Today’s big topic: Macron invited to cooperate on nuclear weapons. And Denmark said yes
President Macron gave his speech on nuclear weapons on a naval base housing France's nuclear submarine 'Le Temeraire'
What’s happening?
As one of its final acts, the departing SVM government said yes to President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to a new nuclear cooperation. At a press conference Monday evening, the three party leaders of the SVM government, who have spent the first days of the parliamentary election campaign criticizing each other’s political proposals, announced a new joint stance on nuclear weapons.
Denmark is now part of a »strategic cooperation« aimed at better deterring Russia with nuclear weapons. Seven other European countries, including Sweden, are also involved.
No nuclear weapons are allowed on Danish soil. However, the cooperation includes exercises, increased air surveillance, and communication.
Earlier in the day, Macron held a press conference with a French nuclear submarine as a backdrop. He stressed that the power to use French nuclear weapons would remain solely with the French president, but opened the possibility of deploying »strategic assets« in allied countries.
Why it matters!
Last week, Troels Lund Poulsen (Venstre, V), Defense Minister in the departing government, also opened the possibility of a new Danish nuclear strategy that would break with the official Danish nuclear policy since 1957 and allow the placement of nuclear weapons on Danish soil.
While the full step was not taken during the press conference yesterday evening, Lund Poulsen opened the possibility of a future change in nuclear policy. »What it might mean in the long term, we will have to assess,« he said.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Moderaterne, M) stated that Denmark continues to rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, but the new cooperation with France and the other countries is important.
In recent days, and before President Macron’s speech, Politiken has asked several other parties in the Folketing whether they are also ready to discuss a new Danish nuclear policy. LA leader Alex Vanopslagh already stated a few weeks ago that Denmark should be willing to invest in nuclear weapons and allow their storage on Danish soil.
Martin Lidegaard (Radikale Venstre, R) and Inger Støjberg (Danmarksdemokraterne, DD) also declared themselves ready to discuss a new Danish nuclear policy. On the other hand, Enhedslisten (EL) clearly opposes lifting the ban on nuclear weapons on Danish soil. Thus, nuclear policy may be a theme on the agenda during campaign over the next three weeks
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
–United left wing launches election campaign with frontal attack on Danish pig farmers
Danish farmers should be banned from building new barns or expanding existing ones to accommodate even one more conventionally produced pig than today. SF, Enhedslisten, and Radikale Venstre are kicking off the election campaign with a demand for an »urgent pig stop.«
»It is a confrontation with an industry that has enormous costs for our country in terms of climate, nature, environment, social cohesion, and animal welfare,« says Enhedslisten’s group chairman, Peder Hvelplund. Enhedslisten and Radikale Venstre will draft a proposal to reduce conventional pig production while organic and free-range farming will continue to be allowed.
Read the full article here.
–Homebuyers left searching in vain for spring properties
The supply of homes for sale is approaching pre-pandemic levels. This will lead to price increases, says Lise Nytoft Bergmann, chief analyst at Nykredit. Data from Boligsiden’s Market Index shows that the number of homes for sale continues to decline in all regions - except Bornholm. Overall, at the beginning of March, there were 29,021 homes for sale, which is 171 fewer than a month earlier. Thus, the housing supply has decreased by 2.4 percent over the past month and 14.3 percent over the past year. It is the lowest supply in four years, and only during a brief period of the coronavirus pandemic has it been lower.
–Danish travel agencies employ various strategies to avoid mass tourism
Spies, Bravo Tours, Sunweb, and Stjernegaard are aware of the challenges. »Mass tourism is primarily perceived as a challenge in places with relatively high wealth. Many of the destinations we visit are deeply dependent on tourism, so there is no resistance there,« says Sofie Folden Lund, communications and press manager at Spies. She is supported by Sunweb’s Nordic country manager, Jan Lockhart. According to Per Møller Jensen, Stjernegaard always uses local guides on their tours to »ensure a certain balance in things«.
Restaurants and bars to know in Copenhagen
Solène
They already run the restaurants Donda Deli in Vesterbro and Donda Khana in Christianshavn, and now the team has expanded with an all-day bistro in Østerbro. The place is called Solène, and the menu is inspired by the Iberian Peninsula, featuring Spanish and Portuguese dishes.
For breakfast, you can order omelets, eggs and soldiers, and torrijas (Portugal’s version of French toast). The lunch menu offers plenty of Iberian ham, oysters, and tuna tartare. If you book a table for dinner, you can enjoy a menu for 450 kroner and sip cocktails.
Belanja
On Gammel Kongevej – right across from Codanhus – a Malaysian restaurant and wine bar has opened in the premises that have been vacant for long periods since Brasserie Prins closed in 2023.
The place is called Belanja, and here you can go a la carte or order a menu (420 kroner) with dishes like fried lotus roots, the noodle soup curry laksa, and Malaysia’s national dish nasi lemak with rice cooked in coconut milk and scented with pandan leaves.
Bar Solis?
»An informal dining bar and hangout where you can come for anything from a single glass to spending the whole evening filling your belly and meeting friends«.
That’s how the new Vesterbro dining bar Bar Solis is presented on the website. Think Southern European small dishes like pintxos, taramasalata, and panisse, and a drink menu with vermouth tonic, negroni, and pilsner from Bajeur. Bar Solis has moved into the corner premises on Enghavevej, which once housed Cafe Høegs.
Find another 8 recommendations from Politiken here.
This newsletter features stories originally published in Danish. AI was used to shorten and translate the articles into English, after which a member of the editorial staff reviewed and refined the content.