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Danish democracy has weakened – survey

Christian Wenande
June 20th, 2017


This article is more than 7 years old.

Just 10 percent believe it’s improved from a decade ago

Represented? Or just another face in the crowd? (photo: Pixabay)

According to a new survey from national statistics keeper Danmarks Statistik, almost half of the people in attendance at the annual political festival Folkemødet on Bornholm over the weekend believe democracy has weakened in the country over the past ten years.

The survey found that 46 percent believe that Danish democracy has become weaker, while just 10 percent think it’s improved. Some 41 percent said it had remained the same.

In terms of local democracy, 73 percent felt they had little or no influence on the development of the town they lived in, while 54 percent said they wanted more influence on the development of the town.

The query regarding the state of democracy in Denmark was among 27 issues asked by Danmarks Statistik during Folkemødet.

READ MORE: New Danish political party wants to return to the roots of democracy via mobile app

Other tidbits
The survey also revealed that 38 percent were prepared to save more in their pension to leave the labour force earlier.

Some 77 percent thought it made most sense to support and focus on women when it comes to developing the world’s poorest nations – 85 percent of women thought so compared to 67 percent of men.

The survey also found that 43 percent think not enough is being done for health in the Danish workforce, while psychological illnesses and cancer will present the biggest challenges in the coming years.

And interestingly, 41 percent believe that Folkemødet should move about the country from year to year – and it’s no surprise that it’s north Jutlanders who want that to happen. Most people in the Copenhagen Region want the festival to remain in Bornholm.

As well as local, regional and national politicians, Folkemødet is also extremely popular among lobbyists, NGOs and other organisations anxious to access the high number of decision-makers in one place.

READ MORE: Folkemødet: Not just for politicians


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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.”