Wednesday
16th Jun 2021
Denmark has passed legislation outsourcing asylum claims to countries outside Europe. The European Commission says it is illegal under EU - but notes Denmark also has a special opt-out on justice and home affairs issues.
Environmental awareness is high in Norway. Holidays are often spent in their cabins in the forest or on the coast. Yet In 2020, Norway's export of gas exceeded €30bn, and five percent of the workforce is in petroleum industries.
The EU is the most important market for Norwegian goods, from salmon to natural gas. But after Norway's election in September, Oslo may get a government where the majority oppose the current European Economic Area agreement.
Denmark is stripping Syrians of residency rights - the first country in the EU to do so - amid threats to deport them back home. The EU did not comment directly, but warned that Syria is not safe.
This week's snap election in Greenland resulted in a clear majority for the mining-sceptic IA party, in a historic change.
Norway, Finland, Sweden Denmark lead the world ranking of 180 countries, while - among EU members - Malta, Hungary, and Bulgaria have the lowest placings.
Iceland's international reputation masks two blunt realities that face the country's women - the disproportionate levels of gender-based violence that they experience, and a justice system that is frequently suspicious and hostile towards victims of this violence.
The Romanian city of Sfântu Gheoghe plans to bridge the language gap between Hungarian and Romanian speakers by pioneering a programme to incentivise learning each other's languages.
Do tech giants like Google, Apple or Facebook have too much power? Is their growing power a threat to democracy? These topics are highlighted in the latest Nordic Talks podcast, featuring three specialists - among them EU commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
The Nordic electricity market is an example of successful market integration plus climate action, as the share of sustainable energy keeps growing, the European Commission said. However, the decarbonisation of the transport sector remains a challenge.
A snap early election in Greenland throws into focus mining of rare earths - needed for Europe's green transition, and coveted by both China and the US, but opposed by environmentalists.
The Swedish king would have been better advised to use his annual Christmas interview to call for unity of purpose and shed light on the political roots of the country's response.
You might have seen headlines about a majority in the Swedish parliament backing the 'Nato option'. But before you conclude that Sweden anytime soon will apply for membership - hold your horses! There is still a vast majority against.
Women do better than men in a Nordic labour market characterised by digitalisation and rapid technological development. However, new Nordic research shows that traditionally male-dominated sectors are at risk of polarisation.
Denmark's decision to put a deadline on all oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, as part of the country's plan to phase out fossil fuels by 2050, is expected to put pressure on the UK and Norway.
The pandemic has both hampered access to mental health services, while increasing demand for psychological support, particularly in countries with the most severe coronavirus lockdowns. Meanwhile, experts warn that 'teletherapy' is not a universal fix.
Imposing minimum wages and interfering in collective bargaining through binding legislation, not only means breaching EU treaties - there is also a serious risk that this will undermine successful labour market models that have delivered real wage increases for decades.
UN secretary general, António Guterres, discusses the Covid-19 crisis and the challenges the pandemic poses for the global community in a live meeting with Nordic Council party groups and prime ministers. Live on EUobserver today from 18:00 (CET).
It is often said that the British were the first to leave the European Union. This is, strictly speaking, not true: both Algeria and Greenland left the club long before Brexit came along.
A new report reveals that the oversupply of electricity in Europe as a result of the coronavirus crisis has triggered wholesale electricity prices to drop below zero, affecting particularly wind-heavy markets such as Germany, Denmark and Ireland.
The only reward the Covid-19 dogs get - in addition to having an interesting job - is a freeze-fried meat delicacy when it marks a positive corona-sample.
Stockholm's response to Covid-19 has been an unorthodox set of policies, which has received a faire share of analysis and criticism - but not praise.
The Norwegian foreign ministry has voiced support for a small news agency trying to get back online in Russia after a long ban.
A story about a gay man who beat depression has seen a Norwegian news website taken offline for well over a year in Russia.
Trump allegedly found Puerto Rico "dirty" and suggested he would exchange the territory for Greenland, a part of the Danish kingdom.
Bornholm and Samsø are the two most sustainable and responsible islands in Europe according to the European Commission's RESponsible Island Prize.
Why should we learn to love bent cucumbers? And can the Nordic region really help improve the conditions for parental leave in the United States?
Twenty years ago the most dominant foreign influence in Iceland was the United States, as it had been throughout the Cold War. Nowadays it is China.
Online classes didn't create but rather highlighted Lithuania's existing, ongoing issue with bullying.
The European Commission's €1.85 trillion recovery plan from the coronavirus crisis did not convince environmental NGOs, such as Greenpeace, which believes that the proposal fails to offer a truly 'green recovery' and alternatives to the existing economic model.
It is too soon to deliver a verdict on the Swedish 'non-lockdown'. However, should Stockholm succeed in containing the virus without bringing its economy to a standstill, Sweden will enter the looming economic recession in a much better shape.
It would take relatively few seriously ill patients on Greenland, the world's largest island, to outrun the capacity of the nation's health services.
