Christian Wenande
May 26th, 2015

Share

The Danes will head to the ballot boxes on June 18 (photo: Johannes Jansson)

Led by the prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the government today presented its budget plan looking ahead towards 2020.

The plan – which is entitled ‘Danmark på sikker vej – plan for et stærkere fællesskab’ (Denmark on its way – a plan for a stronger community) and hinges on the government’s re-election this year – consists of strengthening a number of areas in the public sector to the tune of 39 billion kroner.

“We’re not talking about luxury, but a plan that ensures we can maintain the Denmark we know,” Thorning-Schmidt said. “We’re not talking about uncontrolled spending in the public sector. It’s a tight budget.”

The 39 billion kroner will be allocated to: providing better healthcare for cancer patients, the elderly, the chronically ill (15 billion), increasing security for the socially vulnerable and unforeseen costs (15 billion), investing in children, education and social mobility (5 billion), and spending on research, green transition and growth (4 billion).

READ MORE: Election posters are ineffective, researcher claims

Timed to perfection
The government’s unveiling of its budget plan comes as Thorning-Schmidt is expected to call for an election later this week – likely to be set for June 16, according to experts.

And the timing is good for Thorning-Schmidt and company, who are expected to officially announce that Denmark has successfully stepped out of the darkness of the financial crisis that has hampered the nation since 2008.

An Epinion poll for DR Nyheder late last week revealed that the Danes saw Thorning-Schmidt as being a better politician, leader, Danish representative and ambassador abroad than Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the head of opposition party Venstre and the current government’s main opponent in the upcoming election.