Today’s big topic: Danish fund moves to protect savers from U.S. election outcome
U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off his campaign Wednesday in Oklahoma to ensure that the Republican Party keeps its majority in both chambers of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. For now, polls suggest an uphill battle, with Democrats poised to win a majority in at least one of the chambers.
What’s happening?
Normally, U.S. elections don’t have much of an effect on Danes’ savings. But this time could be the exception, when the United States holds its midterm elections a month from now. That is the assessment from Danica Pension, which manages the retirement savings of roughly 750,000 Danes.
»There’s one scenario in particular we need to pay attention to when we invest people’s money«, says Andreas Stang, Danica Pension’s chief investment officer.
Today, Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate. But according to the polls, Democrats are currently on track to win a majority in at least one of the two chambers. As of this writing, the most likely outcome is that Democrats will win control of both chambers. But the second-most likely outcome is that Democrats take the House while Republicans retain the Senate – a divided Congress that markets are currently assigning about a 30 percent probability to. And that is the election result Danica is watching most closely.
Why it matters!
A divided Congress could open the floodgates from the U.S. Treasury, Danica’s analysis says, creating inflation that could ultimately depress stock prices – where many Danes’ savings are invested. This is where it pays to keep your head straight. Economists talk about several different kinds of inflation, and the kind Danica Pension sees as the risk here is different from the one we’re experiencing right now.
At the moment, inflation in Denmark and much of the world is rising because energy prices are climbing in the wake of the war in the Middle East, which is slowing the transport of oil out through the Strait of Hormuz. That inflation has led central banks in the United States and Europe to raise interest rates, and Denmark’s central bank has increased Danish rates as well. But another driver of inflation is when a government pumps money into the economy. And that is precisely what Danica’s chief investment officer has in mind if the U.S. midterms end with a divided Congress.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
– The penalty underscored the new, brutally physical reality of international football
Sunday evening in Cardiff, Denmark were awarded a penalty. The Danish soccer player Rasmus Højlund feinted the Welsh player Danny Ward one way and calmly rolled the ball the other. As it hit the net, he spread his arms and stared coolly toward the stands. It happened in the final third of a match that carried enormous weight for the national team’s state of play. A Nations League quarterfinal was within reach with a win. A loss would have made relegation to League B likely – and put the Danish coach, Brian Riemer, under threat of being fired. After this round of matches, Denmark sit second, three points behind Norway.
– A new dementia plan is intended to make life better and more secure for people living with dementia and their relatives
That is what the government will allocate – 680 million DKK over the next four years – in next year’s budget, Economy and Interior Minister Pia Olsen Dyhr (Green Left) said, according to the news agency Ritzau. More than 100,000 Danes over 65 have a dementia diagnosis, and the number is expected to rise in the coming years as the elderly population grows. About 400,000 people are also relatives of someone with dementia. That is why, the minister said, the aim is to create a better life for both those affected by dementia and their families. She expects that, as part of the work on the new dementia plan, the government will look at ensuring that more people with dementia are assigned a dedicated dementia coordinator. At the same time, she said, the focus will be on upgrading the skills of care staff.
– The week begins with wild weather before the rain arrives
The week will start out mild for the time of year, but as it goes on, wetter autumn weather and lower temperatures are on the way. Monday begins with some sunshine in eastern Denmark, while the rest of the country will see mostly clouds. Tuesday will be dry with some sun, but by evening – and into Wednesday – a low-pressure system will move in from the North Sea. »That means we’ll get rain on Wednesday and Thursday, and then showers at times. Otherwise, it’s going to be a few unsettled days — including Friday«, said Anne Borrits, the duty meteorologist at the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), according to the Ritzau news agency.
Talk of town: Danish university leadership asked researchers to hand over students’ names after Gaza action on campus
Studerende på Roskilde Universitet demonstrerer på universitetet for et boycot af israelske institutioner som medvirker til kolonialisering og ødelæggelse af Palæstina, på samme måde som man gjorde i forhold til Rusland og Belarus i 2022.De kræver også at RUC boykotter virksomheder der profiterer på besættelsen af Palæstina samt fordømmelse fra universitetets side af folkemordet og opfordring til våbenhvile.
Can a university protect academic freedom while also trying to keep political controversy off campus?
That question is now at the center of a dispute at Roskilde University (RUC), where researchers say they have experienced growing pressure over how they discuss the war in Gaza. The controversy began after a student group called RUC Intifada held a protest on campus in 2024. University leaders later asked four researchers to identify students from photos taken during the demonstration. One of them, Professor Michelle Pace, refused to name students she could not identify with certainty.
The dispute did not end there. After researchers held a spontaneous poetry reading featuring Palestinian writers in June 2025, several were called into meetings with university leaders and warned that the gathering had violated RUC rules. A few months later, Michelle Pace received a termination letter. RUC says the decision had nothing to do with politics and instead points to what it calls a long-running pattern of unacceptable behavior and problems working with colleagues. Pace, however, believes she was effectively pushed out because of political pressure surrounding the university’s handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The case has raised a broader question about how far universities should go to protect themselves from political pressure and where the line lies between maintaining a safe workplace and protecting academic freedom. Professor emeritus Heine Andersen argues that RUC’s researchers are operating in a culture of fear, while an employment lawyer representing Pace says professors have a special right to have their academic freedom protected. RUC rejects the claim that political considerations played a role in Pace’s departure.
Still curious? Read the full article 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.