The Copenhagen Post - September 2023

Photo: Gaston Szerman/FC

THE COPENHAGEN POST SAYS: Dear government: Action is needed

Everyone agrees that the lack of skilled labor will be a major issue in coming years – from think tanks to trade unions and even the government. So, when will they take action?

In a recent interview with Berlingske, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and newly appointed Minister of Economy Jakob Ellemann-Jensen stated that the international workforce is their top political priority.

“The currency of the new era in Danish politics is not money, because we have plenty of it, it is workforce. We cannot use the money if there are not enough employees. This is where all other political issues – from defense to health to climate – come from,” Mette Frederiksen told Berlingske.

A TRICKY TOPIC

But let’s face it: international labor can be a tricky topic for the Danish government.

For decades, immigration has been one of the hottest issues in Danish politics. Elections have been won by parties or blocs who have been tough on immigration.

So, opening the door for more internationals is no easy feat for the government; it’s likely to invite accusations from other parties of being soft on immigration.

I guess this is why the government seems to be dancing around the topic instead of embracing it without any reservations. But that’s a shame.

A HUGE PROBLEM

In early July, The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne), the umbrella organisation for 28 unions, called for a new national strategy in order to

recruit more international talent to Denmark.

“We have to recognize that Denmark is not currently among the preferred countries of international talent. We must therefore significantly increase our recruitment efforts,” Lisbeth Lintz, head of the organisation, said in a press release.

A report from Tænketanken Europa in late June warned that Denmark will increasingly struggle to hire skilled international workers towards 2030.

According to economist Anders Overvad, Denmark will need to take swift action, as the development is ‘potentially a huge problem for Danish companies and the Danish economy’.

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

On top of it all, Danish companies and the Welfare State appear to be in desperate need of employees in the years to come.

In an interview with Finans Lars Sandahl Sørensen, CEO of the Confederation of Danish Industries said that he considers the lack of skilled labor to be ‘the biggest challenge we as a society face in the next 20 years’.

We don’t really know what the government is looking into. Hopefully, it will soon come up with an ambitious plan.

The government often claims that it’s ready to take hard decisions. Well, the clock is ticking, there has been enough talk – action is needed. 

Best regards,

Uffe Jørgensen Odde Editor-In-Chief

Jesper Skeel CEO jesper@cphpost.dk

Lennart Nielsen Head of Sales lennart@cphpost.dk

Hans Hermansen Contact Director hans@cphpost.dk

Uffe Jørgensen Odde Ansvarshavende chefredaktør/Editor-in-Chief uffe@cphpost.dk

Nicolai Kampmann Co-Editor nicolai@cphpost.dk

Lena Hunter Editor lena@cphpost.dk

Christian

Layout

Photo: Bjørn Pierri Enevoldsen

Cover photos: Gaston Szerman/ FC Copenhagen (main) Sara Basaglia, Unsplash and Sarah Oueslati.

We are responsible for the content and are registered with The Danish Press Council.

The unstoppable

- how a Georgian star keeps winning, smiling ... and his focus

By Lena Hunter Editor lena@cphpost.dk

FC Copenhagen’s centre-back has had little time to rest in the two years since he transferred to the league-topping team.

League-topping now, that is; when FCK signed Georgian-born Davit Khocholava in 2021, they were number three, and he was playing at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League.

“It was extra motivation to come and try to win the league in the first year,” he says, speaking with the kind of matter-of-factness typical of athletes used to topping tables.

Khocholava was The Lions’ fourth-highest transfer sum of that year, and his play was a shot-in-the-arm for the team: they promptly won two consecutive Danish Superliga, and qualified for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League.

But off the pitch, Khocholava was just as busy. Six months after his relocation from Kyiv to Copenhagen, Russia invaded Ukraine. Suddenly, he was tasked with evacuating his extended family from a war zone,

while the Champions League qualifier hung in the balance.

“It was quite chaotic,” he remembers.

At age 30, he has the composure of one who has handled uncommon adversity in the public eye, but the quick, boyish smile and hungry ambition of a sportsman in his prime.

Or, not quite in his prime: Khocholava has been off the pitch for six months with two serious knee surgeries.

“It’s tough times. It takes so long to recover,” he laments, casting his eyes out of the panoramic window to the empty green of FCK’s training ground, affectionately known as 10’eren, below the meeting locale in which we’re sitting.

“I’m close. I had my first pitch session today. Hopefully in the last week of August, I’ll be with the team.”

But the rest looks good on him. It’s given him time to recalibrate and reflect on raising a family in the Danish capital; on cultural differences between west and east; on fighting for his sporting career while his country

Surrounded by players from AaB. Davit Khocholava is a tough one both physically

fights for freedom.

Today, before he straps his boots on for the next season, he tells The Copenhagen Post what he makes of it all.

FROM GEORGIA, TO UKRAINE, TO COPENHAGEN

“I had wanted to come to Copenhagen for a long time. I got the chance in 2019 when I first began negotiations with FCK. My initial impression of Copenhagen was ‘this is a beautiful place with nice people’ – which really strengthened my desire to be here.”

Then 26, Khocholava was

living in Ukraine:

“I’m born in Georgia, but my father is half-Ukrainian and Ukraine is my second homeland. I was playing for Shakhtar Donetsk while Donetsk was occupied by Russia, so we had to live in Kyiv and play our home games in a rented stadium in Kharkiv, 600 kilometres away. For four years, I was taking six to eight flights a week,” he recalls grimly.

Though he speaks of life in Kyiv with pride, it’s not hard to imagine the comparative allure of Copenhagen, where the FCK training ground and home

Six months after his relocation from Kyiv to Copenhagen he was tasked with evacuating his loved ones from a war zone.

Now, Davit Khocholava shares his thoughts about his most difficult time and explains why Denmark is the right place to be

physically and mentally 

stadium are a mere 6 kilometres apart.

“Plus, I knew I would be playing for the biggest club in Scandinavia,” he adds.

HAPPY, AFFLUENT… AND LAZY?

But transport logistics and prestige aside, Khocholava was drawn to the promise of broader lifestyle changes. He points to the two most oft-quoted stereotypes of Danish life.

Firstly, Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world:

“Generally, people here have a good financial situation,” he says.

“They are sure of how it will play out when they get old and take their pension. They are happy, they are calm, they don’t flaunt their money. In Georgia and Ukraine, people are more likely to show off their wealth.”

Secondly, the Danish work-life balance is healthy:

Place to hang out?

Home, because of my wife and kid.

Restaurant?

MASH. It has the best meat. Bar?

Brønnum. I like the atmosphere.

Nightclub?

I haven't been to a single nightclub in Denmark, but let’s say Museo because I was there for a private celebration of the Championship. Music Festival?

Roskilde. I think the bands are good.

Beach?

Anywhere up in Hellerup. When I was living in Østerbro, we used to go to Svanemølle, but there's too much seaweed on the beach there. I hate the smell.

Park?

Fælledparken. Firstly, because of Parken and second, the park is huge and has everything. You want to bike? You have bike trails. You want to run? You have football pitches. You want to see the best stadium in Scandinavia? You have Parken. You want to buy something? You have FCK souvenirs with my face on!

Quick-fire favourites with Davit Khocholava:

Photo: Gaston Szerman / FCK Media

The support that me and my family got from the club, from the board, from random people, from Section 12 in the stands where our most hardcore fans are - it was just insane

- Davit Khocholava, professional footballer, FC Copenhagen

“To be honest, the first six months I was here I thought Danes were lazy!” he laughs.

“But then I understood that they don't have the same societal problems that people in other countries do. Life is slower because they are enjoying it. They will not work their asses off for a bonus - they would rather have time with their family, or meet friends for dinner after work, than stay longer in the office.”

A NEW START, SHATTERED BY WAR

By this point, it was the beginning of 2022. Khocholava had waited two years for a suitable transfer window to facilitate his move from Shakhtar Donestsk to FCK, had executed what he calls ‘the smoothest relocation I’ve ever done’, and was comfortably settled in Denmark.

I ask him what happened next. His speech quickens, becomes terse:

“We knew about the invasion a month or two before it started. My father-in-law, an ex-army soldier, had information that the Russians were preparing their troops and tanks.”

“I asked my father and my father-in-law to leave Ukraine and, if everything went well, they could come back. But my fatherin-law said ‘if not us, who will defend the country?’ He decided to stay. He was killed by Russian terrorists.”

Though his voice cracks, Khocholava’s eyes are steady as he recounts the aftermath.

“The day after, I flew to Slovakia to bring the rest of the family – my mother-in-law and sisters – to our home in Denmark. We didn’t know what else to do. I just thought, ‘I need to get them out as soon as possible.’”

What did he think of the Danish media response to the invasion. Was it enough? He doesn’t reply immediately, but his eyes give it away.

“I’m always going to say that it wasn’t enough, like any other Ukrainian,” he says, after a pause.

“Even though they are grateful for Denmark’s weapons donations, it’s never enough when it’s about life and death. So, yes and no.”

UNITY THROUGH ADVERSITY

Despite the immense weight

Davit Khocholava

Age: 30

Nationality: Georgian

Profession: Professional football player

Khocholava has been off the pitch for six months with two serious knee surgeries 

Photo: Torkil Fosdal / FCK Media

of the tragedy, he had little choice but to bear it in public. But where the media coverage fell short, the solidarity shown by friends and strangers blew him away.

On the same day that FCK announced the news to its supporters, the team played a home game against Randers FC. In the final minutes, a visibly emotional Khocholava was brought on to a storm of applause.

“The support that me and my family got from the club, from the board, from random people, from Section 12 in the stands where our most hardcore fans are - it was just insane,” he says.

“I won’t mention names, but someone offered their summer house to my family. I got 30 or 40 boxes of clothing. There were so many messages and donations of food or supplies from friends and strangers.”

“I’M A FAMILY GUY”

The outpouring galvanised Khocholava’s sense of

Ukrainian identity, but also that of belonging in Copenhagen. And despite the unthinkable burden he has shouldered since moving here, he summarises his family’s settlement as “perfect”.

“My wife loves it here. She works in interior design and really admires the Danish style,” he enthuses.

“It's actually really cool because over the last three months or so, I've started to find it interesting, too.”

A self-professed ‘family guy’, he brims with warmth when the conversation turns to his time off:

“I like going to the cinema with my wife or for a walk with my son - even though it's more exhausting than playing two matches! He’s at the age where he runs everywhere and doesn’t stop.”

And then:

“I love taking him to the Experimentarium in Hellerup. It’s a museum for kids where they learn things like how DHL delivers post to different countries. Honestly, I have more fun than him!”

OFF THE FIELD, BUT NOT IN SPIRIT

Most of all, what comes across when speaking to Khocholava is how loyal and genuinely likeable he is.

Whether he’s describing his career aspirations –“reaching Champions League play-offs with FCK and taking the Georgian national team to the World Cup” – his pride for the Ukrainian people, or his wife’s profession, his heart is always on his sleeve.

That’s how he keeps his focus, keeps winning, and keeps smiling: by giving himself fully to the things he’s dedicated to.

Case in point: in May this year, despite his sixmonth absence from the pitch, he scored serious brownie points with fans and teammates alike when he joined the ranks of Section 12 to cheer The Lions from the home-ground stands during their 4-3 victory over Aarhus’ AGF.

“That doesn't surprise me!” laughed FCK midfielder Rasmus Falk when he heard about it.

“I bet he’ll still be there in ten years’ time.” 

Despite the unthinkable burden he has shouldered since moving here, Davit Khocholava summarises his family’s settlement as “perfect” 

Photo: Gaston Szerman / FCK Media

There’s a new IKEA in town

By Avi Gopani

The first IKEA store to be located in the centre of a major Danish city has opened its doors by Dybbølsbro Station in Vesterbro, Copenhagen.

The new store differs from others as it’s only accessible by foot, bicycle or public transport – not by car.

As such, Doris Lan, country manager for IKEA Denmark, expects the easy-access to attract a younger demographic than the IKEA in Gentofte, north of Copenhagen.

The store features a green park on the roof, where visitors can enjoy a coffee and a kanelsnegl (a cinnamon pastry), while the focus of the in-store products and interior inspiration is the three-storey

home, adapted to Copenhagen tastes.

OTHER WAREHOUSES

“Our ambition is to create a meeting point that keeps visitors returning for new experiences. It’s not just a homewares store, it’s a place to rest, go for a walk, take a coffee break or just enjoy one of the best views of Copenhagen,” store manager John Kristian Sørensen said in a press release.

Elsewhere in Copenhagen, the hardware retail warehouse Silvan has opened a store on Kultorvet in the inner city, and another in what was once Amager Banken’s old headquarters.

In June, Danish retail chain Harald Nyborg announced the opening of its first city store in Copenhagen.. 

Connecting Philly and Copenhagen

American Airlines opens a new route linking the Danish capital with Philadelphia

By Sarah Faouzia Oueslati

American Airlines is extending its regular flight services to Europe for four months during 2024, marking its most extensive European expansion in four years.

The nonstop service between Copenhagen and Philadelphia is set to operate daily from June 6 to October 5, 2024.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will operate the new route.

"I hope we will see even more American tourists, because it will have a great impact on hotels and tourism in the capital area and the rest of Denmark", Peter Krogsgaard, commercial director at Copenhagen Airport, said in a press release.

With the new route, the number of routes from Copenhagen to the USA and Canada is 13... 

The Swedish homeware store is usually found on the urban outskirts, but now IKEA has opened its first store in the centre of a Danish city

American Airlines extends flight services from CPH to the City of Brotherly Love 

The new IKEA store is located near Dybbølsbro Station in Vesterbro 

Photo: IKEA / Dorte Mandrup

Photo: American Airlines

A story of hilarious horror which will make you die laughing!

The thing that wouldn't die!

“Life and free time are truly valued here”

25 year old Míriam Enguita grew up in Spain, where she started out with hiphop and urban dance, before training in ballet and moving to Copenhagen to pursue contemporary dance

By Leticia Bossi

Isettled in Denmark because… I was looking for a dance school and I liked the one I found here in Copenhagen. I arrived three years ago – right after the first lockdown – to join a program at the Contemporary Dance School. I am about to finish my studies.

If you ask me if it was love at first sight, I would say… Yes, I loved it. It is a really safe place to live. Of course, when winter approached it was a bit tough, but the moment the good weather came back I started

to enjoy it again.

My favourite thing about living in Copenhagen is… that everything is calmer. Your life and free time are truly valued here.

Here in Denmark, I never get used to… people leaving their babies outside all on their own. This is something I simply don’t understand.

Jeg kan tale… jeg kommer fra Spanien. It means I come from Spain. I took some classes but I

have been so busy with everything going on in my life that I stopped after module 3. So, I can understand a lot, but I can’t speak it.

On an integration scale of 1 to 10, I would say I’m a… 6. I think that if I spoke Danish, I would feel more integrated. I still feel quite well adapted to the country, however.

I have more international friends in my social circle because… there were almost only internationals at my school, and it was my main source of social interaction.

I think the best way of making Danish friends is… to be nice and honest. As long as you are nice to Danish people, they will be nice to you.

I recommend that visitors to Copenhagen avoid… Christiania. It might be an unpopular opinion but I personally don’t like it. And don’t just go to tourist places like Tivoli – there is much more to see.

Instead, I recommend going to… now that I live in Sydhavn, I have discovered plenty of great harbours there. I

strongly recommend visiting them. Three great places for food and drink are… street food markets such as Reffen and Broens Gadekøkken, near to the Opera House. Then, if you like Moroccan food, the place where I work besides doing my dance projects is called South Harbour Café. I personally miss Moroccan food because my father is from there. For me, it tastes like home. And finally, Folkehuset Absalon. It is a nice place because you can go for a party or a community dinner, but also for brunch and breakfast.

The best places to visit on a budget are… the parks. There are a lot of nice green places here.

The three words that I think best describe Copenhagen are… cosy, cute and contemporary. 

Míriam Enguita

Age: 25

Nationality: Spanish

Profession: Contemporary dancer and student of humanities

Míriam Enguita moved to Copenhagen to pursue contemporary dance 

Photo: Mikkel Carlsen

Why Danes leave pacifiers hanging in trees

Since the early 1990s, Danish families have been hanging their children’s pacifiers on public trees

By Leticia Bossi

The tree stands in the corner of Frederiksberg Have in the capital. With its green leaves, it looks like any other tree - if only it wasn’t for the hundreds of used pacifiers hanging side by side like Christmas decorations.

But it’s not about early Christmas traditions. The colorful pacifiers are all a part of a rite of passage that families - or more accurately, small children - go through.

When a child is about to say goodbye to the pacifier, some Danish families go to parks and leave them hanging in the socalled pacifier trees.

The tradition is said to have originated in Sweden, but according to Frederiksberg Liv, Danes in the early 1990s started hanging discarded pacifiers on trees in public parks. Today, pacifier trees can be found all over Denmark.

HELPING THE CHILD

The farewell ritual has become more prevalent in recent decades and is said to help the child move on from using pacifiers by offering them the option to come back and visit the tree.

At first, Danes hung their children’s pacifiers on several trees in Frederiksberg Have. Shortly after, they were taken down - with the exception of a single tree. This eventually led to the pacifier trees that we know today.

However, a downside is that after some ten to twelve years of hanging pacifiers, the plastic starts to degrade and can appear unsightly.

Since 2004 trees have been stripped of pacifiers every November, making room for new, used pacifiers. 

Frederiksberg Have, near the playground

Fælledparken, near the Tower Playground

Østre Anlæg, near the playground

Pacifiers are sometimes hung inside plastic bags for protection, such as at the Frederiksberg Have pacifier tree 

Lykkerosen in Tivoli

Popular spots in CPH

Saying goodbye to the 'sut' can be a monumental challenge for kids 

All photos: Sara Basaglia

Major changes at The Copenhagen Post

For the first time in its history The Copenhagen Post introduces two digital subscription models

By Uffe Jørgensen Odde

Skeel said.

A large number of Danish media have already introduced digital subscription models.

The Copenhagen Post has introduced two digital subscriptions models.

The media, serving news in English for internationals living in Denmark, has been free of charge since it was founded 25 years ago.

But in recent years the media’s financial model has been challenged by the development in the media industry.

And as of today readers will gain access either from a personal subscription or via a company subscription.

A

GROWING TREND

Jesper Skeel, CEO of the publishing company The Post ApS, described the paywall as the ultimate test for an independent media like The Copenhagen Post.

“The reporting needs to be solid. Everyday we must ask ourselves ‘are we worth the money we charge?’ The editorial team is acutely aware of this and I, as a publisher, strongly believe in the future for The Copenhagen Post,”

This reflects the general understanding that independent quality journalism can rarely be funded by ads alone – especially in a small country like Denmark.

The subscription models are being introduced just months after The Copenhagen Post came under new ownership.

Since then, major changes have been made. Among them are a new editorial strategy, a new design and daily newsletters that present the crucial headline stories in Denmark, alongside business and cultural insights.

RELEVANCE IS THE KEY

“We need to be relevant for the growing number of internationals living in Denmark. Most of them really want to contribute and be a part of the society,” Skeel said.

The CEO stressed that it’s not about producing endless series of articles, but about high-quality, relevant information, tailored to the international reader.

“What people are looking for is relevance and reliable, newsworthy

reporting,” Skeel said.

According to Skeel, The Copenhagen Post will play an important role in the years to come, during which time thousands of internationals are expected to settle in Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark.

“We strongly believe that relevant, independent reporting on Danish

current affairs can help bridge the gap that many internationals experience,” Skeel said.

Most articles on cphpost.dk will be behind a paywall, with the exception of opinion editorials and selected interviews. The Copenhagen Post will continue to publish the printed paper. 

Metro line is being extended

By Sarah Faouzia Oueslati

Copenhagen’s M4 metro line is being extended to include five new underground stations at Fisketorvet, Enghave Brygge, Sluseholmen on Mozarts Plads and Ny Ellebjerg. They will be in service by 2024.

The new stations in Sydhavn will connect the southern part of Copenhagen to the metro system, strengthening the public transport network by reducing congestion and increasing mobility in the metropolitan area. The

4.5-kilometre extension was originally approved by the Danish Parliament in February 2015.

M5 TO REFSHALEØEN ON THE WAY

The new M5 line is also in the planning stage, which will connect Refshaleøen and the future Lynetteholm to the rest of the city by 2035.

According to the engineering group ARUP, the M5 line will consist of 10 stations and will run from Copenhagen Central Station via Islands Brygge, Amagerbrogade and Refshaleøen all the way to Lynetteholm and Østerport. 

Five new metro stations in Sydhavn are being added to the M4 line, and an M5 line is in the works, too

Jesper Skeel, the CEO of The Post ApS 

Photo: Bjørn Pierri Enevoldsen

Discover the dark side of Copenhagen

By Sarah Oueslati

It’s still hard for me to talk about, I did things that

not proud of, and now I have to live with the shame.”

Philip is a 40-year-old former drug addict. The Copenhagen Post meets him near Nørreport Station in the center of Copenhagen. Today, he will be our guide on a very unusual city tour.

Adopted from South Korea, Philip led a conventional Danish life, attending school, completing his military service, and working as a salesperson at Elgiganten.

But his life flipped upside down following a string of events that led to drug abuse, criminality and prostitution.

LIVING ON THE STREET

Denmark is one the richest countries in the world, renowned for its welfare state and generous social

security net.

But according to The National Research and Analysis Center, more than 282,000 individuals in the country are struggling with alcohol and drug abuse.

Internationals can now get a deeper understanding of how it feels to be on the edge of society, living on the streets of Copenhagen, as the foundation Voices of the Streets has launched guided city tours in English. The dark side of Denmark unfolds

when former drug addicts like Philip take internationals around town, unveiling the places where criminality has replaced law and order.

FIRST DRUG EXPERIENCE

A little further down the road from Nørreport, Philip stops and shows us where his first experience with drugs took place.

“It all started when I went to this club with some old friends from school. One of them offered me ecstasy, I was naive and said yes,”

A city tour like no other, guided by an ex-addict, lifts the curtain on drugs, homelessness and criminality in the Danish capital

I’m

Philip, a tour guide for the Voices of the Streets Foundation, shares his story of addiction and recovery 

Photo: Sarah Oueslati

he says.

Soon after, Philip accepted a job offer as the manager of a 7-Eleven, but his life took a tragic turn with the loss of his mother. His initial experience with ecstasy quickly snowballed into a destructive habit, and he spent most days doing cocaine rather than attending to his responsibilities.

Seeking quick funds for his drug habit, he started frequenting the casino, which led to a downward spiral: “I was in over my head. I couldn’t afford it, but I couldn’t stop, so I started stealing from the 7-Eleven. In 2 months I took about 700,000 kroner,” Philip says.

CONSUMED BY ADDICTION

Consumed by his addiction, Philip’s sole preoccupation became drugs.

The next chapter in his descent into the dark underbelly of Copenhagen took place on Studiestræde, a street well known for its vibrant party scene.

Philip viewed it differently; to him, the street’s many gay bars were easy places to score drugs.

Homelessness became his reality, but remarkably, he mastered the art of manipulation to such an extent that he never had to sleep on the streets: “I needed money. So I used my manipulation skills to extort money from people,” he explains.

He turned to Den Blå Avis, a second-hand goods website, to steal money from users, but his criminal activities eventually caught up with him. He was convicted and imprisoned for both embezzlement and extortion.

Philip emerged from jail with drugs and gambling still consuming his every thought.

THE WAY OUT

In desperate need of money, he became a prostitute. However, this dark path proved to be short-lived.

Overwhelmed by the circumstances, Philip lost all sense of purpose and found himself devoid of the will to continue.

“Who knew my prostitution days would actually end up saving my life,” he says.

As he walked down the street ready to end it all, he ran into an old client who immediately saw something was wrong. The next day, he drove Philip to a psychiatric hospital.

Today, Philip is clean. He makes a living as a tour guide with the Voices of the Streets foundation, sharing his personal story and insights into the dark side of Copenhagen.

Internationals can book guided tours in English with Philip and his colleagues via the Voices of the Streets Foundation. 

When he managed a 7-Eleven, Philip's life spiralled out of control 

Photo: Sarah Oueslati

Tips on how to get along with your Danish colleagues

Danish companies are recruiting internationals, diversifying the overall labor market in Denmark.

er or boss, it usually means it’s going well and not the opposite. However, dialogue is the way forward to understanding each other,” Hagelskjær said.

By Ramisha Ali

Yet, there is a significant issue of inclusion in workplaces. But while Danes need to create a more welcoming environment at their workplaces, Henrik T. Hagelskjær, policy advisor at The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations, suggests that it’s also important for internationals to understand Danish culture and meet halfway.

“For those of you wondering why your Danish colleagues won’t go for a meal or drink after work, it might be helpful to ask them in advance since Danes have a busy schedule and prefer to plan ahead,” Hagelskjær said.

PRIVATE LIFE

Moreover, many Danes separate their work and private life; it is uncommon for them to engage in personal conversations at work and express emotions, he explains.

“Danes don’t like to micromanage either. Therefore, if you do not hear feedback from your manag-

In addition, it’s common for many Danish workers and their bosses to leave the office early to tend to personal issues, such as picking up their kids from school or daycare and continuing to work later in the evening.

THE BIGGEST BARRIER

According to Heidi Ås, an international consultant at IDA, language is a huge barrier.

“In Denmark’s bigger cities, a fair amount of people speak good English, but as far as you go in the country, Danish is preferred. This is why it’s easier for bigger companies to adopt international practices than smaller ones,” she said.

She added that not knowing how to communicate the same things they would say to a Danish colleague in their native language to an expat colleague in English is a bigger issue than we can imagine.

“Speaking another language is uncomfortable for many Danes,” she said. 

Danes in general need to create a more welcoming environment at their workplaces, but it’s also important to understand Danish culture

If you do not hear feedback from your manager or boss, it usually means it’s going well and not the opposite 

Photo: Unsplash

Denmark about to lose future battle, major organisation warns

By Uffe Jørgensen Odde uffe@cphpost.dk

The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne), the umbrella organisation for 28 unions, this summer called for a new national strategy in order to recruit more international talent to Denmark.

“We have to recognize Denmark currently is not among the preferred countries of international talent. We must therefore significantly increase our recruitment efforts,” Lisbeth Lintz, head of the organisation, said in a press release.

“But if we are to be able to do that, we have to ensure that we don’t have problems with social dumping and a lack of integration at the same time. Otherwise, I cannot imagine that there will be political support for increasing international recruitment.”

TOO MANY LEAVE

According to the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations only 35 percent of internationals who studied in Denmark are working in the country two years after graduation.

That is, according to the organisation, a waste of talent.

And the umbrella organisation, which represents about 480.000 members spanning across 28 member organisations, now warns that Denmark will suffer in the increasing competition for international talent with other European countries if serious actions are not taken. 

One of Denmark’s largest organisations this summer called for immediate action in order to attract a lot more international talent to the country

Survey: Hard to find friends among Danes

By Ben Hamilton

Denmark has never fared particularly well in the Expat Insider survey conducted annually by InterNations, a worldwide community with 4.8 million members and counting – and 2023 is no exception.

Out of the 53 assessed countries, it finished a lowly 41st, trailing Finland (16th) and a resurgent Sweden (24) to finish third in the Nordics ahead of dismal Norway, which ranked second to last.

Only countries with over 50 respondents are included in the annual survey, which this year is topped by Mexico, followed

by Spain, Panama, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Bahrain and Portugal.

At the other end, Kuwait ranked bottom, preceding Norway, Türkiye, South Korea, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Malta, New Zealand and Japan.

HARD TO MAKE LOCAL FRIENDS

The survey asks expats a wide range of questions split into five indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and the ‘Expat Essentials Index’ – aspects such as housing, administration, language and

digital life.

And once again, Denmark is let down by its scores for Personal Finance (46th) and Ease of Settling In (51st). Indeed, in the latter it ranked last in the sub-category Finding Friends – a problem often cited by internationals living here.

As many as 66 percent say it is difficult to make local friends (global average: 36 percent).

Furthermore, 38 percent rate their social life negatively (25), 35 percent struggle with getting used to the local culture (18), and 29 percent do not feel at home (20). 

Photo: PR

Lisbeth Lintz, head of The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations 

Denmark again finds itself in the bottom tier of the annual InterNations survey rating ease of living abroad

Ben’s Brainteasers

1

WHAT LINKS ……

Work out what connects each selection of clues, and deduce what links your six answers to solve the grid!

Answers will be revealed in the next edition of The Copenhagen Post

? ? ? ? ?

? ?

2

WHAT AM I DOING?

I push around royalty. Clergy. Animals. Whole buildings if necessary.

LAST ISSUE ANSWERS:

WHAT LINKS

Clockwise from top left: Married somebody Welsh; parent of transgender child; homeland’s first female political leader; grew up in Vestegnen; portrayed by Sidse Babett Knudsen; associated with Gucci. Link to all six: Helle Thorning-Schmidt

WHAT AM I DOING

You’re on a treadmill

Henry VIII, Joaquin Phoenix, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vasily Stalin, Stansa Stark

Franklin Roosevelt, Laurence Tureaud, Charles Xavier, Lyndon Johnson, Urho Kekkonen

Ali McCoist, Kerry Mayo, Evelyn Waugh, Taylor Lautner, George Eliot

Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley, George Patton, Richard Philipps

Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, The Twin Towers, Jon Snow

Hunter Biden, Michael Jackson, Joe DiMaggio, Jesus Christ, Pinocchio

Burnt basmatis, Tarama dip and baked salmon

By Marius Lathey Comedian and 1/3 of the Coping In Copenhagen Podcast

Pizza, is there a more practical and potentially delicious dinner option? Especially in summer when we venture outdoors to eat, it comes with its own plate and if the slices are cut correctly then you don’t need cutlery.

The average dane eats 23kg of pizza a year and that makes us one of the world's leading countries when it comes to pizza consumption. Since my introduction to the pizza (March 1990 - Tingbjerg - DK) I have been known to let a slice or 2,678ish pass my defences. I don’t know how many hours of pizza eating that comes to, probably below 10,000 hours. So I’m no expert but I feel moderately confident in my attempt at a Hot Tip column for getting pizza in Copenhagen.

This is not another “where to get the best pizza in Copenhagen” column. I’m sure that most of us know by now that Bæst can boast of having Europe's 4th. best pizza, and if you fancy a sourdough pizza then Surt on Vesterbro is the place to go or if you panic if the pizza isn’t organic then Neighborhood in Istedgade is your best bet.

But we can’t always expect that our pizza parlour will have a stone oven or its own buffalo in the back lactating milk for the mozzarella.

A GUIDE

This is a guide for what to look out for when your options only allow for a regular “danish” pizzaria. Your standard pizza joint where the lighting is often sterile and one note and if there is any colour it’s

often some tacky cartoonish image of a super Mario like Italian, peeping out from some crudely drawn exposed brick.

Here you can be lucky and find a decent enough Pepperoni pizza. The blandest margherita you ever eat or the classic shawarma pizza with the lettuce and creme fraiche dressing - check the lettuce first.

If it’s a really traditional “danish” pizza place, then you can probably get the cocktailpølse, bacon and strips of ham disgrace of a pizza called “The Dane '' or named after some rando called Kenneth. Why is it always Kenneth? I don’t recommend trying “The kenneth” and in my opinion putting cocktail pølse on pizza is borderline cultural appropriation.

I frequent both the stone oven and the industrial oven and I have my go to spots around town. Here are a few worthy mentions for the above standard “Danish” pizza experience:

Armandos - Jyllingevej 32. They offer seating and the best pizza on the menu is the: Mascarponecreme, cheese, mixed mushrooms, pine nuts, truffle sauce, parmesan and pesto.

Rosetta - Nordre Frihavnsgade 18B. You can buy slices and a full pizza and the flavour profile is pretty advanced for a bunch of blue eyed younglings who bought their go to pizza spot and made it their own.

Pizzeria La Fiorita - Charlotte Ammundsens Pl. 2, kld.

This is an old favourite of mine with real Italians giving you a hint of authenticity. The pies and pasta dishes are above what most manage and it’s always busy.

AFFECTS THE QUALITY

The pizzerias I avoid are those that try to stand out by offering a combination of different countries' cuisines. Your Thai, Sushi and Pizza or the Indian, Greek and

Pizza, even the shawarma, burger and pizza joint.

I understand that businesses must try to stand out. Especially now that we consumers are used to having all options available. But even a master chef would struggle to give equal attention when making a scrumptious Moussaka, whipping up a hot jalfrezi whilst delicately hand rolling some Maki.

You risk cross contamination. Your pepperoni pizza could come out covered with burnt basmatis, Tarama dip and baked salmon on your triangle of delight… wait, does that actually sound good? Stop, it’s not!

Studies show that humans are terrible at multitasking. Therefore it has become a bit of a rule in my life that I will only buy pizza from a place that just does pizza. It doesn’t only apply to pizza. Here are some other examples of where a split focus affects the quality.

Your Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. Think of the potential cross contamination there!

Have you tried the coffee at a proper Danish bodega? The lukewarm brownish water that’s been simmering for days. There's a reason it should only be used for Irish coffee if anything at all!

Heck I’d turn down a threesome just because I wouldn’t know on whom or what to focus my attention on. I’m sure that just results in a lot of movement and very little satisfaction for any of the parties involved.

Does a column need a conclusion? Well here is one; Variety may be the spice of life but it is only good if we give it the attention it needs. 

The Coping in Copenhagen team. From the left: Abby, Marius and Owen.

Photo: Coping in Copenhagen 

Photo: Coping in Copenhagen

Marius is a Danish comedian who co-hosts the podcast Coping in Copenhagen.

Marius Lathey

INVITATION

INTERN TI NAL CIT ZEN DAYS 2023

Welcome to Greater Copenhagen! Let’s get you off to a good start, ja? Taking place in the heart of Copenhagen on 22 & 23 September, International Citizen Days 2023 bring together public authorities, private organisations, and local communities for two days of endless inspiration on housing, job and social life relevant to all newcomers.

icdays.kk.dk

FRIDAY

22 September, 16.00-20.00

Øksnehallen

Halmtorvet 11, 1700 Copenhagen

Job & Career

Friday is all about job and career, giving you the chance to meet interesting companies looking to hire international talent together with a broad range of organisations offering guidance on how to start or boost your career in Denmark. You will be introduced to the inescapable codes of Danish workplace culture, join professional matchmaking sessions, and have plenty of opportunities to mingle and widen your network in an incredibly ‘hyggelig’ setting while warming up for Saturday.

SATURDAY

23 September, 10.00-15.00

Øksnehallen

Halmtorvet 11, 1700 Copenhagen

Housing / Culture & Leisure / Job & Career

Saturday offers a good mix of housing, job, and social life, inviting the entire family to join including kids. With a lively fair representing the city’s rich cultural scene, sports clubs, and associations, you are invited to engage in unique talks, debates, and fun activities covering all the essentials of relocating. You will be guided through the jungle of housing options, banking services, tax laws, language classes and career opportunities – all under one roof – to get off to the best possible start.