The Nordic Model, democratic socialism, taxes, welfare, health care, unions and the institutions behind Denmark’s social democracy.
DENMARK DOES NOT SET WAGES BY HAVING PARLIAMENT GUESS WHAT EVERY JOB IS WORTH. UNIONS AND EMPLOYERS DO MOST OF THE HARD BARGAINING THEMSELVES. One of the least understood parts of the Nordic model is wage coordination. Denmark has no…
DENMARK DID NOT WAKE UP ONE MORNING AS A PERFECT LITTLE CLIMATE SAINT. IT GOT HIT BY AN OIL CRISIS AND DISCOVERED THAT DEPENDENCE IS EXPENSIVE. In 1972, oil supplied about 92 percent of Denmark’s gross energy consumption. Then the…
HIGH TAXES DO NOT BECOME JOYFUL JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY PUTS A LITTLE DANISH FLAG ON THEM. PEOPLE TOLERATE THEM BETTER WHEN THEY CAN SEE THE RETURN. A school, a clinic, safe streets, a train, a child care place: public spending…
DENMARK RELIES ON A LOT OF SMALL ACTS OF TRUST: THAT PEOPLE WILL PAY TAXES, FOLLOW THE RULES, AND EXPECT PUBLIC SERVICES TO WORK. Trust is not blind faith. It has to be earned through competent institutions, transparency and the…
IN DENMARK, ACCESS TO A GENERAL PRACTITIONER IS PART OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM, NOT A PRIZE ATTACHED TO ONE PARTICULAR JOB. That separation matters. If changing jobs means risking your medical care, work has far too much power over…
THE POINT OF A SAFETY NET IS NOT TO MAKE PEOPLE STOP MOVING. IT IS TO MAKE A SETBACK LESS LIKELY TO DESTROY THEIR ENTIRE LIFE. Lose a job, get sick, have a child, need to retrain: Danish systems try…
DENMARK IS NOT A FAIRYTALE WHERE NOBODY PAYS FOR ANYTHING. IT IS A COUNTRY THAT DECIDED SOME THINGS SHOULD BE PAID FOR COLLECTIVELY. Health care, education, child care, infrastructure and income support all cost money. That means taxes are visible,…
DANISH HEALTHCARE IS NOT FREE. IT IS PAID FOR THROUGH TAXES, WHICH IS A LESS EXCITING SENTENCE THAN “FREE” BUT A MORE HONEST ONE. The point is not that nothing costs money. The point is that a doctor visit is…
PUTTING A DATA CENTER IN A COLD COUNTRY DOES NOT MAKE IT GREEN. CLEAN ELECTRICITY, EFFICIENT DESIGN AND HONEST ACCOUNTING DO. Denmark attracts major data-centre investment with reliable fibre infrastructure and a large share of renewable electricity. Those are good…
DENMARK’S VAT IS 25%. THAT IS A BIG NUMBER. BUT THE PRICE ON THE SHELF IS THE PRICE YOU PAY. NO LAST-MINUTE MATHS AT THE CHECKOUT. In Denmark, VAT is included in the price of nearly all goods. That does…