Denmark scraps holiday to fund military

The Danish parliament on Tuesday approved a controversial bill that would scrap a public holiday in favor of funding the defense budget. 95 Folketing MPs voted in favor of the project and 68 against.

The project of the government of Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has caused a lot of criticism and protests in Denmark in recent weeks.

In January, the government announced its intention to abolish the “Store Day of Prayer” – the so-called Great Day of Prayer, which has been celebrated in Denmark since the 17th century. It always takes place on Friday, four weeks after Easter.

Another 402 million Swiss francs

According to government calculations, the extra working day, which should apply from 2024, would add about three billion Danish kroner (402 million francs) to the state coffers.

In early February, about 50,000 people demonstrated against the government plan in front of the parliament in Copenhagen – a rare sight in a country accustomed to consensus.

The government intends to spend the extra income on the defense budget in order to achieve the NATO target of 2% in 2030 instead of 2033 as originally planned. This was necessary against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it said.

“I don’t mind having to work an extra day,” says Prime Minister Frederiksen. There is “huge spending” on defense, security, health, psychiatry and “green transformation,” she said when presenting her government program in parliament, “and there is no financial leeway.” (man/AFP)

Source: Blick