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Half a billion helping hands for Danish exports

Luke Roberts
October 9th, 2020


This article is more than 4 years old.

A total of 27 new initiatives have been agreed to prop up Danish exports through the coronavirus crisis

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in central Copenhagen (photo: Pbn-dk)

A parliamentary majority has backed government plans to boost Danish exports through the coronavirus pandemic and into its recovery.

The agreement amounts to 485 million kroner worth of initiatives.

The forum in charge, alongside eight ‘restart teams’, submitted a list of recommendations in mid-September. It on these that the new initiatives are based.

READ ALSO: Maersk remains the undisputed king of Danish business

Four key areas
“Exports must increase, business travellers must be able to travel more easily, and the needs of companies must be fully considered … today’s agreement is an important step on that road,” said the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod.

Four areas in particular have been targeted by the plans: improved access to business travel, increased international marketing, e-commerce and digital transformation solutions, and ‘green restart’ initiatives.

“In Denmark, our companies are extremely skilled at exporting both products and services but also green ideas, and we must make sure we safeguard this, even while the coronavirus crisis rages all over the world,” said Simon Kollerup, the minister of trade and industry.

READ ALSO: SAS feeling the pinch

Strong support 
The restart package enjoyed strong cross-party support, with the majority of parties united in their desire to see Danish industries supported financially through the pandemic.

From Venstre, Torsten Schack Peder and Anni Matthiesen signalled their support for a package that would help secure a sector that supports over 800,000 Danish jobs.

Similarly, Katrine Robsøe from Radikale voiced her support for initiatives that pushed for increased digitisation for smaller businesses as well as the green focus.

Among the Socialistisk Folkeparti ranks, however, there was some minor disappointment that the green initiatives had not gone as far as they would have liked.


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”