The Nordic Model, democratic socialism, taxes, welfare, health care, unions and the institutions behind Denmark’s social democracy.
DENMARK CAN BE SURPRISINGLY EASY TO HIRE INTO — AND TO FIRE FROM. THAT SOUNDS TERRIBLE UNTIL YOU NOTICE THE OTHER HALF OF THE DEAL: YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO LOSE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE WHEN YOU LOSE A JOB. This…
THE NORDIC MODEL IS NOT A MOOD BOARD, A VIKING FAIRY TALE OR A COUP IN A KNITTED SWEATER. IT IS A PRACTICAL DEAL: WE PAY A LOT TOGETHER, THEN MAKE BASIC LIFE LESS EXPENSIVE, LESS FRAGILE AND LESS HUMILIATING.…
DENMARK DOES NOT HAVE A LEGAL, NATIONWIDE MINIMUM WAGE. BEFORE YOU CONCLUDE THIS IS A FREE-MARKET FEVER DREAM, HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART: PAY AND CONDITIONS ARE LARGELY SET THROUGH COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS. This tends to scramble American brains. In the…
DENMARK HAS DAY CARE, PAID LEAVE, WOMEN IN POLITICS AND A CULTURE THAT GENERALLY EXPECTS WOMEN TO HAVE THEIR OWN LIVES. NONE OF THAT MEANS EQUALITY IS DONE. The Danish model made it far easier for women to work outside…
IN DENMARK, PEOPLE SOMETIMES LEAVE A JAR OF CASH NEXT TO ROADSIDE STRAWBERRIES. THAT IS NOT BECAUSE DANES ARE ANGELS. IT IS BECAUSE A SOCIETY CAN PRACTISE TRUST. Trust is one of the least flashy things Denmark does well. It…
DENMARK DID NOT INVENT WIND. WE JUST GOT TIRED OF PRETENDING THAT WINDY WEATHER WAS ONLY GOOD FOR COMPLAINING. Wind power is a genuine Danish strength. The official Denmark site says wind supplies 41% of the country’s energy and that…
A DATA CENTER DOES NOT BECOME GREEN BECAUSE SOMEONE PUTS THE WORD “GREEN” IN A PRESS RELEASE. Denmark attracts data centres for boring, good reasons: reliable infrastructure, strong fibre connections, a cooler climate and an electricity system with a large…
IN DENMARK, A LIBRARY IS OFTEN THE PLACE YOU GO WHEN YOU NEED A DESK, A PRINTER, A CHILDREN’S CORNER, A NEWSPAPER, WIFI OR JUST SOMEWHERE TO SIT WITHOUT BUYING A $7 COFFEE. Yes, there are books. But treating Danish…
IN MUCH OF DENMARK, YOUR RADIATOR IS NOT HEATED BY A FURNACE IN YOUR BASEMENT. HOT WATER ARRIVES THROUGH PIPES FROM A SHARED HEATING NETWORK. This is district heating — fjernvarme in Danish — and it is one of those…
DENMARK HAS A KING, A PRIME MINISTER AND A PARLIAMENT. ONLY ONE OF THEM RUNS THE GOVERNMENT. Americans understandably look for the president. We do not have one. Denmark is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy: the King is…