Last Week in Denmark

Send us Fan Mail Deportations, obesity, and dinner party decline. This week, Dom and Fionn , internationals living in Denmark, explore how Denmark debates who belongs, and how we live together. From the Danish People’s Party’s proposal to deport up to 100,000 internationals, to a warning that obesity may surge across municipalities, and a new study showing social life is moving out of the home, th...

Send us Fan Mail Voting rights, tax breaks, and tough truths. This week, Katie and Kalpita dive into Denmark’s local elections, revealing what internationals need to know before casting their votes. This week’s episode explores how democracy and welfare intersect in Denmark — from mobilizing international voters and new tax breaks to deeper concerns about inequality, digital privacy, and social ca...

Send us Fan Mail We're starting early to build a better Denmark. This week, Dom and Fionn explore Billund’s new International Party, Denmark’s 2026 Finance Plan, and a pilot program adding mental health to school curriculums. From sugar tax cuts to climate investments and classroom wellbeing, they unpack how these changes reflect a Denmark that’s slowly becoming more inclusive—socially, polit...

Send us Fan Mail Change is taking root in Denmark. Two long term international living in Denmark, Kalpita and Narcis, tackle three big stories in this conversation: the proposal to raise Denmark’s share account limit, the review of Bangladeshi and Nepali student permits, and the rise of women and internationals in local elections. Each topic asks what kind of Denmark we’re investing in, who gets t...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered if feeling at home in Denmark is up to you—or the system? Fionn and Kalpita, internationals living in Denmark, unpack Denmark’s decision to scrap the National Integration Council, the government’s plan to ban social media for under-15s, and the alarming new report showing that nearly half of Denmark’s species are at risk.  Topics:  (04:00) Scrapping Denmark’...

Send us Fan Mail Phones, prejudice, and pests — Denmark’s been busy this week. A new nationwide phone ban in schools sparks debate about children’s focus and well-being, while hate crimes are on the rise , raising questions about safety and inclusion. Dom and Golda bring an international perspective before lightening the mood with rat season tips and a brief look at the drone scare near Copenhagen...

Send us Fan Mail Drone Scares, Politics, and Optimism:  This week’s episode unpacks a tense but hopeful stretch of news in Denmark: the wave of drone activity that shut down airports and raised questions about hybrid attacks, the appointment of hardline politician Rasmus Stoklund as the new Immigration Minister and what that could mean for internationals, and the National Bank’s unexpected forecas...

Send us Fan Mail  From missiles to migration to addiction, Denmark’s headlines this week couldn’t be more explosive. Internationals Fionn O'Toole and Katie Burns share their take on how these stories shape life for those of us living here—from the government’s dramatic shift toward long-range weapons, to Roskilde University’s controversial recruitment of Bangladeshi students, to a study revea...

Send us Fan Mail Hard Questions, Human Choices. In this week’s episode, Golda and Dominika, both internationals with strong ties to Denmark, tackle three powerful conversations: Denmark’s proposal for tougher citizenship tests and what they mean for democracy and belonging, the country’s exploration of assisted dying as a dignified choice at the end of life, and the growing trend of Danes sleeping...

Send us Fan Mail Healthcare, Candy, Buses: Denmark’s Big Choices. Katie and Kalpita, two internationals living in Denmark, take on the week’s sharpest debates. From the government’s new quota on non-EU nurses, to billions for candy tax cuts instead of free school meals, to Aarhus testing cheaper bus tickets — these choices reveal what Denmark values, what it risks overlooking and how these changes...

Send us Fan Mail Taxes, Science, and Mysterious Eels. Denmark’s 2026 Finance Law brings tax cuts on chocolate, coffee, and books—changes that spark both cheers and debate. Hosts Katie and Fionn , both internationals living in Denmark, also dive into a landmark study of over one million children confirming no link between vaccines and conditions like autism or allergies, a vital pushback against gl...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Last Week in Denmark , Katie and Kalpita — both internationals living in Denmark — discuss a wave of cuts making headlines. Denmark has gone three months coal-free, the government is proposing a major power tax cut, and book VAT may finally be reduced. Are these real steps forward, or just election-season promises? Topics:  ( 00:00) This week's topics ( 02:01 ) D...

Send us Fan Mail Prices, Parenting, and Politics Collide in Denmark. This week, Golda and Kalpita unpack how Denmark’s big debates hit everyday life. From soaring grocery bills to Greenlandic parents fighting for their rights, and the government’s bailouts of major companies like Ørsted, these stories raise tough questions about fairness, identity, and who bears the cost of change . With their clo...

Send us Fan Mail Pharma Shake-Up, Zoo Debate & Sober Shift: We’re back from summer break with Season 4, as Fionn and Golda explore how Novo Nordisk’s leadership change, Aalborg Zoo’s livestock feeding debate, and Denmark’s growing alcohol-free culture touch daily life for internationals in Denmark. Both with a strong connection to Denmark, they link the headlines to real concerns – job stabili...

Send us Fan Mail What does daily life feel like when the rules, systems, and expectations keep shifting around you? Season 4 of Last Week in Denmark looks at Denmark through international eyes, focusing on how political decisions, elections, and public debates quietly shape everyday life for people trying to build stability here. This season, we explore how big changes show up in small, personal w...

Send us Fan Mail Unlimited sick leave sounds great—until it doesn't. Golda and Narcis—both internationals with a strong connection to Denmark—explore the country’s ongoing debate around expanded parental leave to help parents take care of sick children. From the pressures on dual-income households to the impact on startups and the fairness toward colleagues without kids, this conversation tac...

Send us Fan Mail Abortion rights in Denmark expand boldly. Earlier this year, Denmark made history on abortion access. In this highlight from Season 3, Fionn and Katie reflect on the Danish Parliament’s vote to extend the abortion limit from 12 to 18 weeks and to grant decision-making rights to 15–17-year-olds. They explore the legal, medical, and emotional sides of the reform, bringing in their o...

Send us Fan Mail Groundhog Day meets Samuel Beckett—cohosts Fionn and Kalpita celebrate this mind-bending Danish novel while we're on summer break. Solvej Balle’s On the Calculation of Volume follows Tara Selter, a woman trapped in a time loop, in a story has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. Already awarded in Scandinavia and translated by Barbara Haveland, the novel is ga...

Send us Fan Mail Adoptees or immigrants? In this highlight from season 3, Golda and Katie explore the Danish government’s attempt to reclassify internationally adopted citizens as immigrants under a welfare policy update. The move, which would have applied retroactively to 1968, sparked outrage and confusion. Many adoptees—raised entirely in Denmark—were left questioning their citizenship.  During...

Send us Fan Mail Denmark is a high trust society until we talk about petty crime like bicycle theft. Then the conversation is much more nuanced. Internationals in Denmark Narcis and Kalpita broke down Denmark's new petty crime crackdown early in season 3. They discuss what's being done in Denmark, what could be done and specifically how it impacts internationals.  During season break we&...

Send us Fan Mail Money, Missiles, and a Mic Drop. As Fionn and Katie—two internationals living in Denmark—wrap up the season, they reflect on the biggest shifts in the country and on the podcast itself—and what still lies ahead. But the world doesn’t stop: NATO’s new agreement for members to spend 5% of GDP on defense marks a dramatic pivot in global priorities, raising big questions for Denmark’s...

Send us Fan Mail Is the future of Denmark shifting beyond the big cities? This week on Last Week in Denmark , co-hosts Kalpita and Golda—both internationals with a deep connection to life in Denmark—break down three stories that reveal how things are changing. Lolland is stepping into the spotlight as a potential new hotspot for internationals. A surprising number of people are saving up to 50,000...

Send us Fan Mail  What does Denmark’s future look like in a more globalized world? This week on Last Week in Denmark , co-hosts Kalpita and Golda—both with deep personal and professional ties to Denmark—explore three big demographic shifts with long-term impact: a new projection that internationals and their descendants could become the majority by 2096, Denmark officially reaching a population of...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to belong in Denmark today? Some of the country’s biggest shifts are happening behind the headlines. This week on Last Week In Denmark , co-hosts Narcis and Fionn—both internationals living in Denmark—unpack three quietly significant developments: the government’s push to boost defense spending, plans to reactivate former conscripts, and new hurdles facing...

Send us Fan Mail Some of Denmark’s biggest challenges are just beneath the surface. This week on Last Week In Denmark, co-hosts Katie and Kalpita—both internationals making sense of life in Denmark—offer their personal take on three quiet but pressing issues: rising social media addiction, the state of emergency shelters, and a looming water shortage in Copenhagen by 2040. What do these developmen...