Against the background of the war in Ukraine, the Scandinavian kingdom wants to increase its defense budget to 2% of GDP by 2030 in order to meet NATO criteria.
“There is a war in Europe and we need to strengthen our defences… And we all need to do a little bit more for that,” said Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark. The Scandinavian kingdom wants to reach the target of devoting 2% of GDP to defense in 2030 instead of 2033, a NATO criterion, compared to 1.4% today. In addition, one of the 11 Danish public holidays will be abolished. This is the Store Bededag (Day of Prayer), introduced in 1656 and celebrated on the fourth Friday after Easter.
It is one of the first moves by the new governing coalition uniting the centre-left and centre-right, the BBC reports. Reducing carbon emissions and investing more in military spending are high on the new government’s agenda.
Lutheran Clergy Association President Pernille Vigso Bagge said she was “sad” at the news, adding that due to her distance, pastors and parishioners were “in a logistical nightmare” awaiting her confirmation. Store Bededag is indeed traditionally a big confirmation day in Denmark.
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