The Nordic Model, democratic socialism, taxes, welfare, health care, unions and the institutions behind Denmark’s social democracy.
THE DANISH TAX AGENCY ALREADY KNOWS A LOT ABOUT YOUR INCOME AND DEDUCTIONS. SO THE ANNUAL TAX RETURN IS OFTEN A CHECK, NOT A SEASONAL PANIC ATTACK. Employers, pension providers and other institutions report much of the relevant information automatically.…
IN DENMARK, ONE SECURE DIGITAL ID CAN OPEN THE DOOR TO TAX, HEALTH, BANKING AND A LOT OF DAILY LIFE. IT IS BRILLIANT — PROVIDED THE SYSTEM DESERVES THE TRUST IT ASKS FOR. Denmark went digital by default. Most interaction…
DENMARK BUILT A LOT OF WIND POWER. THAT IS NOT THE SAME AS DECLARING VICTORY AND GOING HOME. Wind is central to Danish electricity, but wind arrives when it arrives. A serious green system needs cables, storage, flexible demand, neighbours…
DENMARK HAS NO LEGAL MINIMUM WAGE. THAT SOUNDS ALARMING UNTIL YOU SEE WHO NEGOTIATES PAY, HOURS AND CONDITIONS: STRONG UNIONS AND EMPLOYER ORGANISATIONS. About two-thirds of Danish workers belong to a union. Wages and conditions are mostly settled through collective…
DENMARK HAS A HOUSING PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IN ITS BIG CITIES. IT ALSO HAS HOUSING ALLOWANCE FOR RENTERS. BOTH THINGS CAN BE TRUE. The Danish welfare state includes housing allowance among its tax-funded supports. It does not make Copenhagen apartments cheap,…
DRIVING ACROSS DENMARK USUALLY DOES NOT MEAN STOPPING AT A TOLLBOOTH EVERY TWENTY MILES. THAT IS PART OF THE DEAL: ROADS ARE PAID FOR COLLECTIVELY, THROUGH TAXES. Denmark’s official welfare-state overview includes roads and highways without tolls among the tax-funded…
WHEN THE ELECTRICITY WORKS SO WELL THAT YOU FORGET ABOUT IT, THAT IS NOT BORING. IT IS CIVILISATION DOING ITS JOB. Denmark’s official infrastructure overview describes one of the world’s most reliable electricity grids, with 99.997% uptime. That figure is…
IN DENMARK, A SECURE DIGITAL ID CALLED MITID OPENS THE DOOR TO A HUGE PART OF ADULT LIFE: PUBLIC SERVICES, BANKING, TAXES, HEALTH INFORMATION AND MORE. ONE KEY. MANY DOORS. Denmark’s official site describes a “digital by default” public sector.…
THE DANISH WELFARE STATE IS BUILT ON A SIMPLE IDEA: SERVICES SHOULD BE A RIGHT OF CITIZENSHIP, NOT A PRIZE FOR PROVING YOU HAVE HIT ROCK BOTTOM. Denmark’s welfare model is broadly universal. Health care, education, childcare support and much…
YES, DENMARK ADDS 25% VAT TO MOST THINGS YOU BUY. YES, THAT MAKES A CINNAMON BUN FEEL LIKE A SMALL FISCAL EVENT. NO, DANES DO NOT WAKE UP EXCITED TO PAY TAX. We do, however, prefer prices that include the…