The Danish Connection

This week on The Danish Connection: After months of negotiations following the 2026 election, Denmark finally has a new government. From strict immigration policies, reforms to the pork industry and selective citizenship processes, we break down what is (and isn’t) changing. We are joined by the amazing Nicholas Woolhead who helps us to break it all down. We also look beyond Denmark to the EU’s ne...

This week on The Danish Connection: We discuss a new report on immigrants in Denmark’s labour market, and why so many internationals struggle to get out of the bottom of the wage ladder while Danes rise to the top. With employment numbers rising but job vacancies now falling to their lowest level since the pandemic, we explore what this growing competition means for those trying to enter (and stay...

This week on The Danish Connection: We talk about Denmark's controversial 'ghetto law' which has been brought to the European Court of Justice, with residents of Mjølnerparken arguing that the policy discriminates based on ethnicity. As the case moves to the Danish courts, we look at what is happening in Mjølnerparken now, from gang violence and pressuring renters to leave to broader questions abo...

This week on The Danish Connection: We discuss the train collision in North Zealand that left multiple people injured and raised major questions about safety on Denmark’s local railways. As investigations continue, we talk about how signalling systems work, where they may have fallen short and why experts say a crash like this “should not be possible.” We talk about a recent study that uncovers a...

This week on The Danish Connection: We look at the recent strikes by Wolt couriers in Copenhagen, where riders are demanding better pay and working conditions. As many couriers push back against falling wages and rising costs, we explore what this says about the realities of gig economy work and whether “flexibility” truly exists for those relying on these jobs, especially migrants. We also discus...

This week on The Danish Connection: We unpack the results of Denmark’s election, which has left the country without a clear government and heading into potentially weeks of negotiations. With a fragmented parliament, a weakened governing coalition and the rise of right leaning parties, we look at what the future government might look like and why Denmark’s complicated citizenship process is such a...

This week on The Danish Connection, we talk to the programming team of one of the world’s biggest and best documentary festivals happening right now in Copenhagen – CPH:DOX. We speak with Adam and Lars about the history of the festival, what it’s like to work there and how they narrow hundreds of documentary submissions down to the final programme each year. We also explore some of the inner worki...

Kvindernes internationale kampdag This week we have a special episode highlighting the story of La Grupa – an organisation doing amazing work for Spanish-speaking migrant women here in Denmark. What began as a small community space founded around International Women’s Day six years ago has grown into an NGO helping women to navigate everything from loneliness, language barriers and cultural adjust...

This week on The Danish Connection: Denmark is officially heading into an election after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced voters will go to the polls on March 24. With political parties already positioning themselves and polls pointing to a close race, we unpack why the election was called now and who is in the running so far to become the new Prime Minister. We discuss the bird flu outb...

This week on The Danish Connection: We look into growing political concern over Denmark’s agricultural trainee scheme after a sharp rise in interns arriving from Uganda prompted tighter controls and allegations that the programme risks becoming a source of cheap labour rather than education. New figures reveal that many internationals are leaving Denmark, marking the second-highest level of depart...

If you’ve been dating in Denmark, chances are you’ve used a dating app. For some, dating apps are a ticket to love, a wild night, memorable experiences. For others, they can lead to rejection, heartache and even addiction. To mark Valentine’s Day, we sat down with Erinne Paisley, a PhD Fellow at the University of Copenhagen’s Media Studies research group and a former lecturer in the Department of...

This week on The Danish Connection: We discuss the government’s new deportation reform plan, including plans to use GPS ankle bracelets on foreign nationals with criminal records in departure centres. We also hear from documentary filmmaker and producer Mathilde Kirstein who made a film about one of the most infamous centres, Kærshovedgård. Stay tuned for details about an upcoming screening of her...

This week on The Danish Connection: We discuss the government’s new tax-free food check plan worth 4.5 billion kroner, aimed at helping families, students, pensioners and unemployed people cope with rising prices. We also discuss the uncertainty around whether internationals will be included. We look into why 27 years of efforts to protect Denmark’s drinking water have failed, agricultural lobbyin...

This week on The Danish Connection , we bring you the full Greenland update. Melissa and Rachel discuss Greenland’s colonial past and its path toward self-rule, why Donald Trump has become obsessed with acquiring the world’s largest island, the affect the crisis has had on Denmark’s relationship with the United States, how EU leaders and Nato members have responded and some of the key points from...

Welcome back to The Situation Room – a special bonus series from The Danish Connection presented by Jonas Friis. Jonas is a Danish naval officer with thirteen years of military experience. Aside from that, he is interested in investigating, understanding and speaking about the Danish military and its place in the global defence context. This week, Jonas sits down with Esben Thorseth - a Danish nav...

This week on The Danish Connection : Rachel talks about the disturbing international fertility case linked to the European Sperm Bank in Denmark, where sperm from a single donor carrying a cancer-causing genetic mutation was used to conceive nearly 200 children across Europe. She looks into what this could mean for the future of cross-border fertility treatment and why Denmark plays such a central...

Death is a part of life - but how do Danes deal with it? Welcome back to another episode of Stories from the Streets with Maria Pagola - a special bonus series from The Danish Connection where we take to the streets of Copenhagen to find out what Danes and Internationals really think about some of life's biggest issues. This week, we're uncovering the cultural and practical aspects of deat...

On Tuesday, a historic number of international citizens voted in the local and regional elections in Denmark. Now, the results are in, and we’re here (as always) to help you make sense of it all. Rachel sits down with: Bernardo Basilici Menini , Editor-in-Chief of the English language news outlet The Copenhagen Post which covered the elections extensively NicolasButInEnglish , a democratic activis...

This week on The Danish Connection: 💊 We discuss the Danish government’s plan to invest DKK 160 million in a new National Centre for Research in Women’s Health. 🛂 We talk about Mette Frederiksen’s latest Facebook post where she warned of further restrictions on immigration, saying newcomers must accept ‘core Danish values’ and that the flow of international students moving to Denmark and working...

This week on The Danish Connection: Melissa explores the citizenship controversy surrounding a Muslim leader denied Danish citizenship despite meeting all legal criteria. Lawmakers cited “values incompatible with Danish principles,” sparking a debate over religious freedom, democracy and increasing restrictions around citizenship in Denmark. Rachel breaks down the Mink Scandal - the controversy th...

This week on The Danish Connection: Eva unpacks the mysterious drone incidents that shut down Danish airports and raised national security alarms. Who is behind them, why is the Prime Minister receiving criticism for how it was handled and was it discussed among EU leaders at the summit that took place in Copenhagen this week? Rachel dives into Denmark’s upcoming local and regional elections, taki...

Welcome back to another edition of Stories from the Streets with Maria Pagola - a bonus series from The Danish Connection where you get the chance to hear the unfiltered voices of Copenhagen speaking about the big topics, the small details, and everything in between.  In this episode, Maria discusses the many layers of meaning behind Denmark’s most basic commodity: Water Is it safe to drink it, is...

This week on The Danish Connection, we’re digging into three huge stories that reveal the darker sides of public figures, education systems, and women’s safety in Denmark: 🇩🇰 Eva breaks down the shocking case of former Social Democrats minister Henrik Sass Larsen, who has been convicted of possessing thousands of child sexual abuse materials, and why his prison sentence has caused public outrage....

Welcome back to The Situation Room. This week, Jonas Friis is joined by Sine Plambech -anthropologist, author, filmmaker, and Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). Her work spans migration, smuggling, trafficking, and the sex industry, taking her deep into migrant communities, border zones, red-light districts, and along migration routes across West Africa, As...

The Danish stock market, Novo Nordisk and Trump                               Rachel explores how Trump’s trade policies are sending shockwaves through Danish companies like Novo Nordisk, Ørsted, and Vestas. With tariffs, the falling value of the dollar, and investor uncertainty hitting the Danish economy, she looks into what this means for Denmark’s future in global markets and for the Danish GDP...