She focused on the fact

In order to make space for our summer sections, this will be the last opinion page until our August 17 issue. Enjoy your summer.

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I guess the police are too busy giving speeding tickets and bicycle violations out to people on their way to work to actually go after the criminals selling drugs and breaking and entering … It’s clear that there is more money in statskassen by handing out tickets than actually catching criminals. Thorvaldsen by website They’re useless at police work. At least by collecting fines they’re helping pay their own undeserved salaries. In fact, I don’t actually see them collecting fines that often. Or doing anything, come to think of it. My father asked my the other day if the Danish Police were armed. I’ve been here over four years and it occurred to me that I didn’t know if they carried guns because I’ve never once seen one that wasn’t in a car. Shufflemoomin by website People, why are you being so negative in your comments?! It is a good initiative and these volunteers are trying to do something nice for the city. Do you have to exercise your sarcasm all the time? HorseMackerel by website

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not compete on low tax rates and the cost of living. Our strengths lie elsewhere. But we can make an extra effort in securing that you and your families have the best possible living conditions in Denmark. And we as the national association of local governments have a special responsibility in this respect. We set up job fairs for the spouses

Our populations are ageing, and there an ever fewer number of people of the working age. In Denmark only four enter the labour force for every five who leave of expats. We collaborate with the companies that employ you to co-ordinate our efforts. Most local governments have developed ‘welcome packs’ that aim to help newly-arrived foreigners navigate the Danish institutions, rules and regulations. But we can do better, and we must do better. That is why we in the Kommunernes Landsforening (Local Government Denmark) argue that local governments should be able to establish and run inter-

national classes within the public Danish schools. We think that is one way to ensure that there is access to international education for your children, also outside of Copenhagen, Aarhus and other large cities. Danes are a bit reserved. This is a matter of culture and not subject to rules and regulations. But local governments can – and many try to – help foreigners and Danes bridge the gap. Some help foreigners to get to know and become active in Danish civil society associations. Outside the workplace and institutions of education, this is where Danes make friends. And it is also where you can make your mark on society. Civil society associations are one reason for the well-functioning Danish welfare model. For generations citizens in Denmark have met in associations and debated how to better our society. You are – at least for now – one of these citizens. Many of you can vote in the upcoming local elections. And all of you are welcome to speak your mind and make your mark on society. Jan Trøjborg was formerly the president of Kommunernes Landsforning, the national association of local governments. He passed away on May 6. This was originally published by the Consortium for Global Talent.

READER COMMENTS Green-fingered volunteers reclaim park from drug dealers

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

that men can take a leave of absence when they become fathers, just as women can when they become mothers. That it is safe to walk and bike the streets and crime is low. That we have high quality healthcare and childcare. Cathy Strongman points to our strength as a society: our welfare model. The Western world is experiencing massive demographic challenges. Our populations are ageing, and there are an ever fewer number of people of the working age. In Denmark only four enter the labour force for every five who leave. That is a huge challenge for our model of society. There is no quick fix to this problem. But part of the solution is to attract and maintain a foreign workforce. Especially when we experience labour shortages in areas that demand well educated and highly-qualified employees. If we cannot attract foreigners and make them want to stay in Denmark, then Danish businesses will be forced to move their production elsewhere. Highly-educated, resourceful people have the world as their playground. We need you more than you need us. This is a fact that we Danes may have been slow to realise. We must not take for granted that foreigners will continue to make Denmark their home. Denmark cannot and must

I’m confused. The City Hall knows the dealers are there, the people living there know who

they are, they are dealing out in the open yet the police does not take action. I thought drug dealing was illegal? PC11 by website We have a guy down the street selling hash, cocaine, ecstacy and speed out of his bedroom window, in plain view. Police have been notified on numerous occasions, but still he sells to teenagers daily – actually nightly, he sleeps all day and collects kontanthelp. Ziggedwhenishouldazagged by website The darker hu(e) of Chinese investment Oh, and I have to ask, why are there no honest articles about the darker hue of foreign spouse and half-foreign child custody abuse by the Danish system? Awarding custody to child beaters and kidnappers just because they are Danish citizens and the spouse is foreign, deporting foreign spouses after ripping the children away, forcibly taking children out of daycares and schools, completely ignoring the Hague Convention, foreign governments, and foreign court decrees, etc. Where are these holier-than-thou Danish protesters on that issue? I see no anti-kidnapping posters on the Little Mermaid. The human rights issue rings very hollow in

Denmark, I am sorry to say. Tom by website There’s a hue of sinophobia and racism in this article. The west runs Guantanamo Bay, has invaded multiple countries in the Middle East, and has annihilated countless indigenous peoples, yet when Hu Jintao comes to town with the promise of investment at a time when Europe desperately needs it you cry ‘human rights’ with all hypocrisy. Europe must wake up – this isn’t the 18th century. You’ve already made an enemy out of the Muslims, it would be prudent to do like your government and make China into a friend rather than an enemy. MMitchell2012, by website Loan ensures Christiania survival I can’t see why they are not paying the market price for 34 hectare of prime land in the middle of a capital city. Must be worth well over 2 billion. Danishkeith by website Who the hell lends money to squatters without good title? Oh yes, Danes. Wonder if the government did a cost-benefit analysis in allowing this to go forward? For example, what will be the costs of a permanent police presence and other municipal expenditure during the mortgage period in responding

to increased lawlessness? Equal or exceeding the amount of the loan? Will the commune pay taxes on all these municipal services? On the other hand, once they legally own it they also own the liability for what happens on the property, which means they can be held accountable by law and can lose the property. SNCO by website Joint custody children fare better than other children of divorce It does not take a rocket scientist to work that out. Of course it’s better for children to have two co-operative parents in their lives. What happens when the two parents don’t get on, or live a long way from each other, or one of the parents is abusive towards the children, or heaven forbid one parent is not Danish, (it probably would not include a foreign parent). Sometimes you have to use common sense, but with all the stories in the news over the months, this certainly is not the case. Rugratzz by website Isn’t all this talk about postdivorce joint custody a bit presumptuous in a society that eschews marriage? Wonder if the study includes any granularity on custody where one of the parents is other than a native Dane? SNCO by website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

‘MacCarthy’s World’ BY CLARE MACCARTHY Clare MacCarthy is Nordic correspondent for The Economist and a frequent contributor to The Financial Times and The Irish Times. She’ll go anywhere from the Gobi Desert to the Arctic in search of a story. The most fascinating thing about Denmark, she says, is its contradictions.

KELD NAVNTOFT/SCANPIX

Process Over

Content Flights for the US leave in three hours

RUE TO its tabloid spirit, Ekstra Bladet pulled no punches when it delivered judgement on the taxation reform package that Denmark’s government agreed with the centre-right opposition late last Friday evening. “Fools” ran the one-word banner headline above photographs of an unhappy looking prime minister, Helle ThorningSchmidt, and her foreign minister, Villy Søvndahl. While the newspaper, like most others, habitually claims to give equal treatment to politicians of all hue, it also takes particular delight in skewering Denmark’s first social democratic-led government in a decade. Fair enough, it’s a free press – Ekstra Bladet is absolutely entitled to take any position it fancies on the unexpected deal. And it’s a valid point to suggest that

Thorning-Schmidt’s eleventhhour decision to ditch her leftist allies, in favour of a deal with the right, bodes ill for her government’s sustainability. Still, even the most devoted aficionados of the political theatre must be feeling somewhat battle-wearied after day upon day of breathless speculation by pundits and commentators on the prospective fallout of the deal. The airwaves, the web and the newspapers were awash with the stuff. (But only the Danishlanguage media, the rest of the world scarcely noticed.) Coverage of the lead-up to the deal was as extensive as the aftermath. Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s transatlantic voyage, after he walked out of the tax negotiations “to attend climate change talks in Rio de Janeiro” but instead went on holiday in the US, was widely reported.

CPH POST VOICES The CPH Voices is taking a break for the summer. Four of the existing team will return (see right) – along with six brand new columnists, including Crazy Cabaret founder Vivienne McKee and persecuted Zimbabwean author Tendai Tagarira – in the issue that hits the streets on August 17. In the meantime, enjoy your summer!

What seemed like acres of facts to convey to my London column-inches were devoted editors. For the international to the potential implications of media a ‘troubl’ at th’ mill’ pitch this humongous PR blunder. has to be substantiated by facts Would the former prime min- and figures. From a macroecoister’s duplicitous exit from the nomic perspective was the deal tax talks damage his chances of expansionary or the reverse? a comeback? Would Thorning- What would be the impact on Schmidt secure a deal with her GDP? How was it being fileftist support choir and be- nanced? How did it fit into the gin clawing her way back from broader European economic the popularity doldrums? And situation? The newspawould Konservapers didn’t protive break ranks vide the neceswith Venstre and sary leads and the try and get a piece Finance Ministry of the action for The salient was equally unthemselves? feature of all this helpful. On the Much of this night the deal was fascinating to speculation was those of us who the sheer volume of was announced, it issued a terse make a living from watching politics the stuff. There was statement of bullet points that unfold. Myself in- just too much of it. came nowhere cluded. But that’s near the sort of hardly the point. And it was printed detail required The salient feature and broadcast at for any halfof all this speculadecent analysis. tion was the sheer the expense of Acting almost as volume of the stuff. substance. if they had gone There was just too much of it. And it was printed off on holiday early, the Finance and broadcast at the expense of Ministry staffers waited several days before publishing a satissubstance. Ploughing through the Dan- factory exegesis complete with ish newspapers last weekend, I charts and tables. In the interim, the newspasearched in vain for some strong

They expect my government to collapse in three months

pers filled their pages with tedious commentary. Little wonder that the newspaper industry is in a state of deepening crisis. Once upon a time, we handed over our shillings for our daily newspaper and got a shot of news in return. We got facts and we got figures. We got the components we needed to make up our own minds and draw our own conclusions about developments in the world around us. Nowadays, we get other people’s opinions ad nauseam. Commentary does have its place and there’s nothing like a well-crafted editorial to get you thinking. But the accelerating flood of views and personal perspectives that’s spilling out of the blogosphere and washing away the facts is getting out of hand. And if those of us who work in newspapers think we’re going to win the showdown

between old and new media by taking on the bloggers at their own game, then we are only shooting ourselves in the foot. Nobody ever won a battle by copying their rivals to the letter. Which brings us back to the tax package and Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s little stateside vacation. It’s not often that I have sympathy for a politician who becomes entangled in his own semi-truths, but this time the ferocity of the media dissection of his faux pas gave me pause for thought. It also reminded me of an interview that he gave shortly after becoming prime minister in the spring of 2009. Like many other journalists, at the time I was irked by his criticism that commentators were focusing on process instead of political substance. Now, at the tail end of a hysterical media overdrive, I reckon he had a point.

10 News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

29 June - 5 July 2012

New fines a bitter bill to swallow, say offending cyclists thought most cyclists were aware they were openly flouting the law, all three officers were unanimous in saying that the vast majority of Several claim ignorance in their people in Copenhagen, especially defence; police concede that the difficult-to-access rules aren’t on Danes, did know they were doing the wrong thing. their website Eager to see whether cyclists agreed with the officers, we tried ark Twain fa- approaching people after they mously wrote: “Get a were fined, and while the majorbicycle. You will not ity of them declined to comment, regret it.” However, we did manage to convince a few he’d probably never been fined by to talk to us. the Copenhagen Police. Michell McSherry, 26, a CoLate last year, changes to the penhagen local, was pulled over traffic law resulted in many cy- during the sting operation for cling fines jumping from 500 to riding against the traffic down 700 kroner, and in some cases a one-way street. He was fined even as high as 1,000 kroner. 1,000 kroner. With that in mind, The CoWhen asked whether he penhagen Post hit the beat with knew he was breaking the law by the police to get the nitty-gritty cycling down the street, McSheron what we’re doing wrong, and ry denied knowing it was against to see whether the fine increases the law. have actually deterred cyclists “I broke the law and it’s my from breaking the law. own fault, but I really didn’t Joining officers Anders, Al- know, not at all. It totally surbrechl and Stürup, we took up prised me,” he said. our post on the road that passes McSherry explained to The under Ny Teater, linking Vester- Copenhagen Post that although brogade to Gammel Kongvej. It the obvious rules are often in the is a narrow one-way street with Danish news, he’d never heard no cycle lanes. anything about not being able As officer Glenn Anders to cycle down a one-way road. explained, this street, although “I was sure that rule only apclearly signposted as a one-way plied to cars,” he stressed, adding street, is a popular shortcut for that it was disappointing because cyclists travelling the fines are now so from Gammel high. Kongvej to VesterWhen the officbrogade. ers weren’t busy fin“They know It’s ridiculous the ing people left, right they can’t come and centre, they took down here; the way they hide, it’s time to explain the street is too narrow like playing a cat basic rules of cycling and they run the to us. “You obviously risk of crashing into and mouse game can’t go through red cars,” he explained. lights, ride on the Eager to see whether this street pavement or talk on your phone,” was indeed as popular as Officer Officer Albrechl explained. Anders thought, we stood and It appears these are the ones waited, and sure enough it didn’t that are catching most people out. take long to nab our first victim. “The majority of cyclists who get Within 30 seconds of taking fines are caught going through up our position, the first officer red lights,” Officer Stürup said. was off and running to stop a cyOne such cyclist is 27-yearclist cycling the wrong way down old Andreas Rasmussen. On his the street. In the minutes that way home after a night out he followed, both remaining offic- was fined 1,000 kroner for going ers were also off and stopping cy- through a red light at a deserted clists, either for riding the wrong junction. way or riding on the pavement to Cold and eager to get home, avoid the narrow road. Rasmussen waited for the light When asked whether they to change, but after a few min-

Jessica O’Sullivan

“Finding a cyclist in Copenhagen who doesn’t break the rules is like finding a needle in a haystack!” said Andreas Rasmussen

“I had no idea it was against the law; it totally surprised me,” said Michell McSherry

utes decided to cautiously cycle through anyway. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a cyclist in Copenhagen who doesn’t do it if there are no cars around, although this fine will definitely make me think twice about doing it again,” he said. As for the bikes themselves, we offered up our own to see if it’d pass police inspection. Apart from not having lights on the bike, we luckily made the grade because it’s currently so light at night. Officer Anders told us that cyclists must make sure they have working brakes, a bell, a lock, reflectors (white on the front, red on the rear, yellow on the sides), lights (white on the front, red on the rear) and if it’s a new bike, front brakes. Over the course of 45 minutes the officers managed to issue 26 infringement notices, most at 1,000 kroner a pop. That’s the equivalent of 250,000 kroner per day. Whilst most cyclists took it in their stride, a few took offence to the way in which they were caught. One such cyclist was David Hidtoft who questioned the po-

Standing behind pillars to catch their prey didn’t impress David Hidtoft

lice’s method of hiding behind pillars so that oncoming cyclists couldn’t see them until it was too late. “It’s ridiculous the way they hide; it’s like playing a cat and mouse game,” he fumed. With time served, we were free to go, but before leaving we wanted to find out where cyclists could access the rules. With this it appeared we had finally stumped the officers and after debate amongst themselves they admitted that they weren’t really sure. They did agree however that the police website didn’t have the information – neither in Danish nor in English. Eager to find out whether the information was freely accessible, we contacted the deputy chief superintendent, John Sckaletz, who suggested an internet search would bring up useful information. Whilst a Google search did indeed bring up the relevant information, it does beg the question of whether Danish police could be doing more to inform cyclists of their responsibilities on the road. But this, of course, would probably hurt their profit margin.

Online this week Their goose is cooked

A new agreement in parliament will see the extension of Metro service to the rapidly developing Nordhavn area, as well as allocate more funds to promoting bicycling nationwide. The Metro extension, scheduled to be completed in 2019, will consist of two new stops and connect with the City Ring line, which is due to be completed in 2018. One of the planned Metro stops will be located near the existing Nordhavn Station, while the other will be placed near Orientkaj, close to the ferry terminal and a number of UN offices. Some 150 million kroner has been allocated to improving bicycle infrastructure, with 30 percent of that amount going

Copenhagen Police rounded up 31 suspected illegal immigrants working as prostitutes during a sweep of Istedgade in the Vesterbro district this week. A man indentified as a French citizen was also detained, but later released. The women, all from Nigeria, are charged with holding false residency permits. Kjeld Farcinsen of the Copenhagen Police said the number of African women arriving in Copenhagen to work as prostitutes was on the rise, and that they are becoming increasingly aggressive. “When our undercover officers approach them, the women make no attempt to hide the fact that they are offering sex for money,” Farcinsen told Politiken newspaper. Far-

Pink-footed geese in western Jutland are causing so much agricultural damage that a plan has called for a cull of a quarter of the 80,000 migrating population. The population of geese that winters in northern Europe has quadrupled over the past 40 years. This boom has caused conflicts with agricultural interests, so a population management plan was agreed on by Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium. Not everyone is keen on the plan. Egon Østergaard, the chairman of DOF, the national ornithological association, said he disagreed with it in principle.

to projects along state roads, while the rest is earmarked for projects by councils and NGOs. Parliament’s transport infrastructure agreement, a part of the government’s Green Transport Policy, will cost about 330 million kroner and will be financed jointly by the City of Copenhagen and the state.

from archive

Police crackdown on illegals working as prostitutes

scanpix/ Christian Als

Nordhavn to get its own underground stations

cinsen said about 20 other suspected illegal immigrants working as prostitutes managed to elude police during the action, and he promised that there would be more night-time raids over the next few weeks.

Read the full stories at cphpost.dk

CHILDREN’S FAIR 2012 THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

Wouldn’t be summer without knights in fights and damsels in tights PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD WORDS BY BEN HAMILTON

OVER THE summer, the country comes alive with events that celebrate our medieval traditions. From last weekend’s Sankt Hans Aften bonfires and the Esrum Medieval Market to the ongoing Viking Days in Frederikssund, a gathering isn’t a gathering without a longboat, a jester and some swordplay. And no event captures the public’s imagination better than the Copenhagen Medieval Market, which this year took place on the Whitsun bank holiday weekend at Valbyparken in splendid sunshine

Wow, what an action shot. Although to be fair, if these were statues it would denote that neither of these horsemen ever saw real action. Or they would, if hoof code wasn’t an urban myth

The crowds were treated to a fierce re-enactment battle ...

It’s blunter than Birthe Rønn Hornbech, but that’s got to hurt

We think he may partake in too much mead

followed by the slaughter of the said re-enactors by the Danish Olympic archery team

Since when did Odin have a helicopter helmet?

Scary bird for sale. Free falcon with every purchase

If in doubt and you want clout, call the Yeti

Coining it in at the shrapnel stand

The runner-up in the knobbly knees contest

Handicrafts from Minsk or should that be the minx?

Polished helmets courtesy of Dragør Fort

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

(UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)

The celebrations of Greenland’s National Day last week on Thursday included a performance by an Inuit choir on the Amagertorv section of Strøget

Ireland’s deputy head of mission, Jane McCulloch, is bidding farewell to Denmark for pastures new in Warsaw. A special reception at Irish ambassador Brendan Scannell’s residence saw her off in style

Danish lawyer Anders Torbøl, the president of the Danish-French Chamber of Commerce, has received France’s Legion of Honour. French ambassador Veronique Bujon-Barre did the honours at a special reception on Tuesday at her residence at Det Tottske Palæ

Skt Josefs Skole (left) was the place to be last week on Thursday to partake in a magical mystery tour. A healthy crowd of prospective parents and friends of the school gathered to play the ‘Town Challenge’ game. The weather gods were kind, and so were the parents when they decided to round the day off at the local Paradis. It was an offer that Jonas (centre left), the son of Line Lorentzen, the head of the school’s International Department, gratefully took up, while others, including George from England (right centre), preferred a more traditional kind of refreshment. You can’t beat a decent cuppa! Photos: Skt Josefs Skole

INSPIRATION FROM THE SPIRE

Jonathan LLoyd is the Anglican/Episcopal priest in Denmark. You can find him on your way to the Little Mermaid at St Alban’s Church, Churchillparken. This may seem like a little piece of England complete with its distinctive spire and statue of Sir Winston, but it gathers people from across the globe plus hundreds of tourists each week. Jonathan has lived in Copenhagen for the last two years and loves the place.

Scene Kunst Skoler, international drama school for children in Hellerup, finished its season in style with another impressive performance: this time, ‘Dracula’ at Taastrup Theatre. Students aged six to 18, seen here giving a rendition of ‘Thriller’, took obvious delight in the goriness of the production. “It’s just amazing the level of performance students can reach when given the opportunity. It is as good as anything I’ve seen in the theatre,” said the school’s co-founder Russell Collins. “It’s really inspiring and they love it too. ”Take advantage of the school’s current offer and enroll your child on a free afternoon course on August 18 at Rygaards Skole in Hellerup. Photos: Scene Kunst Skoler

Superkilen, the colourful new urban park in Nørrebro, has finally opened. Last Friday, visitors braved the rain to mark the occasion. The park is the result of a collaboration between the arts group Superflex, the architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the German urban space design group Topotek1, and local residents

DON’T KNOW about you, but I was clutching a cushion over my face as the Italy vs England penalty shootout fired off in Kiev on Sunday night. Sport is a cruel business. There are winners and losers, and nothing in between. My daughter Sarah used to be in the Great Britain under-20s sabre fencing team. It’s a skillful but fierce sport, especially when facing beefy Hungarians at the other end of the piste. Twice a week she would leave school early to train at the Millfield Fencing Academy in Somerset, and on a too-regular basis letters would arrive on my doormat saying: “Congratulations, your daughter has been selected to represent GB ... please send a cheque for £XXX for her trip next week to Koln/ Budapest/Rome/Paris/Pisa.” Some of the GB fencing team selected for next month’s London Olympics are close

friends and fierce rivals of Sarah. She used to beat one of those selected on a regular basis, before herself retiring a few years ago due to illness. Sarah’s sporting career representing her country at a top level was over, but so was the regular jaunt of travelling to faraway places, sitting in a sports hall (they all look the same), and either winning or losing (sometimes in just five minutes) thankfully also over. The intensity of competitive sport was adrenalin-inducing and fun, but also a huge drain on our resources of money and time. To be honest, it took over our lives as a family. This all makes me appreciate the huge determination and sacrifice made by our young sportsmen and women, and indeed their parents. I served as a part of the chaplaincy team at the Manchester Commonwealth Games and met athletes from every corner of the world. Sport brings people together

from every background, rich and poor, black and white, north and south, east and west. What I have learnt from being a sports’ parent and a sports’ chaplain is that learning to lose well is as important as coping with winning. But it is good to win, as the whole of Italy can appreciate this week. My friend Steph Cook won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics for GB in the modern pentathlon. When she went to Sydney she was unknown. When she returned she was a national heroine. She was a qualified doctor and surgeon before the Olympics. On winning gold, she was asked by a journalist: “What does it feel like to now be able to give up medicine and become a sports star?” Steph replied: “No, I am giving up sport and returning to medicine.” I liked that. Sport is important, but learning to lose and win well is more important.

13 Battering up with the New Yorker who switched bases THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

ELISE BEACOM Summer is here and the country’s small but enthusiastic contingent of softball and baseball players are out swinging

IVING IN a foreign country, everything can feel a bit alien at times – especially when the sports are completely different to the ones you are used to. When Kurt vom Scheidt, a New Yorker, first moved to Denmark, he was missing his favourite sport: baseball. That was until he discovered a little slice of Americana right here – at Gladsaxe Softball and Baseball Klub.

Vom Scheidt now coaches the under-12s side, who took second place at the national indoor ‘DM’ tournament in autumn, while the club’s undefeated under-15s went one better and claimed the national title. While the club members vary in ability, Gladsaxe is home to some of the country’s best junior players – eight of whom were selected for the Danish national team, which will travel to Argentina to compete over the summer. Though the club has enjoyed a high level of success, Vom Scheidt says their main aim is to introduce people to a sport that is lesser known in Denmark and to teach young

players how to work in a team. “Softball is a fantastic game that encourages individual achievement, but never ahead of the team,” he said. “It’s like any sport: it’s healthy and it prepares you for what you need to do later in life. It helps us to recognise our strengths and weaknesses and learn to get along together.” One example of the team spirit is that batters will often ‘sacrifice’ a big slog to make sure one of their teammates advances to the next base. Vom Scheidt says this play normally results in the batter getting out for the sake of a teammate. “This is part of the DNA of the game and just exempli-

fies the fact that no one player is above the team and that everybody must always do their part for the team to perform optimally,” he said. “A solid lesson and foundation for life I think.” Though the sport is one of the most popular in the United States, Vom Scheidt’s son Mitchell is the closest to an American playing in the under-12s team – and Mitchell has never even set foot there. Vom Scheidt said it had been fun teaching Mitchell about American culture through the sport. He was also satisfied to see his son’s television taste develop from watching cartoons to watching baseball.

“Now we freeze it, watch it in slow motion and talk about it. He’s not into the stats yet though – he hasn’t quite graduated to that.” Half of the members at Gladsaxe are Danish and half are foreigners living in Denmark. Vom Scheidt said anyone could play, given they have sufficient hand-eye co-ordination, and many of the foreign players come with some prior cricket or rounders experience, which follow some of the same principles. There is a T-ball competition, as well as under-12s, under-15s and under-19s softball teams, and Vom Scheidt said they try to rotate the pitch as

much as possible to enable all players a fair go. But with ladies and men’s teams, and a Friday night social slow-pitch competition, the adults can also get involved. The club has all the necessary gear, including bats, helmets and gloves, and anyone interested can come along to training at Isbanevej, close to Gladsaxe Stadion, up to three times before they commit to playing for the whole season. The action continues in the winter when the competition moves inside. Go to the club’s website to find out how to get swinging at www.gsksoftball.dk. PETER BEHRENDORFF MADSEN

Mitchell vom Scheidt: he’s swapped watching cartoons for baseball

Under-12s star hitter Vivian Culp preparing to smash the ball to a pulp

The Gladsaxe under-12s: (back row, left-right) assistant coach David Varey, coach Kurt vom Scheidt, (middle row) Tara Malou Licari, Abigail Varey, Vivian Culp, Ida Dedetas, (front row) Alexander Varey, Alexander Molinaro, Mitchell vom Scheidt, Pulin Dhar

Cup final heartbreak for Exiles COMING UP SOON DAVE SMITH

HE EXILES men’s rugby side on Saturday failed to capitalise on their home advantage in this season’s Cup Final, which this year took place at the club’s home ground at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in Lyngby, losing 5-27 to mighty CSR – their fourth title on the trot.

Around 320 people turned up to see the match between two of the country’s biggest clubs, and the atmosphere around the pitch was excellent. It was a great advert for the sport and played in good spirit. The guys from CSR started quickly, scoring the first try of the day just five minutes after the kick-off, but failed with the subsequent conversion kick. Exiles

The Exiles under-14s were also soundly beaten by CSR

then went close with a penalty that missed by just a few centimetres before drawing level after 30 minutes with a try of their own. But it didn’t last long, and CSR scored shortly afterwards and converted to lead at the break 12-5. CSR rode their luck somewhat in the second half to pull away, adding another 15 points to comfortably win 27-5 and lift the cup for a fourth consecutive year. As the host team, Exiles were, in collaboration with DTU, responsible for the event and had arranged a 7s warm up-game for the U14 players of both teams to be played before the Cup Final as well as the sale of beer produced by the DTU’s own brewery, DTU Bryghus. The U14 match also ended in favour of CSR by a margin of 35-5. The Cup Final was followed by a cosy barbecue event for both players and spectators, and as usual after the game the teams named their players of the day – on their own team as well as the opponents’ team.

BCCD: Special Lunch with John Stuttart Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Hammerichsgade 1, Cph V; Thu 5 July, 11:45; free adm; sign up at www.bccd.dk John Stuttard is an English chartered accountant who was lord mayor of the City of London in 2006/2007. The talk will look at the reasons behind the City of London becoming one of the financial centres of the world, what the key success factors, opportunities and threats are, and what the role of lord mayor is. Voter registration Rådhuspladsen; Wed 4 July, 09:00-19:00; free adm; www. democratsabroad.org Democrats Abroad, the overseas branch of the US Democratic Party, are holding a voter registration event ahead of the upcoming US elections. In order to register to vote in the upcoming November elections, remember to bring along your ID to prove you are a US citizen.

Poetry and Pints Sankt Nikolaj Pub, Nikolajgade 18, Cph K; Thu 5 July, 19:00; free adm; sign up at www.meetup.com If you like to perform and to drink beer, this is the event to join. The Copenhagen Theatre Circle invites you to their monthly meet-up, where poetry, skits and readings go handin-hand with drinking. If you don’t have any theatrical skills whatsoever, you’re still welcome to join. Gardening in Nørrebroparken Café Stefanshus, Stefansgade 22, Cph N; Sun 8 July, 12:00; free adm; www.meetup.com An area of land once used by drug dealers is now a thriving community garden in the heart of Nørrebro (see last week’s paper for the full story). Anyone interested can attend one of the group’s work sessions from 12-6pm on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To stay updated, find the Facebook group ‘Byhaven 2200’. You can also join the meet-up group ‘Copenha-

gen Volunteers’, who will meet at Café Stefanshus before heading to the park. Win 10,000 kroner www.facebook.com/10000kroner Jeffrey Hunter, the American who three months ago said he was prepared to pay 10,000 kroner to anyone who helped him find employment, managed to find the kind of job needed to qualify for indefinite residency in this country. But, his euphoria didn’t last long. “I’ve just been told my contract can’t be renewed past next week, because there’s no money in the well, which means I’m very close to getting kicked out ... again,” Jeffrey writes on his Facebook. “So I’m once again offering 10,000 to the person who helps me find a job.” Go to Facebook and search for ‘10000kroner’.

MIKE HOFMAN

SPORT

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

No hopes for yellow ...

but the red polka dots are within range Danish cyclist Chris Anker Sørensen is the bookmakers’ favourite to win the King of the Mountains, although the category is one of the most open of all time

the Danish squad won’t have a rider vying for overall victory, but owner Bjarne Riis believes that the team still shouldn’t be underestimated. “Of course it’s a different challenge that greets us now that we don’t really have a potential winner riding in our team,” Bjarne Riis wrote on the Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank website. “We begin this year’s Tour de France with a goal of going for stage victories and leaving our mark on the race – something I believe we can do. We have tried to create a team focusing on open opportunities, and I think that we have ended up with a good balance of experi-

ence, aggressiveness and various competences.” In addition to the five Danish riders, there are two Danes listed as reserves: Matti Breschel for Dutch outfit Rabobank and Jakob Fuglsang for the Radioshack-Nissan team. Fuglsang is reportedly so gutted at missing out on a place for his team that he is currently negotiating with Bjarne Riis to return to Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank. The 2012 Tour de France begins on June 30 with the short prologue in Liège, Belgium, and ends on July 22 when the winner pulls on the yellow jersey for one final time on the ChampsÉlysées in Paris. LARS RØNBØG/SCANPIX

T’S MIGUEL Indurain ruling supreme. It’s Lance Armstrong leaving Lars Ullrich for dead. It’s Eddy Merckx with his arms pointing to the skies in triumph. It’s Stephen Roche appearing out of nowhere on La Plagne to claw back Pedro Delgado. It’s Marcus Burghardt crashing into a stray dog. It’s John-Lee Augustyn going over the cliff. Put on your helmets, oil up your chain and pray for a strike at your work, because Mon Dieu! It’s Tour de France time! It’s going to be 20 days of pure punishment. Blood, sweat and tears will be spilt onto the quaint French country roads as hundreds of riders make their way through the gruelling stages of the 2012 Tour de France. Twenty-two teams will battle it out, come rain or shine, to see who will be tasting champagne on top of the winner’s podium in Paris on July 22. Excruciating mountain stages through the Pyrenees and Alps will test the endurance limitations of the individual rider, team time trials will gauge the collective effort, and the everrousing spirit of the fans will contribute to the most spectacular and demanding bicycle race of the year. This year’s edition will feature nine flat ‘sprinter

friendly’ stages, nine mountain stages, three individual timetrial stages (including the 6.4km prologue) and only two rest days all rolled into 3,501 kilometres of unbridled drama and agony. The Tour de France has held a special place in the hearts of the Danes ever since Kim Andersen held the yellow jersey for six special days in 1983. And it was a love that was finally reciprocated in 1996 when ‘The Eagle from Herning’, Bjarne Riis, became the first Dane to win the coveted race. Michael ‘The Chicken’ Rasmussen then came agonisingly close to repeating the achievement in 2007, but was pulled from the race by his team under suspicious circumstances with victory in sight. And several other home-grown cyclists have become icons overnight, including Rolf Sørensen, Jørgen Pedersen and Bo Hamburger, by taking the yellow jersey at some point in their career. The 2012 Tour de France once again has a Danish presence, counting five riders in total. Lars Bak will be an important component for the Lotto-Belisol team, but it will be Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank – as it is now officially called (as of June 25) following the announcement that a Russian online financial institution, Tinkoff Bank, has signed up to become a main co-sponsor with Saxo Bank – that will provide the bulk of the Danish riders this year. Chris Anker Sørensen, Michael Mørkov, Anders Lund and veteran Nicki Sørensen will all help the Danish team as they strive to overcome the loss of Alberto Contador due to his drug suspension. This will be the first year for a long time that

TORKIL ADSERSEN/SCANPIX

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

KINGMAKERS BEHIND THE BOY Denmark’s Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank, wich is managed by Bjarne Riis (pictured above, centre) will be looking to win a stage or two while competing for the King of the Mountains jersey for Chris Anker Sørensen. Here is the rest of the team: Juan José Haedo: Riis will be hoping that the Argentine sprinter manages to get a stage win, though he’s not in the same league as the likes of Mark Cavendish, Tyler Farrar, Oscar Freire and Alessandro Petacchi. Jonathan Cantwell: The Australian sprinter will be counted on to support Haedo in his sprint finishes and also to be a solid component in the team effort. Nick Nuyens: The powerful Belgian one-day-race specialist will provide plenty of experience and tactical prowess.

BOY WHO WOULD BE KING

Chris Anker Sørensen: The 27-year old Dane will be gunning for glory in the King of the Mountains category after proving himself invaluable as a support rider in the mountains in the past for Contador and Andy Schleck. With neither of them competing for the team (suspended, left the team and injured respectively), it’s his turn to shine and he could even make it inside the top 20 in the final individual standings. However, his main focus is the red polka dot jacket, and he is currently the favourite (13/2 with Ladbroke’s) to take the title. Nevertheless, this is the most open category in living memory, and he will be counting on the essential support of his teammates if he is to conquer the gruelling French mountains. His form this year is good – he finished in eleventh place in the Swiss Tour and won the king of the mountains title in the seven-stage Spanish race, the Volta a Catalunya. Other career highlights include stage 8 of the 2010 Giro d’Italia, which he won after a long solo breakaway.

12 13

Nicki Sørensen: The Danish veteran will help the team with his experience and stamina. Sørensen is the team’s captain and although he is a brilliant support rider, he also won a stage in the 2009 tour. Michael Mørkøv: The Dane is an excellent support rider due to his tactical skills and also pretty useful in the time trials. Anders Lund: The Dane is perhaps the best team rider in the squad. He’s a solid support rider blessed with great stamina who is capable of riding strong in the mountains. Karsten Kroon: A loyal team rider, the Dutchman brings loads of experience to the table and has stage wins in the Tour de France and Giro D’Italia under his belt. Sergio Paulinho: The Portuguese support rider will be a huge help to Chris Anker Sørensen in his quest to win the mountain jersey, but Paulinho can also win himself, as he proved by winning a stage in the 2010 Tour de France.

14 15

18 19

SPORTS NEWS AND BRIEFS Danes picked in NHL draft

Jakob links up with Tinker

FCK appoint Belgian champ

Sailing boom for Funen

Mange tak Slovenia!

Woz’s woes at Wimbledon

TWO DANES have been picked in this year’s NHL draft, taking the total number over the last 50 years to 16. Goaltender Frederik Andersen, 22, was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks as the 87th pick overall to become their third choice goalie, and then forward Thomas Spelling, 19, was selected by the New York Rangers as pick number 142. It is the sixth consecutive year that Danes have been drafted.

JAKOB POULSEN’S terrible marking against Germany at Euro 2012 has not deterred AS Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri from signing him from FC Midtjylland for a fee rumoured to be 8 million kroner. Monaco, which is currently in Ligue 2, becomes the 28-year-old’s second foreign club, following a two-year spell the midfielder spent at Dutch outfit Heerenveen from 2006-08.

FC COPENHAGEN has named Belgium’s Ariël Jacobs as its new coach. Jacobs, 58, in May decided not to renew his contract at Anderlecht, where he had spent four and a half years, winning the Belgian league title twice, in 2010 and 2012. The 58-yearold has signed a two-year deal and replaces Carsten V Jensen, who it emerged was only a caretaker coach after the Lions failed to win the Superliga.

THE DANISH town of Middelfart on the island of Funen has won the rights to host the 2013 ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final, one of the International Sailing Federation’s most prestigious events. Middlefart, which beat off competition from five other international venues, will host the final from August 6-10. The last time the match racing cup was held, in 2010, sailors from 40 different countries competed.

DENMARK’S rugby union side has been promoted to Europe’s Division 2B, a five-nation league that is four divisions below the Six Nations. By finishing second in Europe’s Division 2C (201012), Denmark qualified for a play-off against Slovenia, which was scheduled for June 9. However, Slovenia forfeited. Denmark will therefore play in Division 2B (2012-14) against 2C champs Israel, Latvia, Andorra and Serbia.

AT THE TIME of going to press, Caroline Wozniacki was a break down, trailing 5-4, in her raindelayed first round match against Austria’s Tamira Paszek, who on Saturday won the AGEON International grass-court championships in Eastbourne, a tournament that Wozniacki was knocked out of in her opening match. Paszek made the quarterfinals last year – further than Wozniacki has ever been.

Business

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

29 June - 5 July 2012

Shandana Mufti

Danish toy manufacturer’s products are being used as an education tool that makes engineering a fun subject for kids worldwide

Hasse Ferrold

How children are learning well using Lego bricks Investors paying to lend the government money

iven his recent endeavours, Lego might one day toast the moment that Amir Asor, a young Israeli entrepreneur, started looking at their bricks from a different perspective. Asor has spent the last five years developing an extracurricular programme that strives to make engineering fun for children by using Lego as a teaching tool. Given its initial popularity in the countries where it has been used, the initiative that Asor refers to as ‘edutainment’ could one day prove to be extremely lucrative for the Danish toy manufacturer. Edutainment is a portmanteau of ‘education’ and ‘entertainment’, which form the cornerstones of Asor’s business. “There is a synergy between these two things,” he told The Copenhagen Post when we met him following his appearances at several schools across Copenhagen, including CIS and Rygaards in Hellerup. “One plus one equals three, not two.” Asor founded Young Engineers in 2007. After battling disillusionment with his studies throughout his childhood as a result of learning difficulties, he was motivated to ensure that others wouldn’t have to share his struggles. His company creates lesson plans of varying levels of complexity, each of which demonstrate different scientific and engineering principles. There are about 150 designs in all, and the same Lego kit can be used for multiple lesson plans. The kits are currently assembled by Young Engineers, but a deal with

Amir Asor (centre) pictured on his recent visit with Israel’s deputy head of mission, Dan Oryan (right) and some very edutained children

Lego could see that change in the future. “When I was a child, I had many learning difficulties and I really wanted to succeed,” Asor said as he began the story of how his company was founded. Asor was injured while serving in the Israeli Army, where he was a volunteer for a rescue unit. His injuries led to a year of recovery, which he spent at home in Rehovot, a city close to Tel Aviv. It was during this year that Asor had time to reflect upon the roots of his childhood learning struggles. After recovering, Asor attended the Open University, graduating with degrees in computer science and economics. With his diplomas came an epiphany: by finishing something that he had once believed impossible, Asor realised that he did not have any real learning difficulties. “I realised I should not give up,” he said. While volunteering with children after graduating from university, Asor was struck by the idea to write programmes that could capture the minds of children in order to transform learning from a boring

chore to a stimulating activity. His programmes were massively successful. “I realised that not being able to recruit enough engineers is a huge problem worldwide,” Asor said. This brain drain poses a threat to Israel’s economy, which unlike other countries in the region does not have access to oil. “All we can sell is knowledge,” Asor said. And it is his mission to guarantee that today’s Israeli youth is well equipped for the future. Though the Israeli Ministry of Education has expressed interest in incorporating Asor’s lesson plans into the national curriculum, Asor is hesitant to do so. “Our goal is to contribute to the lower classes of society,” Asor explained. “I think everybody should have the opportunity.” Asor wants his programme to be incorporated into school curriculums, but not on a national level. He wants children in problematic areas to have the extra edge provided by the lesson plans, maintaining that children in well-off areas already have an academic advantage. In addition to plans to expand the programme in Israel,

business news and briefs Holiday rules change could be costly for business Businesses could lose millions of kroner as a result of a change to holiday rules. Under the new rules, employees who become ill during their holiday are entitled to take the days lost to illness at another point in the year. The employers’ association Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening (DA) has warned that the rule change could prove costly for businesses. The new rules stipulate that if a person is sick for

High bid for 4G access

more than five of their 25 annual holiday days they can be compensated with extra days off. There are fears that the new rules will be abused. To deter fraud, employees would have to prove that their holiday illness was so severe that they would have been unable to work by providing documentation from a doctor, and they would be required to pay for the doctor’s visit out of their own pocket.

The country’s three major telecommunications companies – TDC, Telia and Telenor – have collectively bid over 739 million kroner for bandwidth to deliver 4G mobile access throughout Denmark. The bids were much higher than had been anticipated. The auction concerned the 800 MHz frequency band, previously used for analogue television, which stopped broadcasting in 2009.

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Asor also wants to take his business worldwide. Spanish and English versions of his various curriculums will be released later this year, and a pilot programme is being launched next year in Russia. Asor’s vision for Young Engineers is to have 30,000 education centres teaching his lesson plans around the world in ten years time. “We believe Young Engineers programmes are so successful they will let us enter any world market we want to,” Asor said. “Young Engineers is a milestone.” And the reason for Young Engineers’ massive success, which includes an overnight growth of 1,100 percent on 1 September 2009, when the number of centres in Israel teaching the curriculum rose from eight to 91? According to Asor, while awards for entrepreneurship – first in an Israeli competition in 2010, and later in a global competition held by Prince Charles’ Youth Business International last year, where he beat 40 other companies to win the prize – have helped, it is ultimately the fusion of work and play that makes his programmes so popular. “The Young Engineers programmes are so successful because they know how to take the natural instinct of the child to play and to merge it with learning. Once you establish this connection, the child will be curious and continue to learn forever.”

Negative interest rates on government bonds indicates that investors see the krone as a European “safe haven”

nvestors are so disillusioned with the Eurozone that they are willing to buy Danish government bonds at a negative interest rate, thereby paying to lend the government money. Normally governments raise money by selling bonds and buying them back with interest after a period of time. But this week the government set a Nordic precedent and sold bonds with a -0.8 percent interest rate, meaning investors are paying the government to hold their money for the two years that the bonds last. According to Morten Langer, the editor-in-chief of financial weekly Økonomisk Ugebrev, investor willingness to make a small loss on their investments is a reaction to the euro’s ongoing problems. “Investors are buying protection. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what is going to happen in the Eurozone and fears that Greece and maybe even Spain will have to exit. So investors are taking their money out of the euro and putting it in countries outside the Eurozone that have sound macroeconomic policy.”

This message was echoed by Jan Storup Nielsen, an analyst at Nordea Markets in Denmark. “The auction shows yet again that we are this safe haven for financial markets,” Nielsen told the Wall Street Journal. “The economy is viewed as having very strong fundamentals. For the government it is a very good thing, because even though our debt is rising, we can save a lot of money.” Investors have also been aggressively buying the krone in recent weeks, though Langer added that it was less to do with the state of Denmark’s economy – which is sluggish – and rather the lack of faith in Eurozone countries to solve the currency’s problems. Danish votes rejected the euro in a 1998 referendum. Instead the krone is pegged tightly to it, meaning that if the euro cracks after a Greek or Spainish withdrawal, the krone is not likely to be weakened in the same way. But the increased investment in the krone is strengthening its value against the euro, placing pressure on Nationalbanken, the central bank, to maintain the peg. “If the euro cracks, the pressure to cut the peg will be overwhelming,” Stuart Fiertz, the president of Cheyne Capital, a London-based hedge fund, told the Financial Times. (PS)

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

Reflections of a Lord Mayor of London on the Medieval Role in the Modern City John Stuttart Deputy Chairman, PWC Advisory board Lord Mayor of the City of London in 2006/2007 Sir John Stuttard is an English chartered accountant and was the Lord Mayor of the City of London in 2006/2007. He is also Deputy Chairman of PWC’s Advisory board. As the 679th Lord Mayor, John Stuttard attended nearly 2,000 engagements, including 466 formal lunches and dinners, 764 speeches and 133 media interviews. He hosted visiting foreign Ministers, businessmen and dignitaries and he spent more than 100 nights abroad in 23 countries promoting the financial, maritime and other business services industry of the UK. Every day was different; every day was special. The talk will look at the reasons behind the City of London becoming the Financial Centre of the World, what the key success factors, opportunities and threats are, and what the role of the Lord Mayor is as the champion of the City both ancient and modern. He is visiting Denmark as the organiser of a Rolls Royce Ghost owners tour of Northern Europe. 17 pre-War Rolls-Royces will participate in the tour, ranging from a 1913 Silver Ghost to a 1934 20/25. Of the 17 vehicles, 10 will be Silver Ghosts. The tour will start in Denmark and finish in Helsinki, travelling through Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. The majority of the cars will be on display at Tivoli for the day but we will also arrange for one of these vintage cars to be on display in the hotel lobby. Date: Thursday, 5 July 2012 Time: 11.45 Venue: Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Non-members are very welcome. Please contact BCCD or go to www.bccd.dk for further information

If you would like to attend then please send us an email (event@bccd.dk) or call +45 31 18 75 58 Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency

Date: 27 June 2012

• official media partner Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE SPOUSE: Maihemutijiang Maimaiti FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Aarhus area, Denmark QUALIFICATION: M.Sc. In Computer Science, Uppsala University, Sweden; Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Southwest University. LOOKING FOR: IT jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Chinese, Uyghur. IT EXPERIENCE: 1 year experience in Java programming and modelling in VDM++. CONTACT: mehmudjan@live.se SPOUSE: Monika Sysiak FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen / eastern Zealand QUALIFICATION: Master degree in Environmental Engineering from Cracow University of Technology. Major in Water Supply, Sewage and Waste Treatment and Water Quality Protection. Completed one semester in Environmental Engineering at Engineering College of Aarhus. EXPERIENCE: Internship during studies in designing water supply systems and sewerage systems. LOOKING FOR: Graduation programme, internship, training, part time or full time job related to mymqualifications. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Polish (mother tongue), English (fluent), Danish (starting). IT-EXPERIENCE: AutoCAD, MOUSE DHI, MS Windows, MS Office. CONTACT: EMAIL: monikasysiak@gmail.com Tel: +45 50 43 70 43 SPOUSE: S.M. Ariful Islam FROM: Bangladesh SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: PhD student (2nd year) in Language Policy and Practice in Aalborg University, MA in Bilingualism, MA in English Linguistics, BA in English. EXPERIENCE: 18 months as a University lecturer in English in Bangladesh. Taught advanced grammar, four skills (listening, speaking, reading & writing), ELT courses, Second Language theories, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics. LOOKING FOR: A position of English teacher/lecturer in English Medium Schools, Colleges and Universities. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Bengali (mother tongue), English (second language), Danish (fluent) Danske Uddannelse PD3, Hindi and Urdu (Spoken) and Swedish (basic). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: ariful@id.aau.dk, arif401@yahoo.com, Tel: +45 42778296 SPOUSE: Clémence Arnal FROM: France SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen; Region Sjælland QUALIFICATION: Wastewater/drinking water (processes and treatments, building design, water sampling and pollution rate measurement); environment protection ( river basin management, waste management). EXPERIENCE: Waste sorting representative (Office “Communauté du Pays d’Aix”, France); Leaks investigation on drinking water networks, Help to communes to deal with their drinking water system, Control operation of individual sanitation systems (Office “G2C Environnement”, France); Drinking water stations security: putting the Antiterrorist security plan in practice, employees security , Distribution network security: determining the cost of a network re-chlorination unit (“Drinking Water” administration of Aix en Provence, France). LOOKING FOR: Water treatment assistant / engineer. LANGUAGE SKILLS: French (mother tongue); English (Fluent); Danish (Prøve Dansk 3). IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office; AutoCAD (basic); Mapinfo (basic). CONTACT: clem.arnal@gmail.com Tel: 23 34 63 22 SPOUSE: Isaac P Thomas FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: East Juthland preferably Århus QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science). EXPERIENCE: Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition, Software testing, software development, data analysis, best practice sharing, quality gap analysis and “sharepoint” expertise. LOOKING FOR: Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition LANGUAGE SKILLS: Danish beginner, English, Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil. IT EXPERIENCE: 8 years experience in IT Industry in software quality assurance, software quality control, software development. CONTACT: isaacpthomas@gmail.com, Tel: +4552225642 SPOUSE: Victor Bosie-Boateng FROM: Ghana SEEKING WORK IN: All of Denmark QUALIFICATION: Master of social science (Development studies & International relations) from Aalborg University in Denmark EXPERIENCE: 5 years of wide experience working as a consultant to some NGO’s, a past JPO and intern at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Very organised and well abreast with project management, Good communication strategists, indepth study and understanding of climate change issues, Former teacher and teaching assistant at a university, well abreast with the use of the microsoft operating systems LOOKING FOR: Work as a consultant, assistant project officer, programme officer, development analysts, administrative officer. Also open to a position at an NGO, danida and other development oriented organisations LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), French (moderate), Dutch (moderate), Danish (Good) IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft word, excel, powerpoint, microsoft project and many more. CONTACT: bosiem2001@yahoo.com Tel: 28746935, 53302445 SPOUSE: Shilpa Lingaiah FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and nearby areas of the mentioned cities. QUALIFICATION: PG Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (JSS University, India); Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (RGUHS, India). Danish agency for international education has assessed the above qualification and corresponds to Danish Master’s degree in Health Sciences. LOOKING FOR: Research related to health science, jobs in pharmaceutical industry or new challenging career opportunities. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English(fluent written and spoken), Enrolled for Danish language classes, Indian languages(Kannada and Hindi). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: drshilpalingaiah@gmail.com Tel: +4552742859 SPOUSE: Katarzyna Szkaradek FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Mental hospitals, voluntary(Ngo) organisations, kindergartens, nurseries, babysitting QUALIFICATION: Ma in Psychology (2008), post graduate studies in psychotherapy (4th year/ 5 year). EXPERIENCE: I am a highly motivated and creative individual with excellent communication skills. From January 2010 till August 2010 I worked independly in private practice. For the last 2 years (January ,2009 -October, 2010) I worked with children (also with special needs -Autism, Asperger, Down syndrome etc) and their families as a psychologist. My duties included organizing games, monitoring children’s development , consulting teachers and parents where appropriate and providing individual therapy. For the last 10 years I was member of NGO organisation and I was a volunteer in Israel, Italy, Portugal and Romania. LOOKING FOR: Internship in mental hospitals, part – time or full time jobs in kindergartens, nurseries, job as a babysitter, voluntary job in hospitals. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English–advance level (C1), Danish – (module 3 /module 5), Polish-native speaker IT EXPERIENCE: MS Windows, basic MS Office, Internet. CONTACT: szkasienka@gmail.com Tel: 50828802

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SPOUSE: Vidya Singh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Arhus, Aalborg or nearby areas. QUALIFICATION: Master in Computer Management, Bachelor of Science, Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Professional. EXPERIENCE: Total 8 years (4 year in telecommunication as customer care + 4 year as HR recruiter consultant). LOOKING FOR: HR (Trainee/Assistant/Recruiter/consultant), Customer service, office work, IT LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi and Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: MS-office, Hardware, Networking, Intranet and Internet. CONTACT: vidya.singh37@gmail.com, Tel: +45 71443554 SPOUSE: Jawon Yun-Werner FROM: South Korea SEEKING WORK IN: Healthcare, Hospitals, Elderly/Child Care (in Greater Copenhagen Area). QUALIFICATION: B.A. in Nursing, Masters in Public Health. I am AUTHORIZED to work as a Nurse in Denmark. (Have Danish CPR and work permit). EXPERIENCE: 1O years of experience as a nurse and midwife from the prominent hospitals. LOOKING FOR: Any healthcare related jobs (hospitals, clinics, elderly/childcare places). I am open to any shift or day. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Korean, Danish (Intermediate, in progress, Module 3). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, SASS Statistical Software CONTACT: cuteago@yahoo.com Tel: +45 30 95 20 53 SPOUSE: Anisha Kanjhlia FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Arhus in Teaching/Training/Administration/Media/Public Relations QUALIFICATION: Post Graduate in Advertising & Communication. EXPERIENCE: 6+ years of professional experience in Training, Customer Service, Promotions, Brand Marketing, Content Analysis and Team Management. Strong experience in planning and executing initiatives. Extensive training experience and influencing skills that will assist me in building a high potential, motivated and an effective team. Hands-on training in soft skills like crucial conversations and people management Branch Manager & Head of Training for Cosmo Aviation Training School in New Delhi, India. Proficient in analysing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision making and formulating training strategies. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus. IT EXPERIENCE: Comfortable with all the basic computer knowledge like Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet browsing. CONTACT: anisha.feb@rediffmail.com, Tel: 4522305837 SPOUSE: Heike Mehlhase FROM: Berlin, Tyskland SEEKING WORK IN: A job opportunity in Copenhagen (administrative position, research assistant or psychosocial care). QUALIFICATION: MPH, Master degree in Psychology, Lerntherapeutin. EXPERIENCE: Five years experience in psychological research and child psychology. LOOKING FOR: A position to expand my experience where I can use my excellent organisational, social and communication skills. LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (mother tongue), English (fluent), Danish (Module 2). IT EXPERIENCE: I am proficient in software such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software and basic graphic editing programs (Microsoft Office, Open Office) plus statistical software (SPSS). CONTACT: heike@mehlhase.info SPOUSE: Geet Shroff FROM: Bangalore, India SEEKING WORK IN: Midtjylland / Copenhagen / Odense QUALIFICATION: Bachelor’s degree in Communicative English from Bangalore University, India. EXPERIENCE: 8+ years of experience as Senior Copy Writer, Assistant Manager – Marketing Communications, Executive – Customer Loyalty & Communication, Customer Service Associate respectively. Through these years, I have developed content, handled complete marketing communications, organized numerous corporate (internal & external customer), private and institutional events ranging from 50 to 1000 people and also handling special projects that have included training & internal communication campaigns. LOOKING FOR: A Corporate or Marketing Communication (Internal or External) position or that of a Copy Writer at an advertising agency or a corporate house. Also open to a position at an event management company. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Danish (Beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office, Adobe In Design CS3 (Basic). CONTACT: geet_shroff@yahoo.co.in Tel: +4550834024 SPOUSE: Kamali Ganesan SEEKING WORK IN: Jylland, Denmark QUALIFICATION: IT engineer. EXPERIENCE: LEGO systems. LOOKING FOR: IT and Multimedia jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Tamil, English and Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: 3 Years in LEGO systems. CONTACT: anbukamali@gmail.com

FROM: India

SPOUSE: Francis Farias FROM: Venezuela SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København QUALIFICATION: Master in Spanish Studies from Universidad de Cadiz, Spain, as a Spanish Teacher and BA in Teaching English as a Second Language. Diplomas in Digital Photography (from Venezuela and Spain). EXPERIENCE: 7 years experience as a teacher of English and Spanish at JMV University. Academic translator (Spanish-English/English-Spanish) and freelance photographer. LOOKING FOR: Spanish language teacher, translator, interpreter, photographer. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (native). Basic Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: Office tools, Photoshop. CONTACT: carolina1928@gmail.com, Tel: +45 50814073 SPOUSE: Clotilde IMBERT FROM: France SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen Qualification: Master of town planning and development and master of urban geography (Paris IVSorbonne) EXPERIENCE: 5 years in field of town planning and development: - Coordinator in urban project in a semi-public company: supervised a major urban project in Paris area (coordination of studies, acquisition of lands, worked with Planning Development of the Town Council, architects, developers to define the master plan and implement the project...); - Officer in research and consultancy firm (urban diagnosis, environmental impact assessments, inhabitants consultation...). LOOKING FOR: A job in urban project field: planning department of Town Council or consultancy firm in town planning, environment and sustainable development, architecture firm, real estate development company. LANGUAGE SKILLS: French (mother tongue), English (professional usage), Spanish (basic), Danish (In progress). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, Abode Illustrator, AutoCad (basic), PC and Mac. CONTACT: clotilde.imbert@gmail.com

SPOUSE: Momina Bashir Awan FROM: Pakistan SEEKING WORK IN: All of Denmark QUALIFICATION: MBA (Degrees Assessed by Danish Agency for International Education). EXPERIENCE: 4 years of wide experience as Human Resources Analyst in a USA based Pakistani. Organization. Involved in Recruitment of IT personnel for outsourcing, Compensation and benefits planning, Wage analysis, Conduct Training and Development Seminars and Team building. One year of Experience in Telesales of Citibank NA., 6 months of experience in Customer Services in Telecom sector. LOOKING FOR: Jobs in HR and Customer Services LANGUAGE SKILLS: English [Fluent], Urdu [Mother tongue], Hindi [Fluent], Danish [Beginner’s Level]. CONTACT: mominabashir@msn.com Tel: +4571352387 SPOUSE: Jennifer Bouma FROM: The Netherlands SEEKING WORK IN: Egedal Kommune, Copenhagen 30 km. QUALIFICATION: Managers Secretary, hands on, reliable, structured, self reliant, social, team player). LOOKING FOR: Secretary job. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Dutch, Danish, English, German, French, Italian. IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office ( Word, Excel), Outlook, SAP. CONTACT: jenniferbouma@ hotmail.com SPOUSE: Lorena Augusta Moreira FROM: Brazil SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Interior Designer. EXPERIENCE: + 3 of experience with interior design and sales of furniture and decoration products. LOOKING FOR: Position in an Organization/Company in the fields of: Interior design, lay-out and organization of vitrines, sales and assistance management. IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft office (word, excel, outlook, access and power-point) access to internet. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), Portuguese (native) and Spanish (pre-intermediate). CONTACT: lorena-augusta@hotmail.com, Tel: + 45 52177084 SPOUSE: Lorenzo Albano F. FROM: Venezuela SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen and Capital Region QUALIFICATION: PhD, MSc in Physics, BSc in Geophysics. EXPERIENCE: Lecturer in physics, mathematics and informatics. Researcher in theoretical quantum optics and quantum information. Researcher / teacher / programmer of numerical/computational methods in geophysics, signal processing, tomographic inversion, wave propagation. LOOKING FOR: Short and long term employment, in education of science and mathematics / research / scientific computing / geophysical applications LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in Spanish (native), English and Italian. Danish (Modul 3, DanskUddannelse 3). IT EXPERIENCE: MSDOS, Windows 7/Vista/XP, Linux (Ubuntu), Solaris, incl. Shell scripting. BASIC, ANSI C, C++, FORTRAN. Web: HTML, CSS, Joomla!. LaTeX2E. Mathematica, MATLAB, MS Office/ OpenOffice, PhotoShop/Gimp CONTACT: lorenzoalbanof@gmail.com Tel: +45 50 15 98 19 SPOUSE: Nina Chatelain FROM: Vancouver, BC, Canada SEEKING WORK IN: Midt - og syd jylland QUALIFICATION: BA courses in english and anthropology, certificate in desktop publishing and graphic design, internationally certified yoga teacher since 1999. EXPERIENCE: Over 7 years experience as the assistant to the director (what would correspond to a direktionssekretær position) at an international university museum where i also was seconded to act as the program administrator – a project management internal communications role – for the museum’s major renovation project. I acted as the director’s right hand and the museum’s communications hub where i had daily contact with the visiting public, community stakeholders, volunteers and students. I have earlier worked as an editor and writer in various capacities, as well as a desktop publisher/graphic designer. LOOKING FOR: An administrative role in a creative company that needs someone who can juggle a variety of projects and use excellent english writing and editing skills LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (mother tongue) and Danish (fluent comprehension-studieprøven / university entrance exam). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Package, PC and Apple, have earlier worked with various desktop publishing software, quick to learn new software and systems. CONTACT: nina.chatelain@gmail.com, Tel: +45 29707430 SPOUSE: Dr Shivanee Shah FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Homeopathic Medicine Doctor, Medical transcriptionsit, Medical auditor for medical insurances. EXPERIENCE: 5 years of experience of running own clinic, medical transcription, medical audits with national level scheme LOOKING FOR: Full time/part time opportunity with pharmaceutical company, as assistant doctor, medical transcription, medical bill audits for insurance companies, data entry related jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Danish class to commence shortly CONTACT: pranavdsc@yahoo.com. Tel: +45 71841109 SPOUSE: Bhargavi Lanka Venkata FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: IT industry- Software - Manual & Automation Testing. QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering. EXPERIENCE: Part Time/Full Time work in Software Testing, 4yrs and 9 months experience as Senior Software Engineer – Testing in a U.S based MNC in Bangalore, India. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Enrolled for Danish classes. IT EXPERIENCE: Manual testing, Automation Regrwession testing using QTP, Web service testing using SOA Tool, HP Quality center, Unix, SQL, XML, Basic shell scripting. CONTACT: bhargavipsk@gmail.com; Mobile: 50376689

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs. If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a profile to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your profile on the spouse job page when possible. Remember to get it removed in case of new job.

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culture

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

29 June - 5 July 2012

Who is … Susanne Bier? Robin Skjoldborg

Hell yeah!

Elise Beacom A Danish film director Tom Araya, the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer, enjoys the view from the big black scene at Copenhell

Copenhell June 14-16

HHHHHH

pproaching Refshaleøen from Nørrebro, a procession of the weird and the wonderful slowly gathered strength. Like an apocalyptic vision, droves of leather and denim left the shadows to shuffle towards the sea under a mist-covered sun. Top hats, shaved heads, and the pierced and the inked of every description were answering the call – to gather. At the most eastern part of our city, a giant wooden effigy was waiting to welcome them to the fiery furnace of Copenhagen’s third annual metal festival, Copenhell. Greeted by the blast of two giant plumes of fire, intermittently shot towards the heavens throughout the festival, we were welcomed by an energetic but vocally-stretched performance from Jesse Leachs of Killswitch Engage. The legendary Anthrax followed. Despite the lean, spritely appearance of its Native American frontman, there was a sense that Joey Belladonna was not quite being in his own skin – although, he can be credited with waking a slovenly crowd with the hit ‘Indians’, and whipping the crowd into a war dance with cries of “Come on Copenhagen, show me what you muthaf**kers got!”. Nothing gets a crowd warmed up like screamed expletives. American metalists Mastodon have built a solid following over the last decade, supporting names like Metallica and earning solid critical acclaim. Now a huge name themselves, many fans at Copenhell felt they didn’t raise hell to the heights achieved during their climb. Perhaps it was the rain shower halfway through the set that extinguished their fire. With albums like ‘Leviathan’ (concept album based on Moby Dick) and ‘The Hunter’, Mastodon deserve their addition to metal’s elite. However, despite their obvious ingenuity, this performance left me with the sense that they lack some defining quality. Anthrax, for instance, have carried tracks like ‘Anti-social’ with them since ‘88 and still trumpet them with pride (despite ‘Anti-social’ being a cover). While it might sound simplistic, an anthem like that gives a band its anchor – an identity from which they can expand, deviate

contrast with The Kandidate – a Danish act who played on Pandemonium, the smaller of the three stages reserved for up and comers. They sustained a ferocious energy level for the entire set, openly enjoying themselves. The crowds were bigger on Saturday, and following a crowdrousing turn by Lamb of God, a decidedly younger audience, dressed mostly in black, started

strange that I, being comparatively ancient, was interested in Manson. He wasn’t a fan, though. He preferred the complexity of Korpiklaani, a band I’d missed, who incorporate Finnish folk music into their sound. Many metal purists look down on Manson, possibly because he so often veers into the mainstream, straddling several musical genres. photos: mark walker

Mark walker

from or go completely against. In the unlikely event that you became bored with music or were simply seeking shelter from the rain, DOX:HELL and HELL Bio provided welcome entertainment (there was also Openhell: Metal Karaoke). ‘God Bless Ozzy Osbourne’ offered a deeper understanding of Black Sabbath, beyond the decapitation of doves, bats and the like. This closer look revealed how Osbourne actually attempted to kill his second wife Sharon and severely beat her on several occasions. While there are some critics of Britain’s ‘The X Factor’ who given the opportunity might wish to attempt the same, Osbourne’s life begins to lose its cartoon sheen. The film managed to present a much more complex portrait than the MTV/tabloid image of a man widely considered to be one of the founders of metal. Arriving on the main stage at midnight on the first day, thrash metalists Slayer were every inch the headliners you’d expect them to be. While Anthrax and Slayer are both legendary names, Tom Araya proved he has a gravitas Belladonna doesn’t. Most bands will put on a show, but Araya isn’t putting on anything. He just is. There’s no pretence with Slayer. They’ve nothing to pretend at. The members of Slayer are made of immovable stuff. Araya is a mountain of metal. Expectations were impossibly high and, following the set, there were the predictable murmurs of discontent. To my mind it was a full-blooded set, forging a path from ‘South of Heaven’ to the harrowing ‘Angel of Death’ and returning for ‘Raining Blood’ as an encore. Immortal, who have been around for two decades now, belong to the black metal sub-genre, which is more closely associated with the darker elements in nature. Bands have been accused of ritualistic murder and Satanism, and Immortal got their fair share of bad press in native Norway when many churches were burnt to the ground between 1992 and 96. It all adds to the allure and helps to shift records. To the uninitiated they might appear to be a Kiss tribute band – that is, until they start playing. The guitars have an undeniable power and Abbath Doom Occulta’s vocals closely resemble Linda Blair’s in ‘The Exorcist’, only much louder. They were a treat to behold – the corpsepaint make-up coupled with the inherent seriousness of execution further cemented their comic potential, although it was difficult to detect even a whiff of self-irony. This was in sharp

Norwegian black metal outfit Immortal made the short journey over for the first time since 2003

to emerge from the night. As we approached the witching hour there was palpable excitement in anticipation of the second big headliner: Marilyn Manson. Prior to this a 20-year-old Dane had reprimanded my taste, informing me that he thought it

Perhaps in recognition of his fan-base, Manson followed ‘Hey Cruel World’ with ‘Disposable Teens’. With only two tracks from his latest record ‘Born Villain’, the robust set-list was a comprehensive journey through Manson’s recording history,

rather than just a promo for his new work. Hits such as his careerpropelling covers of Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’ and Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ were enthusiastically received alongside his own anthemic ‘Beautiful People’ and ‘The Nobodies’. All this ensured that the tired crowd, sodden from a heavy downpour, remained energised throughout. To be honest, it was Manson who betrayed signs of fatigue: a hint he was just going through the motions. Still, even half a Manson live is more entertaining than a slew of many other acts combined. He’s a pantomimic master of physical performance, using a plethora of props, including a giant knife for a mic and a dry ice gun. During ‘Antichrist Superstar’, he flopped about dementedly on top of a kind of rostrum/ pulpit, draping himself over the sides like a Dali clockface. Organisers report their best attendance figures yet. That’s interesting because the turnout appeared to be much less than capacity for the majority of the weekend. From a selfish standpoint, that meant you didn’t need to queue for hours to buy beer or use the loo and no-one was stepping on anyone else’s toes. On the whole, when one considers the enormity of the names involved, the festival managed to keep an intimate atmosphere. The event was thoroughly thought out, with every possible diversion a metal fan could wish for. Furthermore, the organisers are unlikely to rest on their laurels – every year has seen a marked improvement on the last and they’ll most likely be looking at how to turn things up to eleven next year.

State rules out anti-piracy letters Lydia Deichmann Nation’s illegal downloaders can breathe easy for now as government reveals future plans to dissuade, not prosecute them

t’s the letter we all dread. Written in red ink on official headed paper. Apparently you’ve been violating – it all seems a bit harsh given you were only watching an episode of ‘Dexter’ that’s already been broadcast on Danish television. Well, good news, because according to culture minister Uffe Elbæk, three-strike anti-piracy warning letters sent out to users suspected of copyright violation will not be introduced in Denmark. The government will instead fund licenced music services and

encourage users to choose legal options. The change in approach follows the widespread protest that greeted the signing of the AntiCounterfeit Trade Agreement (ACTA) by 22 EU nations (including Denmark) in January. ACTA was designed to set international standards for controlling copyright violators, but its critics argued that the agreement limited the freedoms of internet users. The European Parliament will vote to ratify ACTA on July 4, though five parliamentary committees have so far recommended that MEPs vote against it. Thousands took to the streets of Copenhagen in March to protest against ACTA, and Elbæk told Politiken newspaper that this action “created a

political context that made the letter model nearly impossible to carry out”. Authorities had planned to use the controversial ‘letter model’ – currently in operation in France – to tackle internet piracy by sending warning letters to people suspected of illegally sharing files over the internet. A positive information campaign will replace the letter model, however, with the government aiming to teach and encourage people to use legal alternatives to access music, films and books. “If there is a real choice, consumers will use the legal methods,” Elbæk said. A longer version of this story is available at www.cphpost.dk

Why should we care? Her film ‘In a Better World’ (‘Hævnen’) won the Oscar for best film in a foreign language in 2010. The award is traditionally accepted by the winning film’s director, but the rules categorically state it is “awarded to the picture”. Nevertheless, Bier was more than happy to soak up all the glory and attention singlehandedly. So she’s a big shot now? Yeah, she spent last summer shooting the film ‘The Bald Hairdresser’ (‘Den Skaldede Frisør’) on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, with former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, in the cast. As if that wasn’t glamorous enough, she had 100 million kroner to play with for the film ‘Serena’, which was shot in the Czech Republic and is set for release next year. The one Bradley Cooper’s in? Yep, Bier probably has the hots for him. Well, after all, he was named the sexiest man in the world in 2011. But Bier gushed to Ekstra Bladet that “underneath his sexy charm, there is an incredibly good actor hiding”. We’re talking about the guy known for his role in the ‘Hangover’ films. How come Bier’s signing up the big names now? She thinks it’s all thanks to the Oscar she won in 2010. In interviews, she does refer to it as “my Oscar” rather than giving some cred to her ‘In a Better World’ colleagues – it was an Oscar for best foreign film, not best director after all. But the actors in ‘Serena’ will receive much less than their usual billing. Cooper will get about five percent of his usual earnings for a film. Does that mean Bier is hogging all the moola? Actually, she reckons she earns a lot less in Hollywood compared with what she’d take home directing a Danish film. But she did tell Ekstra Bladet that it would be nice to be rich, so she could afford everything she wanted. A panic room for her gold statue maybe? So where is that beloved statue? She wouldn’t say. But she strongly denied that she slept with the statue on the night she won the award. It’s difficult to comment on her taste in men though – especially when she forgot to kiss ‘Twilight’ star Robert Pattinson when he handed her the trophy. “My daughter still hasn’t forgiven me,” she laughed. But on the night, Bier only had eyes for one man, and he weighed in at 3.85kg.

DENMARK THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

29 June - 5 July 2012

Bit like that scene in The Godfather, but with more decapi tatio ns SEAN COOGAN

What is it about Danes and celebrations? We’ve all seen ‘Festen’, and there was the Roskilde massacre ordered by Svend in 1157. But they all pale in comparison to King Christian II’s ambush in 1520 – an atrocity that today we remember as the Stockholm bloodbath

T IS NOVEMBER 1520 and the Danish king, Christian II, has just been crowned king of Sweden, thereby achieving his ambition to control all of Scandinavia. But trouble lies ahead – the Swedes aren’t willing to accept Danish rule and are prepared to rebel as many times as it takes to dispel their foreign overlords. Christian II had watched his father conquer Stockholm in 1497, only to lose it to the rebel forces five years later. When his father died in 1513, Christian II was ready to pick up from where his father had left off: he was to become the ruler of Scandinavia by any means necessary. For some reason the Swedes didn’t like Christian much either and refused to accept him as king of Sweden. Danish troops were sent to Sweden to force the troublemakers to obey, but were met by a large number of dissident Swedish forces, united behind the lord protector, Steen Sture. Christian II was to prove himself as ruthless as he was dishonest towards his Swedish

the war. By the beginning of the summer, all of Sweden except Stockholm was conquered. In September, the city surrendered after Christian II offered all its citizens amnesty. On 4 November 1520, Christian II was crowned king of Sweden in Stockholm’s massive cathedral in the heart of the city, and days of celebration followed. Little did the people know that Christian was planning brutal revenge against those who had opChristian II was to prove himself as posed him. ruthless as he was dishonest towards On the third night of the his Swedish adversaries celebrations, did he know that the decision, as the clock struck 1am, the muand others, would come back to sic stopped and the doors were shut – effectively trapping all the haunt him. Christian II continued try- guests in the great hall. King Christian and his ing to assert his royal dignity over Sture, but without success. vengeful side-kick, Bishop GusSo he decided to declare war tav Trolle, appeared. The Danagainst Sweden in January 1520. ish-friendly bishop had been The Swedish forces were dealt removed from his post and tora huge blow as Sture was killed tured by Sture’s Swedish followin battle barely one month into ers and therefore couldn’t wait to adversaries. In the autumn of 1518, he proved his sneakiness by breaking a gentleman’s agreement regarding Swedish hostages. The six hostages belonged to the Swedish elite and had been handed over to the Danes as collateral. Instead of keeping his end of the deal and returning them, the Danish king sailed the hostages to Denmark and threw them in jail. Little

from the main square. That afternoon 82 heads were separated from their bodies, and the bodies were piled up as the blood swam down the streets. The bodies were then transported to a different part of the city and piled in three heaps: one for the clergy, one for the noblemen and one for the bourgeois. For the grand finale, Sture’s body was dug up and thrown on the noblemen’s pile after which the many bodies were torched. Following that, King Christian hosted another party – this time in the main square where the executions had taken place. When a Swede by the name of Gustav Eriksson heard the news, he immediately packed his bags, vowing not to return home until he had got rid of the Danes once and for all. Not only had his father been killed and his mother and sisters jailed, he was also one of the six Swedish hostages who had been set up by Christian II two years earlier. He had managed to escape Danish incarceration and now the time had come

to rise against the Danish tyrant. Soon Eriksson – or Gustav Vasa as he would be known in the centuries to come – gathered 400 men, primarily peasants, who had been pushed too far by the Danish king. The militia made their way through Sweden killing Danish bailiffs and grew in strength and numbers until they reached Stockholm in the autumn of 1521. A siege ensued and was bolstered by a reinforcement of 900 mercenaries, who arrived in May 1522 from Lübeck in Germany. Nevertheless, the Danes held their position in Stockholm for more than another year before finally surrendering in June 1523. Gustav Vasa came to power, but was in massive debt to his German allies, which was going to cause him many problems over the following years. Christian II later tried to reconquer Sweden, but failed and ended his days in imprisonment after being lured on to a rival’s ship following a promise of safe passage. The history books don’t tell us if he could see the irony …

ENGRAVING FROM 1676, BY PADTBRUGGE

ENGRAVING FROM 1523, BY JAN GOSSAERT

It was important to Christian that he was depicted with the coats of arms of Norway, Denmark and Sweden, but in his later years it became a bitter reminder

get his revenge. King Christian had granted Sture’s followers complete amnesty when they surrendered two months earlier, but he was not going to let that stop him. As the Swedish elite stood packed in the great hall confused and horrorstruck in their finest evening wear, Bishop Gustav Trolle read out a statement accusing Sture’s followers of heresy – which conveniently made it possible to execute them with the Pope’s blessing despite the promise of amnesty. The followers of Sture, who had imprisoned and abused the bishop, were now sentenced to death by a panel of judges led by … Bishop Trolle. And the next day, many of Sture’s other followers were also condemned to death. During the afternoon of November 8, the executions started with the decapitation of two bishops in the main square in Stockholm. Martial law had been imposed and the streets were therefore deserted, but a witness has described how the blood flowed down the gutter

Is this why there are so many pubs called The Bishop’s Head? Bishop Vincens Henningsson (kneeling on the left) would probably agree, as would Bishop Mattias Gregersson (bottom left and bottom centre). And in the top right, the dastardly Danes are exhuming the corpse of Sten Sture

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

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