Opinion
Sweden's non-lockdown didn't work - why not?
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.
News in Brief
- EU leaders restate defence 'autonomy' plan
- Rights group exposes Ethiopia massacre
- US carried out airstrikes against Iran-backed militia in Syria
- Malta closes investigation into journalist murder
- Dutch parliament calls China treatment of Uighurs genocide
- Spain fined €15m by ECJ over data failures
- Belarus: Anti-government protester jailed for 10 years
- German charged with spying for Russia in Bundestag
Livestream
Live on EUobserver: UN and the Nordics discuss Covid-19
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).
Column
The lessons of Grøxit
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.
Supported by
Opinion
EU minimum wage directive undercuts Scandinavian model
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.
Livestream
Live: Join the Nordic climate debate 'Choosing Green'
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has stalled climate negotiations, work has not stopped. The 'Choosing Green' debate will address some of the most important and most complex key areas relating to the global green transition. Live on EUobserver from 10:00 (CET).
Power-price volatility hit EU wind markets during Covid-19
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.
Analysis
Sweden's Nato debate resurfaces
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.
Stakeholder
Women benefit in the digitalised labour market
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 to stop North Sea oil drilling in 2050
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.
Coronavirus
Revealed: Hit to EU mental health services during Covid-19
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.
Coronavirus
Finland pioneers using sniffer dogs to test for coronavirus
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.
Opinion
Coronavirus: the Swedish model was worth emulating
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.
Norway and Finland try to aid free press in Russia
The Norwegian foreign ministry has voiced support for a small news agency trying to get back online in Russia after a long ban.
Norwegian news agency fights Russia blackout
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 wanted to swap Puerto Rico for Greenland
Trump allegedly found Puerto Rico "dirty" and suggested he would exchange the territory for Greenland, a part of the Danish kingdom.
Stakeholder
Podcast: Nordic region speaks out on big global challenges
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?
Column
Small states in 'Big Power' games
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.
Stakeholders' Highlights
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- EU Code of Conduct can showcase PPPs delivering healthier more sustainable society
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- Women benefit in the digitalised labour market
- Report: The prevalence of men who use internet forums characterised by misogyny
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Latest News
- Armenia 'coup' shows waning of EU star in South Caucasus
- 'Difficult weeks' ahead, as variants spread across EU
- EU top court advised to strike down Hungary's asylum policy
- Frontex chief: 'about time' MEPs probe his agency
- Is EU poised to solve child labour in 'green' batteries?
- The trap of spreading ideas while attacking them
- Who are the EU's new Russian deplorables?
- Afghan asylum family beaten in Greece, set adrift at sea
Feature
Denmark fixed bullying: what Lithuania could learn
Online classes didn't create but rather highlighted Lithuania's existing, ongoing issue with bullying.
Green Deal
EU Commission's green recovery criticised as 'brown'
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.
Opinion
Sweden did it differently - but is it working?
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.
Coronavirus
Greenland watches ... and waits for virus
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.
Coronavirus
Denmark: How a 'high-tax' state responds to coronavirus
Denmark's response includes financial help to freelancers and students, compensation for fixed expenses such as rent and easier access to state-guaranteed loans. But some worry even with that, two-thirds of small businesses could collapse within 10 weeks.
Coronavirus
Danish public employees sent home for two weeks
State of emergency laws, some in breach of the constitution, were tabled in the Danish parliament in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus.
Stakeholder
Nordic PMs: We're committed to protecting women's rights
The Nordic countries' success in promoting gender equality is a result of targeted government policies and strong civil societies. It has proven not only to be the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do.
Letter
Ending shell companies does not threaten privacy
No, ending anonymous shell companies does not threaten your privacy rights.
Stakeholder
Record-low birth rates in three Nordic countries
The State of the Nordic Region report, published 4 February 2020, has revealed that birth rates in Finland, Norway, and Iceland are at record-low levels. Only in the Faroe Islands does the birth rate exceed the death rate.
Feature
Paradox: Nordics' privileged youth feel miserable
Young people in the Nordic countries are among the most privileged in the world - yet many of them feel miserable. The Nordic Council is concerned and aims to find out why.
Opinion
Why isn't Germany helping gay rights in Hungary, Poland?
The European Centre-Right LGBT+ Alliance demands Germany give up its resistance to the Anti-Discrimination Directive and suggest the commission and centre-right parties exert further pressure on Polish and Hungarian authorities to improve conditions for the LGBT+ community and people.
Danes still sceptical on EU minimum wage
Danes still fear that EU proposals for a European minimum wage will harm their native systems of collective bargaining.
Opinion
Why EU minimum wage is actually bad idea for workers
As president of one of the largest trade union confederations in the EU, I see the need for good working conditions and decent pay in all member states - but an EU-wide minimum wage could be used to lower wages.
Investigation
Polish NGO pits porpoises vs Russia's Nord Stream 2
A lone Polish NGO has objected to Denmark's permit for Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but neither that nor US mini-sanctions are likely to stop the juggernaut.
Denmark falls behind in gender-equality ranking
Iceland remains the most gender-equal country in the world, followed by Norway, Finland and Sweden. But one Nordic country sticks out from its neighbours with few female lawmakers, senior officials and managers.
North Atlantic mini states in geopolitical turbulence
Donald Trump wanted to buy Greenland, while the Faroe Islands have come under pressure to ditch China's Huawei for its 5G network. Both incidents reflect growing geopolitical interest for the North Atlantic countries sharing foreign and security policy with Denmark.
Stakeholders' Highlights
- Making healthier diets the easy choice
- UN Secretary General to meet with Nordic Council on COVID-19
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- Nordic Region to invest DKK 250 million in green digitalised business sector
