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3 - 9 February 2012 | Vol 15 Issue 05

BUSINESS

� e surge is golden for handballers, who mount Europe’s throne after nearly crashing out of the European Championship in Serbia early doors

Mayor Frank Jensen calls on Mi-crosoft employees on the fi rst leg of a tour to learn how the city can preen itself for foreigners

14

NEWS

� e poor are always with us, but their numbers are growing thanks to poli-cies that started under the centre-left governments of the 1990s 6

What can we do for you?

A matter of apples and oranges?

7

15

Food price comparison exposing high Danish prices is unfair, businesses charge. Let’s have more competition, consumer advocates fi re back

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Euro-sceptics resisting � scal discipline compact“I think the � scal compact that was

agreed yesterday is sensible for Den-mark because it creates security about the European and Danish economies,” the Europe minister, Nicolai Wammen, wrote on his Facebook page. “Seventy percent of Danish exports are to EU countries, and almost 500,000 work-places are dependent precisely on these exports. � erefore, the deal is of great importance for Danish businesses and workers.”

� e new treaty, the � scal com-pact, was designed to prevent Europe from developing another debt crisis by forcing countries to maintain stricter budgetary discipline.

� e main points of the treaty limit countries to a structural de� cit of no more than 0.5 percent of GDP and accumulated debt of no more than 60 percent of GDP.

Countries that break these limits, and do not take the necessary action to bring their spending under control, can be � ned up to 0.1 percent of their GDP by the EU courts. Countries us-ing the euro will pay the � nes to the bailout fund, the EFSF, while non-euro countries will pay to the common EU budget.

� e new budgetary rules have to be enshrined in law by the parliaments of the countries that have signed up – so far all the EU member states bar the UK and Czech Republic.

� e law will probably pass in Den-mark after opposition parties Venstre and Konservative said they would sup-port the coalition government.

But three parties – the far-left gov-ernment support party Enhedslisten, the Euro-sceptic Danish People’s Party and the libertarian Liberal Alliance –

THIS MONDAY European lead-ers took a step toward establish-ing a closer European � nancial union with strict � nes for coun-

tries who do not take adequate steps to restrain their spending.

While the treaty is only compulsory for the 17 Eurozone members, Den-mark and seven other EU countries not using the single currency have decided to sign up for the new regulations.

are opposed to joining the � scal com-pact.

“� ere is no way we could vote in favour of it,” Nikolaj Villumsen, an Enhedslisten MP, told Politiken news-paper. “� e � nancial compact forces countries to adopt a bourgeois poli-tics of austerity that will just make the crisis worse, both in Denmark and in Europe. Helle � orning-Schmidt was voted for by Danes on a platform of creating jobs, but this pact would cut back spending.”

Both Enhedslisten and Dansk Folkeparti also argue that Denmark loses sovereignty by having the EU watch over its budget, meaning that Danish participation can only be ap-proved via a referendum.

Straying from legal limits on state spending would result in � nes under new EU budget discipline deal. Critics argue against tying the country into the “bourgeois politics of austerity”

PETER STANNERS

NEWS

SPORT

Taxing the risk: Debate over � nancial transaction tax takes o� 5

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INSIDE

PHOENIX OR WHITE ELEPHANT?Ravaged by � re, KB-Hallen hopes to emerge as a modern event facility. But a looming historic preservation could force them back to 1938 4

2 3 - 9 February 2012The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dkWeek in revieW

Princess pride First snowfall

Following the Danish Royal Family’s traditional prac-tice, Prince Joachim and his wife Princess Marie showed off their newborn daughter as they left Rigshospitalet after being dis-charged from the maternity ward last week on Friday. The dark-haired girl slept soundly during her first public appearance, and

the proud prince told the press: “She is beautiful and healthy. She resembles her mother.” He added that he is happy to have a daugh-ter to join his three sons nikolai, Felix and Henrik. The new prin-cess, who will be named when she is baptised, is now tenth in line to the throne, replacing the queen’s sister, Benedikte.

AFTER weeks of unseasonably mild weather at the end of 2011, Denmark has finally received its first significant snowfall. in recent weeks, a cold front had been moving east from Siberia, bringing with it strong, fluctuat-ing winds and overnight frosts. But most of the country has been spared from any accumula-

tion of snow. That changed over the weekend when a warm front from the west reacted with the dry air from the east and caused several centimetres of snow. DMi meteorologist Jørn Thomsen said the country should expect more cold weather, forecasting tem-peratures as low as -15°C with variable wind speeds.

in PREPARATion for Co-penhagen Fashion week (Feb-ruary 1-5), Stine ladefoged readies models for her catwalk show at the Royal Academy of Music. Eva Kruse, the CEo of the Danish Fashion insti-tute and Copenhagen Fashion week, is looking forward to welcoming more than 50,000

expected attendees to the events being held around the capital. There will be 2,400 exhibiting brands, five fairs and a record number of catwalk shows – 47 in all, which will showcase new styles created by designers from all over the globe. The next Co-penhagen Fashion week event will be held August 8-12.

Ten YeaRs ago. Budget proposals from the new government come under strong criticism as they seek to reduce funding to foreign aid, adult education centres and public housing. FIVe YeaRs ago. The prime minister calls for an investigation into public broadcaster dR after charges that it manipulated information used in a documentary about danish soldiers in afghanistan.

one YeaR ago. dozens of houses in Copenhagen’s suburbs are raided by police in an effort to seize weapons used by gangs. The raids follow recent shootings in the city.

FRoM oUR aRChIVes

The Week’s MosT Read sToRIes aT CphposT.dk

danish hostage freed in somalia raid

denmark european champion

still adjusting | Two steps forward one step back in immigration tango

nation’s high consumer price levels set off debate

hip implant recall affects 600 danes

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Denmark’s win at the european Handball Championships was celebrated at Copenhagen City Hall, where a huge crowd gathered to cheer the team. Pictured from left to right: Bo Spellerberg, kasper nielsen, Mads Christiansen, Lars Christiansen and Crown Prince Frederik. (See story on page 14)

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We are the champions!

Fashion Week

33 - 9 February 2012 The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dk news

some 600 Danish hip patients were the un-lucky recipients of hip replacement prostheses

that were later proven dan-gerous and recalled by the manufacturer. Some of those patients are still in the dark about the danger.

Between 2005 and 2010, almost 600 Danes received the ASR hip implant manu-factured by DePuy orthopae-dics. But in August 2010, the company recalled the prosthe-ses, after discovering that the implants’ metal components were shedding miniscule metal shavings into the body during the friction of normal daily movement.

Research showed that the metal shavings could poten-tially cause joint, muscle and nerve damage, among other problems.

Unfortunately, approxi-mately 93,000 patients world-wide received the implants be-

fore the company acknowledged the design flaw and announced its recall. Almost 600 of those patients are in Denmark.

“It was a design failure that frankly wasn’t picked up until they were implanted in thousands of patients,” doctor Kevin Bozic, an orthopaedic surgeon at the University of California at San Francisco medical Center, told Arthritis Today magazine.

When DePuy orthopaed-ics did recall the hip prosthe-ses, the Danish medical agency Lægemiddelstyrelsen left it up to individual surgeons to con-tact their patients who received the implants and inform them of the situation.

Nearly 18 months later, however, some of those pa-tients have still not been told that they are living with a health-threatening implant in-side their bodies, reports Poli-tiken newspaper.

“If we went out on every street corner and shouted that these prostheses are danger-ous, a lot of patients would become very nervous,” Søren mikkelsen, a head surgeon at Regionshospitalet in Silk-eborg, told Politiken.

Regionshospitalet is the hospital where the most ASR prostheses were surgically im-planted in Danish hip patients.

mikkelsen told DR News that all 151 hip replacement patients who received the ASR prostheses at Regionshospi-talet had been informed of the recall. He regretted, however, that it had taken the hospital months to contact everyone who might be affected.

“Half of them have been examined, and the rest of them will be. I hope we can examine everybody before we end up in a terrible situation where someone’s pelvis or hips are in-jured,” he added.

Dorthe Falkenberg is one of the hip replacement pa-tients who received an ASR hip prosthesis at Regionshos-pitalet. Falkenberg was given the ASR implant in July 2010, just weeks before it was re-called.

But she says her surgeon never told her that it had been recalled and could potentially endanger her health. Falken-berg only learned that there was a problem after reading an article in the consumer maga-zine Kontant, she told the

hundreds left shaken by hip implant recallauthorities failed to inform all the affected patients of the danger, report media

JENNIFER BULEY

the ASR hip prostheses have had them removed, and also received monetary compensa-tion from the national patient insurance agency for their pain and suffering.

Symptoms that an ASR implant may be failing include

pain and difficulty walking, according to DePuy ortho-paedics. The company encour-ages anyone with an ASR hip implant to contact the surgeon for an examination, whether or not they have experienced discomfort.

Tax proposed on pesticide use

a NeW RePoRT from the national environmen-tal agency miljøstyrelsen

disputes claims from the na-tion’s farmers that their in-creasing use of pesticides is not harmful to the environment.

The report shows that farmers have increased their use of pesticides by 11 percent over the past three years.

Damage to the environ-ment caused by pesticides, however, has risen by 30 per-cent. The study calculates for the first time the degree of toxicity of the pesticides being

applied to the fields.Farmers have been claim-

ing that their increased use of pesticides has had a minimal effect because they are using milder and less harmful prod-ucts. The report shows that farmers are actually opting for the most powerful agents al-lowed under the law.

The environment minis-ter, Ida Auken (Socialistisk Folkeparti), is now calling for a tax on pesticide use.

“Agricultural pesticides have been far more damag-ing than many have believed,” Auken told Politiken news-paper. “A pesticide tax will reduce consumption and en-courage farmers to choose less harmful methods.”

Researchers compiling the

an end to voluntary reduction measures called for after use of agricultural pesticides spikes

The impact of pesticides used in farming will be used to determine a new tax, which has been suggested because Danish farmers have increasingly been using higher amounts of potentially harmful products

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same magazine.According to Kontant,

British doctors and medical researchers began reporting problems with the ASR im-plants as early as 2007.

To date, seven of the Dan-ish hip patients who received

Hundreds of Danish patients have not yet been informed that their hip implants are defective and were recalled by the manufacturer in August 2010

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speedy introduction of injection rooms halted by government

FRUSTRATIoNS are high among supporters of perma-nent injection rooms for drug

addicts. Last week on Thursday a proposal from the Liberal Alliance to legalise the facilities immediately was rejected by the government.

Despite a massive majority in favour of injection rooms, the gov-ernment chose to delay the legali-sation, stating that it needed more time to sort out the details.

It has pledged to present a pro-posal of its own in April, and to have the rooms established by 2013. And while the City Council has long been ready to open them, parlia-ment must give its approval first.

Liberal Alliance health spokes-person Joachim B olsen told Ber-lingske newspaper that the gov-ernment’s lack of support for the proposal was unacceptable.

“This disappoints me and many others who have fought for the rooms. The government has had years to prepare, so it should have been in place from the start.”

To mark the discussion, the volunteers who operate the city’s mobile injection room visited the house of parliament to give inquisi-tive politicians a look.

Despite the presence of the volunteers and the mobile injection room, it wasn’t enough to change

the minds of lawmakers who, ac-cording to founder michael Lod-berg olsen, were “acting like kin-dergarten children”.

olsen was impatient for the government to deliver on their promise to have permanent injec-tion rooms established by next year.

“The government’s inactivity will cost 200 lives,” he said. “They are cheating the mothers and fa-thers of those drug users.”

There is also contention over where the rooms should go. At present, it’s agreed that two per-manent rooms will be established in Copenhagen’s Vesterbro district. But many residents are adamant that the rooms should not be lo-cated close to their homes.

olsen doesn’t see the need for this discussion. He’s identified two suitable places that would not im-pose on residents’ properties.

political foot-dragging means a permanent facility for drug users is unlikely to open before april

report developed a method for measuring the impact of pesti-cides, which will be the basis for the pesticide tax. Auken said the tax on the most harm-ful pesticides will be higher.

“Voluntary agreements have not worked, so now we must get tougher,” she said.

Parliament’s 2004 Pesti-cide Plan encouraged a vol-untary 20 percent reduction of the frequency of pesticides used on agricultural land. The report shows that rather than dropping, the usage increased by almost 30 percent.

The increased use of pes-ticides by farmers offset a de-cline in the use of chemicals by the public sector and munici-palities, resulting in a zero net reduction overall.

Volunteers who staff the mobile injection room are ready to work

RAY WEAVER“It could be so easy to con-

vert the meat Packing District’s health clinic and the men’s shelter on Istedgade into injection rooms. Both places already have drug users standing outside and shooting up.”

Currently, the mobile injection room – a converted German am-bulance – is Denmark’s only moni-tored facility where intravenous drug users can shoot up. Since its introduction in September last year, over 600 addicts have used the room.

Despite concerns that allowing addicts to shoot up would lead to an increased number of overdoses, mobile injection room staff said none of its users had done so.

In 2010, 273 drug users died in Denmark – an average of five deaths per week, giving Denmark one of the world’s highest mortality rates among drug addicts.

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4 3 - 9 February 2012The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dkCover story

Up in smoke: arena’s modernisation hopes may be lost in fire

a BATTLE between the past and the future is brewing around the rebuilding of Copenhagen’s sto-ried arena KB-Hallen.

Badly damaged by a violent fire in September that saw parts of the 3,000-seat complex burn completely to the ground, some experts said at that time that the structure could not be saved. Already suf-fering under the constraints of its status as a historic building before the fire, the building’s owners, the sporting association Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB), had hoped the blaze would allow it to carry out what it says is a necessary modernisation.

However, at a meeting in December, Det Særlige Bygningssyn, which identi-fies buildings for preservation, decided that KB-Hallen’s classification as a his-toric structure means that the Frederiks-berg icon should be rebuilt.

While few would argue that the light-blue functionalist building that hosted the country’s first and only Beatles concert in 1964, as well as its first sex show in 1969, is of historic significance, those who used the building before the fire say that the constraints of a historical renovation will make the building all but unusable in the future.

The problem is one of historical ac-curacy. Should Det Særlige Bygningssyn get its way, KB would need to rebuild the building as closely as possible to architect Hans Hansen’s original 1938 designs, including the colours, materials, fixtures and entrances.

Community leaders and politicians alike have gone on record saying that the strict requirements would render the im-posing structure on Peter Bangs Vej more of a museum than a modern event facility.

“If you return the hall to the way it looked when it opened in 1938, it will not meet the regulations for 2012,” said Fre-deriksberg mayor George Glenthøj. “The hall must meet today’s requirements.”

The city and the club are afraid that the commission’s suggestions will prevent KB-Hallen from hosting the calibre of rock concerts that have been a large part of the venue’s history since the 1950s. In addition to the Fab Four, the sounds of generations of musicians, ranging from the Rolling Stones to Lady Gaga, have echoed in the hall’s expanse.

Niels-Christian Holmstrøm, chair-man of KB, said that even before the fire, the building’s age gave it increased trou-ble competing with newer venues.

“We needed more handicapped ac-cess, better concessions, bigger doors for

The future of Frederiksberg’s kB-hallen is divided between those who would preserve it as a historic monument and those who would modernise it

RAY WEAVER loading equipment in and out, a better backstage area and modern changing rooms. We are worried about having to rebuild the building if it will cost many times as much to preserve designs from 1938 – before rock and roll was even in-vented.”

Holmstrøm said he wants KB Hal-len to return as a modern arena with a main auditorium that can be adapted de-pending on the requirements of the show or arrangement.

In a message on the facility’s website dated December 21, Jørgen Holmen, the club’s general manager, said that KB had prepared a draft for the build-ing commission that respects preserva-tion but adds what he called “necessary features and regulatory requirements for the construction of a building the size of KB-Hallen”.

Holmen said KB-Hallen must meet 21st century environmental and energy standards, and that he was looking for-ward to “constructive discussions” with the building commission.

Professor Christopher Harlang, of Det Særlige Bygningssyn, said KB’s plans, however, would violate the history and integrity of the organisation’s building.

“It is our job to defend our nation-al treasures. Those who own and use buildings don’t always agree with our decisions, but KB-Hallen is one of the most distinctive buildings of the early modern period, and we must take care to preserve it.”

Harlang believes that careful restora-tion of the venue’s original qualities will be a large part of its appeal.

Det Særlige Bygningssyn falls under the auspices of the Culture Ministry, and Michael Aastrup Jensen, an MP for Ven-stre, has asked the culture minister, Uffe Elbæk (Radikale), to explain the com-mission’s requirements.

“I cannot see the logic in rebuilding the building in such a way that it could no longer be used for the same types of activities it has been used for in the past,” said Jensen. “We need to see if the min-ister chooses an old-fashioned building or a new facility than can be enjoyed by sports and exhibition visitors. There is no sense in leaving KB with a building they cannot use.”

The Ministry of Culture is expected to make a decision on the building com-mission’s recommendations in February. But rather than choosing a winner and a loser, representatives from the ministry said it hoped the two sides could come to a compromise.

“We’re not dogmatic,” Mogens A Morgen, of the Ministry of Culture said, “I’m certain that this is going to be an exciting building that incorporates new functions, but it’s extremely important that it also maintains the spirit of the old KB-Hallen.”

DENMARK remains a “priori-tised terrorist target”, according to a report released on Tuesday by the domestic security agency PET. The report is the first of its kind publicly disclosed by PET, and it comes after the conviction in Oslo on Monday of two im-migrants charged with planning a terrorist attack on the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in re-

taliation for the Mohammed car-toons. Organisations or people with connections to the Moham-med cartoons remain a particular target for militant Islamic ter-rorists, according to PET, which claimed that “solo terrorists” – single individuals working alone – have become more common, even as the Al Qaida terrorist network has become weaker.

peT releases report on terrorist targets

online This week

SIGNS OF LIFE glimmered in the market for owner-occupied flats (ejerlejligheder) and sum-merhouses in October and No-vember 2011, when average sales prices increased by 1.3 percent. It was a slim improvement in a year that saw dramatic losses in the housing market. But the bad news was a continued decline in the average sales price for single family homes, which dropped by 2.1 percent in the same period,

according to Danmarks Statistik. On the whole, 2011 was bearish for the housing market. Sharp price declines were the rule, with prices for single family houses dropping by 8.5 percent on aver-age, while prices for owner-occu-pied flats and summerhouses fell by 3.5 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. Housing prices on average have dropped 21.4 per-cent since the height of the hous-ing bubble in 2007.

housing prices falling – again

Read The FUll sToRies aT CphposT.dk

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DOCTORS are lobbying the gov-ernment for mandatory autopsies of all individuals under the age of 50 who die unexpectedly – both for the sake of science and out of consideration for their families. The rule change is supported by the Danish medical association, Lægeforeningen, and several other medical organisations which are calling for autopsies of people who die young. It is not currently known what proportion of young

deaths are autopsied but regional councils, which operate hospitals, want this investigated. “Relatives can benefit from knowing if the death is a result of an undiscovered heritable illness and researchers can also benefit from it,” said Ulla Astman (Socialdemokraterne), head of the health committee for the national association of re-gional governments. The appeal has been sent to the parliament’s health committee.

doctors: early deaths need explaining

KB-Hallen before and after: the building’s owners, sporting association Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB), hope to modernise the classic Copenhagen concert venue after it was ruined in a fire in september 2011 (above). But plans to update its design might jeopardise the history and integrity of the structure, architects worry

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53 - 9 February 2012 The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dk News

CUT TAXES, reform welfare, increase competitiveness and make students pay to attend university.These were some of the recommen-

dations outlined by the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) in its economic survey of Denmark released last week.

The OECD took as its starting point Denmark’s slow recovery from the finan-cial crisis of 2008, stating that while the Danish economy showed some strengths, it still faced several challenges to stimulate its relatively poor economic growth.

One of the OECD’s main concerns was Denmark’s high tax burden, particu-larly the top level of tax (topskat)¸ which it thinks should have a higher threshold and discourages entrepreneurship, mak-ing Denmark a less attractive country to foreign skilled workers.

The OECD recommended that the burden of taxation should be switched from labour to property, which might help fend off future housing booms. Implementing a property tax once the housing market has stabilised could also offset the diminished wealth redistribu-tion caused by reducing the top levels of tax.

The report also stated that a lack of competition has created some of the high-est consumer prices in Europe – a situa-tion that is not helped by Denmark’s rela-tively ineffective competition authorities who are unable to directly prosecute and impose fines.

On the issue of welfare, the OECD commended the low level of poverty as brought about through the welfare sys-tem, but worried about the increase in the already high level of public spending dur-ing the economic crisis.

The OECD singled out disabil-ity benefits as being too generous – often higher than an individual could get from work – and suggested that integrating dif-ferent benefits could produce a system that would make work pay.

The Danish education system was also in the firing line. Notably, the OECD criticised Danes’ insistence on keeping smaller high school class sizes as being too costly and having a limited effect.

Furthermore, the OECD noted the low performance of children with immi-grant backgrounds despite the high ex-pense of the nation’s broad and inclusive educational system.

A suggestion that is unlikely to be popular among Danish university stu-dents involves moving the university sys-tem towards a fee-paying model, with a student loan scheme that encourages stu-dents to finish within a certain time.

Danish students often chose fields where business demand is low, decreas-ing their employment options. Making students pay for their education would encourage them to choose fields based on their income and employability at the end of their studies.

On a final positive note, the OECD praised Danish efforts to use investment in green energy to help stimulate growth, but recommended that Denmark invest in a range of green energy solutions and lobby for tighter EU emissions targets. (PS)

oeCd urges tax cuts

It’s important to note that normal pensioners are likely to be affected

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Margrethe Vestager (right), the minister for economic affairs, has argued that there is little sense in introducing a financial transaction tax unless it is implemented globally

The organisation for economic development argues that high tax rates stifle entrepreneurship and competition

The enormous burden of a tiny taxPETER STANNERS

While supporters of the european Financial Transaction Tax argue it could raise money for investment in society and discourage risky trading, some feel it could cripple our suffering economies

aFTER THE financial crisis of 2008, European economies were plunged into recession. Thousands lost their jobs and

social welfare was cut as austerity be-gan to bite. But the financial institu-tions – widely blamed for causing the crash due to their risky lending and trading practices – were bailed out us-ing taxpayers’ money and banks con-tinued to award themselves enormous bonuses.

The unfairness of this scenario re-sounded loudly across Europe. Trad-ers needed to give something back. But how?

One solution could be a finan-cial transaction tax (FTT), more commonly known as a Tobin Tax or Robin Hood Tax by campaigners in the UK. The basic idea is to gener-ate money from the financial services industry by placing very small taxes – usually less than one percent – on the sale of certain financial products such as securities, bonds and derivatives.

The European Commission (EC) – which published a report last Sep-tember outlining the impact of intro-ducing an FTT– estimates that up to €57 billion could be raised through their proposed model, money that could be reinvested into society while discouraging the risky trading behav-iour that helped bring about the fi-nancial crisis in the first place.

But while public support for the measure has been growing, the Dan-ish government remains hesitant to support it. Last week, both prime

side of the EU, destroying the market the FTT was supposed to tax. Because of this, many argue that an FTT only makes sense if it is global.

“It’s a general principle that if you tax something, and people can move away from the tax, then often people do,” Vestager, told The Copenhagen Post. “The more easily you can move away from tax, the more risky it is to tax it. That’s the reluctance now.”

High-frequency traders – who employ rapid turnover rates when buying and selling stocks to make a profit – will probably be most affect-ed by an FTT, but they are not the only people whose livelihoods will

be affected. According to the Dan-ish Banker’s Association, Finansrådet, Danish pensioners could lose up to five percent of their savings as a re-sult, leaving them about 700 kroner a month out of pocket.

“High frequency traders will see a drop in trading. But what’s important is that normal pensioners will be af-fected despite the fact that they might only trade once or twice a year,” Morten Frederiksen from Finansrå-det told The Copenhagen Post. “If the government has a problem with some kind of trading, they ought to directly regulate against it. What they are doing here is too broad and will hit the man on the street and that’s the problem.”

Both Frederiksen and Vestager also challenge the EC’s view that the financial sector is under taxed – at

least in Denmark. A payroll tax was levied on the financial services indus-try in the 1980s to redress the advan-tage gained by their VAT exemption.

And Vestager goes on to argue that additional costs have already been placed on banks due to the strict reforms – such as increased capital requirements – they were forced to adopt after the banking crisis.

“We think we could have a more healthy financial sector by making sure that they have high quality capital that can absorb losses,” Vestager said.

The FTT has placed politicians in a tricky position. With money so tight, recouping it from the industry widely blamed for putting us in this position, seems both a sensible and politically popular move. And yet society is deeply dependent on the services and jobs that banking and fi-nance provide – a tax risks upsetting the balance.

There seem to be three options. Firstly, Europe could push for a glo-bal FTT that would be undermined if one country decided to opt out.

Secondly, don’t adopt an FTT and try and find another way to regu-late the financial industry that will both raise funds and mitigate a future crisis, but without affecting its profit-ability.

Thirdly, introduce an FTT and raise tens of billions of euros to rein-vest in society. It’s a risk, but perhaps no more of a risk than many traders took with our own economies be-fore the crisis. And even if it did put some traders out of a job, as Financial Times columnist John Plender put it, there might be a silver lining.

“A tax on financialisation might well kill off high-frequency trading,” Plender wrote in September. “If this reduces employment a bit in the city of London, so be it – it will release people into more socially useful ac-tivities.”

minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and the economy minister, Margrethe Vestager, expressed concerns that an FTT would dampen growth and lead to thousands of lost jobs across Eu-rope.

Vestager justified her position us-ing numbers supplied by the EC in their report in September. They ad-mitted that introducing an FTT in Europe could lead to a drop in growth of up to 1.76 percent. From this, Vestager extrapolated that 400,000 people could lose their jobs, includ-ing 5,000 in Denmark.

But according to the EC, Vestag-er’s take on their impact assessment was not balanced.

“When we see the type of figures that have been in the Danish press lately, we see that our Impact Assess-ment is being read completely out of context,” EC spokesperson Emer Traynor told The Copenhagen Post.

“When assessing the impact of the FTT in a balanced way, we must also take into account the effect that the new revenues will also have on growth and jobs. So, if the revenues are intelligently recycled into the economy, for instance by investing them in public services, then there would be no negative impact on growth and jobs at all.”

Traynor added that an FTT would also correct the financial serv-ice industry’s tax advantage, due to their VAT exemption, while also dis-incentivising risky behaviour on the markets.

“We believe that the FTT will encourage the financial sector to redesign their business models so that they are more focused on the real economy, which has not always been the case over the past decade,” Traynor said.

But even if an FTT is introduced, there’s no guarantee it will raise any money. Traders can simply move out-

6 3 - 9 February 2012The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dkNews

ABOUT 200 people in the Val-by district have been left home-less after a fire ravaged their apartment building Tuesday af-ternoon. The blaze gutted three of the building’s eight stairwells and left another heavily dam-aged. No-one was injured in the fire, the cause of which has yet to be determined. Investiga-tors, however, said they will be

focusing on the building’s new roof, where the fire appeared to break out and where dam-age was heaviest. Emergency accommodations for the dis-placed residents were made by the city’s emergency social serv-ices department. Fire officials said they were uncertain wheth-er the damaged portion of the building could be repaired.

Valby apartment fire leaves residents homeless

online This week

BJARNE Lund-Jensen was a school teacher, author and amateur actor from the island of Funen. He was also a globe-trotting traveller extraordinaire, who had visited 190 countries over the last four decades before dying last week of a heart attack at the age of 63, announced trav-ellers’ organisation De Berejstes Klub. At the time of his death, Lund-Jensen was just six short of visiting the 196 countries

recognised by the club. In order to be counted as having visited a country, a traveller must have been there for at least 24 hours, according to the club’s rules. It is possible that another Dane could have visited more countries than Lund-Jensen, but no-one ever disputed his claim, or his Guin-ness World Records confirma-tion as the most travelled Dane. Lund-Jensen was still an active traveller at the time of his death.

nation’s greatest traveller makes final voyage

Read The Full sToRies aT CphposT.dk

dENMARK has witnessed an in-crease in the number of people living below the poverty line, ac-cording to new figures released

by Eurostat.The figures show that 7.9 percent of

the Danish population now lives below the poverty line, up from 4.0 percent in 2001.

Many European countries have seen a decrease in the number of poor, with Norway cutting its rate of poverty from 7.2 percent in 2007 to 6.1 percent today.

According to Morten Ejrnæs, a lec-turer at Aalborg University, the increased level of poverty is the result of govern-mental policies dictated by the belief that individuals are to blame for being poor.

He said the policies were the result of conscious political decisions to “make the least well-off poorer”, and dated back to 1999 and the government of So-cialdemokrat PM Poul Nyrup Rasmus-sen. Those policies were continued dur-ing a decade of rule by the centre-right Venstre-Konservative government.

“This is the reason we have seen more and more poor people,” Ejrnæs told Kristeligt Dagblad newspaper.

Ejrnæs pointed to the decision by the former governments to introduce less generous forms of welfare ben-

poverty levels rising, eurostat figures showefits, such as reduced kontanthjælp and starthjælp, which used reduced benefit payments as an enticement to encourage unemployed people to find work. After coming to power at the end of last year, the Socialdemokraterne-led government abolished these so-called “poverty-in-ducing” benefits by the centre-left.

Eurostat has used the OECD defini-tion of poverty, which refers to someone who has less than half the amount of dis-posable income after tax than the aver-age person. In Denmark, you are poor if you have less than 8,450 kroner left each month after tax.

This relative indicator of poverty has been criticised by many as being an un-reliable indicator of wealth – the Danish poverty line would be far higher than the Romanian poverty line, for instance.

And looking at another indicator of wealth, material deprivation, the Danes seem to be doing very well.

According to Eurostat’s figures from 2008, only 10 percent of Danes could not afford an annual week-long holiday away from home, compared with 37 percent of Europeans.

But while the poverty line is relative, Finn Kenneth Hansen, researcher at the Center for Alternative Society Analyses, argued that it still a good indicator of rising levels of inequality.

“If everyone gets richer from one year to the next, then the relative pover-ty line also moves up, and those who fall under that line are considered poor even though they are earning more,” Hansen

denmark’s rising level of poverty stands in stark contrast to its european neighbours with falling numbers

Peter StannerS

eurostat said that only 10 percent of Danes suffer from deprivation of material goodsSC

AN

PIX

told Kristeligt Dagblad in 2010.“But if residents who were the worst

off got their fair share of society’s gen-eral economic growth, then you would also expect a fall in the number of those earning under the relative poverty line – and that just hasn’t happened.”

A debate about poverty was reignited last December by Özlem Cekic from the Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF), who wanted to introduce a definition of poverty in Denmark to better tackle the issue.

Several organisations have expressed support for the poverty definition. Jann Sjursen from the social welfare organi-sation Rådet for Socialt Udsatte argued that a definition of poverty would allow

DENMARK has signed the controversial anti-piracy ACTA agreement along with 21 other EU countries and Japan. The Anti-Counterfeiting and Trade Agreement will create a tighter legal framework for tackling violations of copyright and in-tellectual property. But the se-crecy surrounding the agreement, combined with worries about its potential to censor the internet, have led to large scale protests.

The EU, which has been party to ACTA’s negotiations, has pushed for more transparency, though the US was hesitant to publish any details. What ACTA could mean for ordinary internet users is not entirely known, but there are concerns about the decision to make internet service provid-ers monitor the activity of users and disconnect them if they are merely suspected of harbouring copyright infringing material.

denmark signs anti-piracy agreement

iN THE second half of 2010, the work inspection authority Arbejdstilsynet found and reported 67 cases of foreign

firms operating illegally and undercover in Denmark. In the second half of 2011, they discovered 138 cases – twice as many.

The reason for the doubling, accord-ing to Hasse Mortensen, the director of oversight at Arbejdstilsynet Zealand, is that they began using an electronic regis-tration system called RUT that allows in-vestigators to cross-check the foreign com-panies with other departments like the tax authority Skat and the police.

“We have really prioritised RUT reg-istration because it enables us to carry out inspections, and it also lets Skat keep its eye on the companies,” Mortensen said.

The digital registrations also enable Arbejdstilsynet to compare the various building companies’ claims regarding specific jobs. Discrepancies can point out cases where companies may be trying to cheat the system.

Foreign companies with employ-ees working in Denmark are required to register with Arbejdstilsynet. The penalty for not doing so is 10,000 kroner for the foreign company and an equal fine for the person or firm that hired them.

As Arbejdstilsynet does not have the authority to give fines, the police issue and enforce them on their behalf.

Representatives from the builders’ association and the largest labour union for tradesmen expressed approval that the government was getting serious about cracking down on foreign firms operat-ing illegally. But they doubted that a small fine would stop the illegal business.

“A 10,000 kroner fine isn’t going to stop someone who can earn a million on a project,” said Peter Hougaard Nielsen, the chairman of 3F Byggegruppen, Denmark’s largest union for the building trades.

Hougaard estimated that as many as half of the foreign construction companies operating in Denmark are unregistered and possibly using cash-in-hand labour. He further surmised that half of the com-panies registered with RUT were cheating the system in other ways – for example, by naming false sub-contractors or not pay-ing labour taxes.

Hougaard emphasised that to make companies play by the rules, the police, Skat and Arbejdstilsynet have to work together.

The government has set aside an addi-tional 65 billion kroner to crack down on various kinds of fraud. A new commission to improve RUT registration compliance and oversight is part of that plan. (JB)

illegal foreign companies in spotlight

non-believers in the cabinet threaten national church, says opposition

JennIFer BULeY

one in three cabinet members are not Church of denmark members

expanded oversight and digital tools expose hundreds of unregistered businesses

more targeted action towards society’s most marginalised members.

“The big problem with not having a poverty line in Denmark is that every time new numbers are released by dif-ferent organisations and institutes, we start talking about whether the numbers really describe poverty,” Sjursen told the Ritzau news bureau, adding that there were many people in Denmark who were marginalised and poor.

“Some people live on the edge of our society. While some simply don’t have a foot in the job market, there are also people who have addiction problems or psychological illnesses that make their lives difficult.”

FOR THE first time in Denmark’s history, a significant number – nearly one third – of the government’s min-

isters are not members of the state church.Out of the 23 ministers in the left-

of-centre Socialdemokraterne-Radikale-Socialistisk Folkeparti (S-R-SF) govern-ment, just 16 are members of the Church of Denmark, also called the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark, or simply Folkekirken. In the previous, right-of-centre Venstre-Konservative (VK) govern-ment, by comparison, every single minis-ter was a church member.

“For me, it’s a personal decision. I don’t believe in god, and I don’t think that you should be a member of the church if you don’t believe in god,” the defence minister, Nick Hækkerup (S), told Ekstra Bladet tabloid.

The finance minister, Bjarne Cory-don, is another cabinet member who is not a member of the national church. “I have

great respect for the church, but I’m not a believer. Therefore, I don’t think I should be a member.”

Even the church minister, Manu Sareen (R), admitted in October, just af-ter assuming the post, that he is a religious “doubter”. Sareen is still a member of the church, but he admitted that he had come close to leaving it, in protest against the ban on gay church weddings.

Working to change the legislation

and give homosexuals the right to wed in the church is Sareen’s first, ongoing project as church minister. The proposal has met with strong disapproval from a majority of the clergy, although most of the general popula-tion have expressed support for gay marriage in numerous opinion polls.

Less than five percent of Danes now at-tend church services on a weekly basis, but 80 percent are official, tax-paying members.

Members pay a supplementary tax for

the upkeep of the state church. In 2011, this amounted to 5.9 billion kroner. How-ever, in practice all taxpayers in Denmark – including non-members – pay for the state church, because it also receives a state subsidy equal to approximately 130 kro-ner per year for every single taxpayer.

Church membership has dropped sig-nificantly in the past few decades, and dis-cussions about whether Denmark should separate its church and state, as Sweden did in 2000, have become more frequent.

MPs from Dansk Folkeparti (DF), the far-right party that was an essential ally of the minority VK government, expressed dismay at the secular face of the new gov-ernment.

While the government has proposed legalising gay marriage in the church, it has not proposed a separation of church and state.

“It would be nicer if it was people who cared about the church who were trying to change a few things,” DF’s Søren Espersen said. “But when we have a government filled with people who aren’t church mem-bers, it makes you wonder if we’re about to see the church torn to pieces.”

Danish churches are emptier because membership has dropped significantly

73 - 9 February 2012 The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dk News

Mayor aims to draw more foreign workers to city

a visit to Microsoft was the mayor’s first stop on a tour of area businesses with lots of foreign employees

EMILY MCLEAN

C OPENHAGEN mayor Frank Jensen (Socialdemokraterne) met with foreign workers last week at the Microsoft

Development Centre in Vedbæk to discuss what the city can do to attract and retain skilled workers from abroad.

The visit was part of an initia-tive that will see Jensen, along with representatives from the Copen-hagen Business Task Force, travel around the area to similar compa-nies in the coming months.

Denmark, according to numer-ous rankings, is among the most desirable cities to live in for for-eigners, but Copenhagen hopes to use the lessons it’s learning to iden-tify how to make it easier for com-panies to attract and retain foreign workers.

“We have approximately 1,000 new residents coming to this city every month, so there is strong growth potential here,” Jensen said.

Microsoft was chosen as one of the first stops on the mayor’s tour due, in part, to its high percentage of foreign employees. About a third of the 500 people working at the company’s Vedbæk campus come

from other countries.One of them, Ed Martinez,

from the US, said that Denmark needs a more bi-directional focus: “In the queen’s New Year’s address, she asked, ‘What can you do for Denmark?’ I would like to see her add, ‘What can Denmark do for you?’”

Martinez emphasised the need to create more incentives for Danes to join expat groups. His point be-ing that it can be hard to break into the tightly knit Danish society.

Linda Wendelboe, the spokes-person for the Microsoft Develop-ment Centre, said the company is aware of the challenges its foreign workers face, and it tries to help them by providing information about international schools, expat groups and other support networks.

She added that the company continuously reviews the services it provides foreign employees, and was considering whether it needed to provide more company informa-tion in English.

Another Microsoft worker, Bogdana Botez, from Romania, had similar sentiments about receiving important information in Danish as opposed to English.

“I always receive healthcare check-up reminders in Danish. More foreign women would take advantage of the service if it was in English,” she said.

Botez added that it was impor-

tant to represent nationalities like hers in a positive light.

“Most Romanians here are highly qualified people who want to make a difference, but a few bad apples spoil our reputation. We need initiatives in place to help those Romanians who aren’t as for-tunate as I am, so they don’t end up living on the street because they can’t find employment.”

Started last year, the Copenha-gen Business Task Force was cre-

EU experts asked by the Ritzau news bureau, however, stated that they thought the new regulations would nei-ther inhibit Denmark’s sovereignty nor violate Denmark’s euro opt-out.

“My immediate reaction is that a referendum won’t be likely even though this will have to be decided by lawyers at the Justice Ministry,” EU expert Peter Nedergaard from Copenhagen Univer-sity told Ritzau.

A majority of Danes seem to sup-port joining the fiscal compact, accord-ing a Gallup poll, with 57 percent re-sponding that the country should join and only 27 percent answering that it should not.

At Monday’s meeting, European leaders also agreed on a new package to stimulate growth and youth employment.

Among the proposals are plans to increase the number of apprenticeships and improve the single market by reduc-ing bureaucracy and paperwork for small businesses operating across borders.

These topics are high on the Dan-ish presidency’s list of priorities, and Wammen expressed satisfaction that they were tackled at the meeting.

“It sent a very clear message about creating jobs and economic growth in Europe,” Wammen wrote on Facebook. “The EU also expressed a desire to push forward the same reforms for the single market that we outlined in our program for the Danish EU presidency – reforms we think are vital for getting Europe back on track.”

europactcontinued from front page

Companies like Microsoft have a large proportion of foreign workers, now they want to make them feel more welcome in Denmark

ated as a way to shore up the city’s reputation as a good place to do business. In contrast to its strong placing in quality of life surveys, Copenhagen lags behind compet-ing cities when it comes to attract-ing new investments.

Task Force chairman Leif Beck Fallesen, the former editor-in-chief of the financial daily Børsen, said the mayor’s initiative was a good way to build on the Task Force’s ef-forts.

8 3 - 9 February 2012THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DKOPINION

KB-Hallen shouldn’t be made a victim of its own success

Two steps forward, one step back in immigration tango

I’m in a similar, non-life or death situation regarding immigration – I’ve applied for an extension of my Green Card visa. � is ex-tension is only good for a year; however, I’ve been informed that the processing time at the mo-ment is well over a year. Even to my non-mathematically in-clined brain, this hardly seems to make much sense. In the mean-time, they’ve assured me that I’ll of course be able to work (and pay taxes) and go about my life like normal – except for the fact that if I want to leave the coun-try, I have to waste another day of my life at the immigration services applying for a re-entry permit and there’s of course the small detail that I can’t get mar-ried while my residence a  airs are being handled. My Danish partner and I were planning on getting married in May, which is a month and a half after my original visa expires. We’ve paid a whole lot of money in deposits, and our friends and family have booked their plane tickets to at-tend a wedding that may or may not happen. Needless to say I’m a bit frustrated.Jen Hunt By email

As a permanent resident and homeowner who has now cho-sen to go back home to the US, I � nd myself in a somewhat con-fusing situation for which there do not seem to be any answers, particularly from this idiot gov-ernment. After I have been out of Denmark for 12 months, I lose my permanent residency. By Danish law, as a non-resident non-citizen, I am not allowed to own Danish property. But I already own Danish property. My house, which is currently worth less on the miserable Dan-ish housing market than what I have in it, cannot be sold unless I want to take a huge � nancial bath. So what happens when my permanent residency runs out and I still have this house? Tom By website

I am currently on a one-year pro-bation for failing to renew my familiesamforing (family reun-ion) contract. � e laws for this scheme have changed � ve times in the last eight years, and are about to be changed again.ziggedwhenishouldazagged By website

I � nd your story very relatable to other foreigners I know in Denmark. People do their best

to come and live and work here, but the government continues to make you jump through so many hoops, and try to deny you on any technicality they can, that it’s not surprising that many feel as if they’re not wanted here. I’ve heard plenty of Danes say that foreigners aren’t welcome. Maybe we should just all take the hint?Shu� emoomin By website

Langeland wants to let foreign-ers buy holiday homes

“But if we abolish the rule across the country I’m afraid that at-tractive natural areas and sum-merhouse areas will all be bought by wealthy foreigners within two weeks.” Yeah, because wealthy foreigners are just so desperate to own property in Denmark. I can see it now, the jet-set � itting between all the great summer destinations, from the Baha-mas to the French Riviera, from Saint Tropez to � e Hamptons, and then a relaxing ten days in Blokhus, Nordjylland!John By website

Nielsen’s suggestion is actually a very good idea and should be adopted over all of Denmark. � e law preventing foreign own-

ership is just another EU opt-out that has back� red.Tom By website

Racist network to hold rally in Aarhus

Real concern about the Islami-sation of Danish culture is not addressed here; typical of a sorry liberal mind-set in Denmark. Instead, the focus is on making those who have the guts to ex-press serious concern for their culture appear as racists..Steve Graham By website

Well, they chose a good loca-tion, I got to give them that. � ere will be many supporters, no doubt. Luckily counter pro-test plans are already underway. I hope rational Danes can be mo-tivated to turn up and counter this disturbing message.HeidiakaMissJibba By website

It’s quite hypocritical that Dan-ish o� cials are acting surprised. One simply has to go to any AGF match to see all the skin-heads waiving their ‘white pride’ � ags.DanDansen By website

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READER COMMENTS

IN A WORLD that’s always looking forward to the latest up-grade or the next sequel, it’s refreshing to know there are people out there who can stop us before we eradicate our past in the name of progress.In that respect, Det Særlige Bygningssyn deserves our respect

for making sure that we still have examples of the buildings that were modern when our grandparents were our age.

But there’s a di  erence between protecting our history and condemning us to live in the past. Preserving KB-Hallen as a living museum for generations to come does just that.

In their quest to preserve the physical structure, the architec-tural experts have overlooked what made KB-Hallen special: what went on inside.

Essentially an enormous Nissen hut (better known to Ameri-cans as a Quonset hut), there was nothing special about the appear-ance of KB-Hallen. To be honest, it’s something of an eyesore. � e memories that were made there, however, were some of the cultural reference points of late 20th century Denmark. � e facility had hosted everything from a Beatles concert to boxing prize � ghts. And, as fate would have it, when the building was gutted by � re in September, it was preparing for the annual Sex Expo, an event it began hosting in 1969, the year such events became legal.

But the black and white images of young rock stars and the seedy menagerie the sex show had become underscored that KB-Hallen’s heyday had passed. Anyone who had ever been inside the building understood why: narrow doors, dark corridors and 1930s-era seating belonged to a bygone era, not an arena capable of attracting today’s headliners.

As KB-Hallen � ghts against being burdened by its past, it’s worth noting that it isn’t the � rst building trying to shake o  the ‘historic’ label. Other prominent institutions, most prominently Aarhus University in 2010, have tried to duck being declared as such, fearing the logistical and � nancial burdens of being forced to maintain property in its original state.

One of the exciting things about architecture is when modern people can � nd a way to incorporate historic structures into their daily lives. We are fascinated when Roman bridges still carry tra� c, when Gothic churches continue to inspire, and when architecture from the 1920s appears modern.

But, sometimes something historic, as important as it might be, isn’t compatible with modern life. Fortunately for Det Særlige Bygningssyn, Demark has not one, but two open-air museums dedicated to the preservation of our architectural heritage. Either would be far better suited to a historically preserved KB-Hallen than its original location in the heart of a city that, through no fault of the building’s owners, has moved on since 1938.

ing last year, Ghana, for exam-ple, was growing at a rate of 10 percent. Africans are trading with China. China trades with anyone, and when growth in Europe de-clines, growth moves on to the new markets of the BRIC coun-tries and to Africa.

In times past, slow growth in Europe was a catastrophe for the impoverished countries of Africa. Today, they couldn’t care less, because there are plenty of other countries to trade with. � e sooner we realise that Africa is a continent on the move, the better the chances are that Africa could wind up saving us.

� ere is light ahead. In the countries of western Africa where Børnefonden works, there is a company known far and wide. � is Danish company is called Fan Milk, and it owes its success to a combination of Danish dairy know-how and Ghanaian de-mand for dairy products.

� e company exports dried, surplus milk from Denmark to western Africa, where it is used to make yoghurt and ice cream, a process that saves transport and labour costs. Fan Milk began op-erating in Ghana in 1960 and to-day has expanded to seven coun-tries in the region.

Earlier this month, Danida Business invited Danish business-es and NGOs to meet to discuss potential markets in developing countries. And the development minister, Christian Friis Bach, is shaking up the way Denmark looks at developing countries. No longer are they � rst and foremost recipients of aid – they are equal partners.

half want to attend post-second-ary school.

� ere’s no denying that Af-rica su  ers from famine. And it’s true that the continent has enor-mous problems with poverty, lack of jobs and poor infrastruc-ture. But, it isn’t true that Africa’s children are stuck in a quagmire. � ey want to make something of themselves.

� e children participating in the study were among the world’s poorest. � ey live in areas where the next meal can’t be taken for granted – yet neither distribu-tion of food nor better health ini-tiatives top their list of priorities. � ey yearn to be educated.

Asked what they would pri-oritise if they were allowed to be president or prime minister for a day, more than half answered that they would improve their coun-tries’ educational systems. Educa-tion was four times more popular a priority than food distribution, which was the top priority of 13 percent, and ranks third overall.

A poll initiated by the Danish NGO, ‘� e World’s Best News’, published in Politiken newspaper on 15 November 2011, revealed that Danes have an antiquated view of how things are going in the developing world. “Danes’ understanding of the developing world is stuck in the 1980s,” the results of the poll concluded.

We need to change this. At a time when Denmark should be looking for new markets and growth opportunities, we can’t a  ord to let our distorted image of reality let us overlook an entire continent.

While Europe was hibernat-

THERE’S NO shortage of prejudices about Africa: in-ept and unable to help them-

selves; immobilised by famine; stuck in a quagmire of corruption, dictatorship and ethnic con� ict.

But, there are good reasons why we should disabuse ourselves of these prejudices. In the � rst place, they give a distorted pic-ture of the peoples of an entire continent. Secondly, because our prejudices blind us to the oppor-tunities there are in Africa.

� is autumn, Børnefonden completed a survey of African youth together with our partners in Child Fund Alliance. Nearly 2,000 children between the ages of 10 and 12 from 17 African countries were interviewed, and the results show a generation of Africans that is anything but help-less.

� eir answers show that Afri-can children have a clear idea of what they want to be when they grow up: two out � ve want to be teachers or doctors, and nearly

Time to debunk the myth of the helpless African

BOLETTE CHRISTENSEN

� ere are a number of insti-tutions out there to help Danish companies break into the market in developing countries. One of them, IFU, in 2010 was involved in 700 partnership projects in 85 countries. � is is an opportunity the nation’s companies need to latch on to.

At the same time, companies also need to be better at using NGOs to serve as bridge builders to allow them to reach markets that are linguistically and cultur-ally di  erent from Denmark.

Børnefonden has been active in Africa for more than 40 years, and we know the young people who will be working in tomor-row’s jobs. We, and organisa-tions like us, can provide Danish companies with local knowledge and we can help tailor educa-tional programmes to suit the needs of Danish businesses.

Denmark has the knowl-edge, and it has the experience. Our study shows that Africa’s young people know what they want, but they lack opportuni-ties. Investing in African jobs is the best thing we can do for them – and for ourselves.

In a globalised economy, it’s important to accept that one country’s progress is another one’s success. � ere’s no room for prejudice if you want to be on the winning team.

� e author is the director of Børnefonden (ChildFund Den-mark), a sponsor-funded devel-opment organisation helping 70,000 children, families and communities in the world’s poorest countries.

93 - 9 February 2012 THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK OPINION

To Be Perfectly FrankBY FRANK THEAKSTON

Born in 1942 on the Isle of Wight, Englishman Frank Theakston has been in Copenhagen 32 years and is on his second marriage, this time to a Dane. Frank comes from a di� erent time and a di� erent culture – which values are the right ones today?

CPH POST VOICES

English-Australian theatre director Stuart Lynch has lived in Copenhagen since Clinton impeached his cigars and writes from the heart of the Danish and international theatre scene. He is married with kids and lives in Nørrebro. Visit his Danish theatre at www.lynchcompany.dk.

‘THE LYNCH REPORT’ English by nature – Danish at heart. Freelance journalist Richard Steed has lived in Copenhagen for nearly � ve years now. “I love this city and want Copenhagen to be a shining example to the rest of the world.”

‘PERNICKETY DICKY’

IF YOU were to ask me what I re-member most clearly about the early 1980s in Denmark, I’d have to say the bitterly cold winters. But apart

from that, something else sticks in my mind: the tra� c – or the lack of it – and the orderly way in which it was managed. And I don’t mean just the infrastructure such as tra� c lights and roundabouts, but the serious adherence to the letter of the law.

One morning, my then wife and our nine-year-old daughter decided to cy-cle down to the petrol station opposite Bellevue Beach for some milk. Rather than cross Kystvejen twice, they chose to use the cycle path on the left-hand side of the road and were duly spotted by a motorcycle policeman and given a strict talking to. On another occasion, one of my nephews, who was staying with us at the time, was similarly stopped for a minor tra� c o� ence while out on his paper round at some ungodly hour of the morning.

In fact, the pedantic way in which people appeared to revere the tra� c regu-lations was indeed both impressive and irritating. � ere was a time during the 1980s when English Sunday newspapers became available at some of the larger S-train stations, but you had to be there early to get one. So I was in the habit of driving to Hellerup Station at around 8am on Sundays. Kystvejen in those days was completely deserted at that hour on a Sunday morning, except for my car – and a man walking a dog. I could swear I met him every single time. I would ap-proach the tra� c lights where he waited, he would press the little button, the lights would duly change, I would duly stop, and man and dog would duly cross the road. He could have waited for the only car on the road to pass and just crossed with no problem, but no!

So fast-forward 30 years and what do we � nd? A lot more tra� c, yes, and a lot more cynicism among road us-ers. And I mean all road users – mo-torists, cyclists, pedestrians, whatever. � e previous apparent respect for the law has been replaced by a fast-growing degree of disrespect. At the same time, there is an almost total lack of police presence on the streets. � e occasional patrol car is all that reminds one that

Law and disorder

Clare MacCarthy is Nordic correspondent for The Economist and a frequent contributor to The Financial Times and The Irish Times. She’ll go anywhere from the Gobi Desert to the Arctic in search of a story. The most fascinating thing about Denmark, she says, is its contradictions.

‘MACCARTHY’S WORLD’

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there are any police at all in Denmark. How often have I witnessed some traf-� c infringement and watched with in-credulity as a police car swept by, the occupants often seeming to be more concerned with swapping jokes than doing what I would consider to be police work.

So what has in fact changed? Two recent quotes in the national press gave me a clue. � e � rst was a reaction to

the increase in � nes for tra� c infringe-ments: that it was unfair to be � ned 700 kroner for using a mobile phone while cycling on a deserted path. In other words, the law should be open to interpretation depending on the cir-cumstances. � at’s not my understand-ing of how the law should work! And who does the interpreting?

� e other quote in question was the police themselves declaring that they were “quite satis� ed” with the level of tra� c policing. Well what else would they say? If I wasn’t accountable to any-one I might also assess my own work as satisfactory. But raising the � nes is not going to make one ounce of di� erence to the way people behave if they don’t get caught and � ned! And it doesn’t help that there is no peer pressure to obey the law: nobody says a word or honks a horn despite being subjected to appalling (and downright danger-ous) driving, thus giving tacit approval to such behaviour. (Oh I’m forgetting, of course, that horn honking is illegal unless absolutely necessary!).

So what do we deduce from these glaring di� erences over the last three decades? � at the current generation is less law-abiding than previous ones? I would prefer to suggest that what ap-peared to be respect for the law was in fact a fear of being caught doing some-thing wrong. Remove that threat and people revert to the norm, which here in Denmark is often an insistence on doing what one wants to do if one can get away with it. A lack of social pres-sure to accept the moral di� erence be-tween right and wrong, combined with a poor level of enforcement of the law, will naturally lead to disorder if not downright anarchy, and no amount of legislation by parliament will reverse that.

� em were the days: believe it or not, but this horse and cart is just about to get caught by a 1980s speed trap

A proud native of the American state of Iowa, Justin Cremer has been living in Copenhagen since June 2010. In addition to working at the CPH Post, he balances fatherhood, the Danish language and the ever-changing immigration rules. Follow him at twitter.com/justincph

‘STILL ADJUSTING’

In fact, the pedantic way in which people appeared to revere the tra£ c regulations was indeed both impressive and irritating

10 3 - 9 February 2012THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DKNEWS

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Rare stone of homely origin o­ ers up clues to Bornholm’s ancient history

Petri� ed poo designated national treasureJENNIFER BULEY

A140 MILLION-YEAR-OLD turd from Bornholm has been given a prestig-

ious ‘national, natural treasure’ status (danekræ) by paleontolo-gists at the Natural History Mu-seum of Denmark.

“Fossil excrement doesn’t grow on trees,” paleontologist and University of Copenhagen assistant professor Arne � or-shøj Nielsen told the Ritzau news bureau, explaining the rar-ity of the � nd.

Nielsen added that the an-cient excrement “can give us a glimpse into what life was like in Denmark 140 million years ago” – which is why the little hunk of ossi� ed fasces has been given the special status reserved for natural history objects of unique scienti� c signi� cance.

Paleontologists Niels Bond from the University of Copen-hagen and Jesper Milan from Østsjællands Museum have con-ducted the scienti� c inspection of the brown-hued, tubular-shaped natural treasure.

It was discovered last year in an old gravel pit on the island of Bornholm and measures a little over four centimetres long by two centimetres in diameter

and contains minute burrowing holes from the larvae of an an-cient species of � y.

� e gravel pit itself is the remains of an ancient lagoon. Bits of � shbone and scales in the ‘poo stone’ con� rm that its maker was a � sh-eating animal – quite possibly a turtle. How-ever, the scientists are not rul-ing out that it might also have come from one of two species of dinosaur that roamed the area around the lagoon in the Cre-taceous period – although, they were not known to fancy � sh.

“� e holes from the insects show that the excrement was ex-creted on land. Later, it probably got buried in the sands of the la-goon, where it was preserved for all time,” said Nielsen.

� e lagoon sands that pre-served the natural treasure are

not found anywhere else in Scan-dinavia, report geologists from the Natural History Museum. In fact, the Bornholm sands are identical to a type of sand found

far south in present day Italy – evidence supporting the theory that the Bornholm landscape lay, far to the south 140 millionyears ago.

Measuring 4cm and bearing holes made by prehistoric � ies (shown right), the little poo can tell paleontologists a lot about the Bornholm of 140 million years ago

Due to its extreme eastern location, Bornholm’s geology di  ers from that of Denmark proper

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‘Pinging’ for porpoises

ALL FISHERMEN using nets in Denmark’s Store-bælt Sound will now be

required to use a ‘pinger’, an underwater acoustic alarm at-tached to the net, to prevent en-dangered porpoises from getting entangled.

� e new law comes into ef-fect this summer and will apply to recreational as well as com-mercial � shermen.

“What we know – from the European Commission, among others – is that pingers are ef-fective at reducing the bycatch of porpoises, and they are con-sidered the best tool for guard-ing porpoises against getting trapped in nets,” the food min-ister, Mette Gjerskov (Social-demokraterne), told Politiken newspaper.

Unlike whales and dolphins, porpoises are the only cetaceans found in Danish waters year round. Some 55,000 porpoises live in the seas surrounding Denmark. Nevertheless, they are severely endangered.

A recent study of the por-poise population in Denmark’s inner waters – including the Storebælt Sound and the £ ords – revealed that the population

dropped from around 28,000 to just 11,000 in one decade.

Making matters worse, sev-eral thousand porpoises are ac-cidentally trapped each year in � shing nets, where they end up drowning, according to the environmental research group Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser.

� e government and envi-ronmental groups hope that un-necessary porpoise deaths will be drastically reduced once the new pinger law comes into e¦ ect this summer in the Storebælt Sound.

Based on experience in the North Sea, where pingers are already required on � shing nets and lines, researchers believe that porpoises have learnt to avoid areas where they hear the acoustic alarms.

“It’s fantastic that the new government has opened it up again after the previous action plan was shelved for six years under the old government,” said Greenpeace scientist and marine biologist Hanne Lyng Winter.

Winter added, however, that getting trapped in nets was not the only threat to porpoises in Danish waters. Over-� shing could also be starving them out, she suggested.

� e government has pro-posed creating a group of marine scientists, � shermen and NGOs to put together a plan to protect the porpoises and better comply with the EU nature conserva-tion rules, Politiken reports.

JENNIFER BULEY

Government takes steps to protect Denmark’s endangered marine mammals with acoustic net alarms

113 - 9 February 2012 THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK COMMUNITY

Holiday fair fast becoming the diplomat’s guide to the globe

The leopard skins were out in force at the South African stand, along with the embassy’s representation led by its ambassador Samkelisiwe Mhlanga (second right).

Albanian ambassador Arben Cici was at hand to explain his country’s tourism possibili-ties, its fascination with Norman Wisdom and whether there’s any truth in the claim the country wanted to crown a former world long jump record holder its king in 1920.

The ambassador of Bolivia, Eugenio Poma, is a bishop and while his chair at the stand was probably more colourful and feathery than he’s used to, it was the right height.

Another African ambassador delighted to take up the o� er from Bárcena (right) was Burkina Faso’s Monique Ilboudo (left). Formerly the Republic of Upper Volta (until 1984), did you know that the country’s name means ‘the land of upright people’. An-swers on a postcard about where ‘the land of uptight people’ is.

Given its size, the Mediterranean island of Malta is incredibly (some might say dispro-portionately) popular with Danes as a holiday destination, but they’re an uncompla-cent bunch as its charge d’a� aire Deborah Attard Montalto proved by attending.

Portuguese ambassador João Pedro Silveira de Carvalho was only too happy to share a few tips (or should we say tipples) about what his country has to o� er with the Bella Center’s project director Malina Hye.

Why bother with the travel agent, when you can go to Bella Center’s Holiday Fair in January, par-ticularly now so many of the city’s embassies attend to give you � rst-hand information on why their country should be your destination of choice in 2012. Pictured here are some of the assets underlining why Egypt is both Africa and the Arab World’s most popular tourist destination.

The presence of the embassies is a result of a popular initiative set up by Bella Center, International Club Copenhagen and the dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mexican ambassador Martha Bárcena, which gives the diplomats the chance to set up a stand free of charge - and the numbers are increasing every year. Pictured here are (left-right) Bella Center’s project director Malina Hye, Pia Allerslev, the deputy mayor for culture who delivered an address, Israel’s deputy head of mission Dan Oryan, Swiss ambassador Viktor Christen, Bárcena, Bolivian ambassador Bishop Eugenio Poma, and Canadian ambassador Peter Lundy.

Following Bárcena on her tour of the stands, we next encountered Iranian ambassador Morteza Damanpak-Jami.

The Former Republic of Macedonia and Canada rarely meet each other on the sports � eld, but that didn’t stop the European country’s ambassador Asaf Ademi (right) wel-coming his North American counterpart Peter Lundy (left) to � nd out why more and more tourists visit his homeland every year.

Mexico is the tenth most popular destination worldwide, and the third most sought-after outside Europe, and its ambassador Martha Bárcena was at hand to show o� some of the unique qualities that make her country such a hit with visitors.

PHOTOS: HASSE FERROLD WORDS BY BEN HAMILTON

12 3 - 9 February 2012THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD (UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)

COMMUNITY

HAVE YOU ever felt a little daft when a Dan-ish person has asked you what you’re doing in say,

week seven? Yes? Well don’t wor-ry, you’re certainly not alone. I’ve lived here for over ten years, and I still don’t know when week 19 is … or week 32 for that matter. We’ve already booked our sum-mer holiday and I know it’s in the � rst two weeks of July. But do I know which weeks those are? Nope. Do I care? Not really, but it is beginning to bug me when our Danish friends ask which weeks they are.

H o w e v e r , while there are many things that we do much bet-ter where I come from (cats eyes on the roads, for one), there are de� nitely a few I think Danes could teach the rest of us, and I have to say, this week number malarkey is precisely one of those things because they’re actually quite useful.

� e numbering of Danish weeks started in 1973. My hus-

band has told me that they didn’t use week numbers when he was young, and in fact he doesn’t use the system much now. � at could be because it has taken a long time to catch on in Den-mark too, or it could be because he comes from Jutland, and eve-ryone knows that ‘those mod-ern fangled things’ take a long time to catch on the other side of Storebæltsbroen (I write that sentence safe in the knowledge

that my husband is unlikely to ever read my column!)

� e Danish week numbers are o� cially based on ISO number 8601: ‘the o� -cial international standard covering the exchange of date and time-related data’. � is standard states: “Week 1 is the

week with the year’s � rst � urs-day in it”, and could also be de-scribed as “the week with January 4 in it”.

I should mention this will be my last community column. I’m leaving, in fact, because of a long-term project of my own - to see if

you can really ever be fully inte-grated into Danish society when you come from abroad. I’ve been milling around too long almost exclusively in the expat environ-ment (much to my enjoyment, I should add), but I’ve � nally come to realise I will be in this coun-try for some time - at least until my children leave school. I think I need to get myself a job in a Danish environment, with some real-live Danish colleagues. With that in mind, I’ve decided to go back to Sprogskole and get my Studioprove, so that I can study at a Danish college ... in Danish! Mad? Maybe, but I’m going to give it a go. I’ll get back to you in � ve years and tell you the results of my investigation.

In the meantime, here’s some simple advice on how to enjoy the rest of your stay in Denmark:• If you have time, learn some

Danish. It helps to show you’re willing!

• Don’t expect Danes to be overly polite. � ey’re not.

• � ere are nice Danes and not-nice Danes, just the same as everywhere else.

• And do yourself a favour by buying yourself a Danish calendar with the week num-bers printed on!

Last week on Friday was Auschwitz Day, which was commemorated by a number of events across town, including an o� cial ceremony at Tivoli to pay respect to the estimated six million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust during the Second World War. Pictured here are (left-right) David Silberklang, an acclaimed historian from the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem, German ambassador Michael Zenner, Israeli ambassador Artur Avnon, the deputy mayor of culture, Pia Allerslev, journalist Mette Holm, who is well known for her work bringing the perpetrators of the Cambodia genocide to justice, and author Steve Sem-Sandberg, whose latest book is about the Lodz ghetto in Poland.

The Chinese Embassy hosted a Spring Festival Concert on Saturday at the Royal Academy of Music to mark the arrival of the Year of the Dragon. Pictured here are (left-right) the embassy’s charge d’a� aires Gu Hui, the Danish Cultural Institute secretary general Finn Andersen, and the embassy’s cultural attaché Li Jinsheng.

‘The Essence of Colour’ is a new exhibi-tion at Arken that opened on Saturday in conjunction with the queen’s ruby jubilee because the artist is none other than her majesty herself. It runs until July and fea-tures many of the monarch’s impressionis-tic canvases and decoupage works.

The Egyptian scientist and Nobel Prize winner Ahmed Zewail was in town on Friday to present a lecture at the Panum Institute at the University of Copenhagen. Here he is (centre) pictured with Egyptian ambassador Nabil Riad Habashi (right) and the ambassador’s wife (left).

Our community editor, Victoria Ste� ensen, lives in Hellerup, the home of so many international schools, families, companies and embassies, and undoubted heartland of the expat scene. And although her kids don’t go to an international school and she couldn’t tell you where her closest embassy is, Victoria proves your home is where your heart is – in her case, in Hellerup.

HOME SWEET HOME IN HELLERUP

Free access to 65 museumsand attractions in the entire metropolitan areaSee more at copenhagencard.com

InOutThe CPH Post Entertainment Guide | 16 - 22 Sep

YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT BUSTER! THE CHILDREN’S MOVIE FEST IS HERE

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KIDS ON FILM

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John Primer w. Nisse Thorbjorn Band [US/DK]Joe Louis Walker [US] | Holmes Brothers [US]

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Harrington w. Kenn Lending Blues Band [US/DK]

Keith Dunn Band [US/NL] | Johnny Max Band [CA]

Delta Blues Band | The Healers | Shades of BlueThorbjorn Risager | Troels Jensen | Alain Apaloo

H.P. Lange | Mike Andersen & Jens Kristian DamTutweiler | Fried Okra Band | The Blues Overdrive

Bluesoul | Grahn & Malm | Ole Frimer | Paul Banks

Jacob Fischer Trio | Svante Sjöblom | Jes Holtsoe

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CAN YOU HAVE your cake and

eat it too? Conventional wisdom

says no, but with their � rst budg-

et plan since the shift of power,

the new Socialdemokraterne-Radikale-

Socialistisk Folkeparti (SRSF) coalition

appear to be giving it a shot.

Many of the elements of the new

budget – which is expected to be re-

leased in its entirety on � ursday – will

increase state spending at a time when

the budget de� cit has increased. But

where the money would come from re-

mained a mystery.A number of the new budget items

reinstate spending cuts made by the pre-

vious Venstre-Konservative (VK) govern-

ment. Here are a few of the major points:

Families: VK limited the state’s

monthly child support handouts (bør-

necheck) to 35,000 kroner per fam-

ily. � at limit has now been abolished,

meaning that many families will get

larger child bene� ts. � e government

will also pay for fertility treatments and

voluntary sterilisations.Welfare: VK and Dansk Folkeparti

(DF) introduced specialised welfare pro-

grammes that reduced the cash bene� ts

for new immigrants. � ose programmes

have now been eliminated and going

forward all residents in need of state

support will receive the same welfare

bene� ts. Higher education and research:

Universities will get an extra one billion

kroner over two years to cover costs as-

sociated with a predicted increase in

the number of students. Moreover, stu-

dents will no longer pay administrative

fees, and prospective Master’s students

will have prerequisite course tuitions

paid. � e government will also fund

1,500 more state-supported internship

positions.Infrastructure and job creation:

Some 17.5 billion kroner will be in-

vested over two years in infrastructure

projects, such as a new rail line between

Copenhagen and Ringsted, a project to

widen the Holbæk motorway, erosion

protection e� orts along Jutland’s west

coast, and renovations to public hous-

ing. Prime minister Helle � orning-

Schmidt has said that these ‘kickstart’

projects will create 20,000 new jobs

from 2012-2013. � e Danish Construc-

tion Association predicts 10,000.

Tax break: � e unpopular ‘mul-

timedia tax’ introduced by VK will be

abolished, saving some 525,000 Danes

with business laptops and mobile

phones 3,000 kroner per year.

Not everyone, however, can look for-

ward to a cash infusion. Smokers and junk

food lovers will be taxed higher on their

vices, while international corporations

will also see higher tax bills. SRSF plans

to raise revenue by closing a number of

tax loopholes going back nearly 20 years

that allowed international corporations

in Denmark to escape paying corporate

taxes (see more on page 15).

All told, the spending increases in the

new budget are not as big as the minister

of the economy and interior, Margrethe

Vestager (R), would like. She noted that

VK under-reported the de� cit for 2012,

making it imprudent to spend more. But

Denmark will still meet the EU’s � nan-

cial responsibility benchmarks, despite

the larger de� cit, she added.

A new budget to ‘kickstart’ the economy

SRSF’s � rst budget will spend 17.5 billion

kroner on infrastructure and abolish

previous taxes and restrictions

JENNIFER BULEY

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I write that sentence safe in the knowledge that my husband is unlikely to ever read my column

133 - 9 February 2012 THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

THERE ARE so many courses to choose from these days. It can be over-whelming deciding which

direction to take, not to men-tion which fancy new course will look best on your CV. But after spending a whole day at CBS, it’s hard to believe that many can compete with their full-time MBA.

Having spent the best part of my academic life in international settings, I welcomed the oppor-tunity to check out a genuinely international MBA programme, which attracts on average 80 percent of its applicants from overseas.

When I arrived at CBS at 8:45am I received a warm wel-come from Lee Milligan, the admissions manager, who made sure I felt comfortable and ready to spend the day observing his beloved MBA programme. He introduced me to Alejandro Es-pejel García (or Alex, as he is known by his peers), a student from Mexico City, who was to guide me throughout the day.

As I entered the classroom, I felt at ease. � e atmosphere was just as I hoped: welcom-ing, relaxed, and humorous. � e set-up was modern and practi-cal, and the students seemed in good spirits, sitting in their com-fortable chairs, socialising and waiting for the lecture to begin. � ere were name-tags placed in front of most, displaying a wide array of nationalities and cultures.

“I think that the interna-tional pro� le of the programme is de� nitely one of its biggest as-sets,” enthused García. “We have all been working in industries where we have a lot of interac-

Teaching its students that business has a soul tion with di� erent countries and cultures, so being able to gather here – and have a class where roughly 90 percent come from a di� erent country – gives us the opportunity to really expand our horizons and understand di� erent cultures.”

� e professor, John Hayes, the author of the book every-one had in front of them (‘� e � eory & Practise of Change Management’), was just as wel-coming and equally energetic. His teaching style was academic yet relaxed, allowing the students to challenge, comment and dis-cuss. “Here we are dealing with strategy, leadership, culture, eth-ics and social responsibility,” continued García. “So there’s no right answer – that’s something that we have learned. � ere’s no black and white – it’s more about the grey, and understanding the shade of that grey.”

By the end of the � rst hour, I was wishing my professors had been more like Hayes, as even though business is not my cup of tea, I found myself enjoying the lecture and its dynamics. � e students constantly shared their personal experiences, while keep-ing to the context of the subjects being discussed.

García later explained that Hayes is not an exception, as the CBS full-time MBA programme is blessed with professors of high calibre and dedication. “All of the professors are very well prepared; they know their � eld and they are experts in the subjects,” he said. “One thing I have discovered and enjoyed is that they are not here to just give you a lecture and ex-pect you to take notes; they be-come moderators in discussions between the class members, so we learn 50 percent from them and 50 percent from each other.”

Kai Groves, a student from the US, agreed. “I really like the way that they have done the programme here because there’s a wide mix not only of the stu-dents, in terms of nationalities and experiences, but also how the professors are really international

Professors from various countries around the world came to teach in a truly international environment

Alejandro Espejel García (Alex), a student from Mexico City, helped guide the author during a day at the MBA programme held at CBS

Kai Groves from the US, an avid fan of the MBA programme

Searching for new ways to challenge yourself professionally? CBS’s full-time MBA programme might be just the boost you need

CLAUDIA SANTOS

COMMUNITY

as well,” he said. “We have had Danish professors, a professor from Kazakhstan, and the pro-fessor we have now from the UK [Hayes]. Also, a couple of our professors come from the US, so everybody comes from all over.”

� e quality of the sta� seems to be a standard that is univer-sally maintained. “I’m always impressed by the quality of ap-plicants that the MBA attracts,” observed Professor Hayes.

But it’s not all fun and games on the CBS full-time MBA pro-gramme. I had a chance to chat with several of the students, and their passion and determination was clear, though not expressed in the typical ‘cut-throat’ way often expected in the business world.

“You have to be on top of your game pretty much all the time. It’s a lot of work but the rewards are amazing,” contended Groves.

“And because the class size is kept so small, you develop these really close relationships, and you aren’t just a number, you’re a person. � e entire programme is focused on developing people individually and through group work, so that you can go out and become a leader for change and be able to do what you want in the world. It really equips you in a short amount of time.”

García expressed similar feel-ings. “It has exceeded my expec-

tations on many levels,” he says. “� e programme is incredibly well organised, the quality of the lectures is really outstanding, and the class members are very well selected, in a way that we really complement each other.”

� e dedication was palpa-ble, as well as the camaraderie. I believe Groves described it best: “� ose of us that have been a part of the programme are re-ally enamoured by it and we just want the whole world to know about it.”

I left CBS feeling impressed and happy for the students on the programme. � ere was no doubting the sincerity of García when he described the MBA as “an excellent platform that can

help professionals who have the drive to achieve greater goals than they have done in the past, and to attain the skills they need to be outstanding professionals and leaders”.

CBS (Copenhagen Business School) o ers a one-year MBA (Master of Business Administration) pro-

gramme aimed at ambitious busi-ness professionals – both Danish and international – starting in September each year. � e highly respected programme selects 50 ap-plicants per year and has earned a spot in the Top 100 of the Econo-mist full-time MBA rankings of 2011. For more information, visit www.cbs.dk.

COMING UP SOONPre-Valentine cocktail party Radisson BLU Scandinavia Ho-tel & Casino, Amager Boulevard 70, Cph S; Fri 10 Feb, 14:00-04:30; tickets 275kr, 2694 7723 or bukloddenmark@yahoo.com� e Filipino group BUKLOD and Casino Copenhagen in-vite you to their pre-Valentine party at the Casino Ballroom. � e night features a live Dan-ish band and DJ Ernesto. Tick-ets include casino entrance, entrance to the party (20:00-04:00) with a welcome drink, and cocktail/� nger foods. It’s also possible to make a dona-tion to the typhoon victims from the Philippines. MØ

Super Bowl PartyCrowne Plaza Copenhagen Tow-ers, Ørestads Boulevard 114-118, Cph S; Sun 5 Feb, 22:00-04:00; members’ price 350kr, corporate table (for 10) 3,250kr, drinks not included; sign up at www.amcham.dk� e yearly highlight for all American football fans is com-ing closer, so sign up now and spend Super Bowl night in great company, as AmCham Den-mark and the Danish American Football Federation (DAFF) are inviting you and your friends to their 2012 Super Bowl Party. � e event includes an all-you-can-eat Super Bowl bu� et, a free Budweiser beer, a live TV feed on big screens, and the possibility to win two return tickets to the US. You also have the chance to spend the night at

the hotel at a special ‘football’ discount. MØ

Living the dreamDamco International A/S, Dampfærgevej 21, Cph Ø; Tue 7 Feb, 18:30; 150kr, register at toniheisterberg@cis.dk or at www.europeanpwn.net/copenha-genJulie Hastrup, a successful crime author of three bestsellers, is de-livering a talk to the European Professional Women’s Network about “living the dream”. � e mother of two and 43-year-old journalist had dreamt about writing crime novels all her life, but a promising career at public broadcaster DR, along with starting a family, made the dream fade away. However, after giving birth to her second child, she realised that although she had a fantastic job, she still wanted to live her dream. She took the chance, put it all on the line and succeeded. MH

Statskundskab - Danish political systemSUND, Blegdamsvej 3B, Cph N; Mon 6 Feb, 19:00; 800kr� e purpose of this course is to introduce the basic outline of Danish politics and the Danish political system to all interested parties. During this course, they’ll discuss both historical and current political develop-ments in Denmark; the charac-teristics of the Danish political system at local, regional and central levels; its political ori-

gins; what challenges it faces; and how it di� ers from the political systems in other coun-tries in Europe in general, and Scandinavia in particular. MH

AirBnB partyOdd Fellow Palæet, Palæet Bred-gade 28, Cph K; Sat 11 Feb; free adm; www.bit.ly/airbnbcphAirBnB is an online service that matches people seeking vacation rentals and other short-term ac-commodations with those with rooms to rent. Because of their recent milestone of 5 million nights booked, they’re throw-ing a “huge party” on Saturday 11 February with DJs spin-ning, music blasting and drinks ̄owing. MH

� eatre workshopLynch Company, Dansens Hus, Pasteursvej 14; Cph V; � u 16 Feb–Fri 17 Feb, 10:00 & Sat 18 Feb, 12:00; 700kr, register at mail@lynchcompany.dk; www.lynchcompany.dkPerformance group Lynch Company presents a three-day intensive performance work-shop, combining theatre, dance and psychology. � e workshop will culminate in a 150-minute performance as part of the Vildskud Festival in August. If you want to participate, write to mail@lynchcompany.dk, enclosing a covering letter and your CV. � e registration o± -cially closes on 3 February. MHMALENE ØRSTED & MIKE HOFMAN

14 3 - 9 February 2012The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dksport

Thomas Bjørn finished third equal at the abu Dhabi Championship, which ended on sunday. he shot a third round 65 to storm up the leaderboard on saturday, followed by a 68. his compatriot Thorbjørn olesen led the tournament at the halfway stage, but fell back over the week-end to finish eighth.

IrIsh Bookmaker Paddy Power is offering 7/2 about Caroline Wozniacki marrying her golfer boyfriend rory mcIl-roy in 2012. If she does, hope-fully the union will last longer than her relationship with coach ricardo sanchez, which ekstra Bladet claims has ended after just ten weeks.

Bjørn back on song Wozzilroy wedding odds

sporTs neWs and BrieFs

• one of the most historically sig-nificant coaches in the history of the sport was knute rockne, a native norwegian. rockne’s exploits are well documented. Born in Voss in 1888, he moved to Chicago at a young age, and eventually turned notre Dame University football into one of most iconic sporting symbols in america. he revolutionised sev-eral aspects of the sport - from the pre-snap shift to the forward pass – and still has the highest winning percentage of any major college or professional ameri-can football coach, winning 102 games, losing only 12, and draw-ing five. When he died in a plane crash at the age of 43, President herbert hoover called his pass-ing “a national loss”, and king haakon VII of norway attended his funeral.

• The minnesota Vikings were named to reflect minnesota’s sta-tus as a centre of scandinavian culture in america. Certainly, the image of the historical Vi-

king – powerful and dominant – translates perfectly to american football.

• The most well known native Dane in american football re-mains morten andersen. Born in Copenhagen and raised in jut-land, andersen was a star youth athlete in Denmark before using his powerful left leg to embark on a 25-year nFL career. no-one in nFL history has scored more points or played in more games.

• many americans with Danish roots have made their mark as players. This ranges from merlin olsen, the hall of Fame defen-sive lineman for the Los angeles rams, to Greg olsen, the ultra-athletic tight end currently play-ing for the Carolina Panthers.

• It doesn’t take long to find a Danish surname when watching american football, whether it be in the nFL, or in the tradition-ally Danish-rich major college teams in Utah, minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Factfile | norse influences in american football

PakIsTan’s serBIan na-tional football coach Zavisa mi-losavljevic is looking for talented players in Denmark to boost the country’s flagging form. his side are ranked a lowly 179 in the world and have never qualified for the asian Cup, let alone the World Cup, which it entered for the first time 24 years ago.

CaroLIne WoZnIaCkI has fallen three places in the world rankings to number four following her elimination from the australian open last month at the quarter-final stage. aussie open winner Victoria azarenka is the new top seed, followed by Petra kvitova and maria shara-pova.

pakistan eyes danish talentWoz one, now four

as The naTIonaL Foot-ball League readies itself for super Bowl XLVI this sunday between the new York Gi-

ants and the Pittsburgh steelers – the de facto american sporting holiday of nachos, pizza, and beer – an ever-growing number of Danes will join the party. although still a fringe sport in this country, its countrymen and other scandinavians have had a historically significant impact on the sport, and the future of gridiron in Denmark is bright.

The current upswing in popular-ity of the sport in Denmark is largely attributed to the ‘Zulu effect’, named after the TV station that started airing nFL games more than a decade ago. however, even before the sport took hold, it enjoyed a small yet loyal fol-lowing in Denmark.

The Danish american Football Federation (DaFF) traces its origins to the late 1980s and has grown exponen-

desPITe LookInG like a lost cause heading into the second group stage of the european handball Championship, Den-

mark embarked on a winning streak, culminating in a 21-19 defeat of hosts serbia last sunday to lift the trophy – their second in four years.

Denmark never let go of an advan-tage they held over the serbs from the second minute. and early in the second half, they actually held an 11-7 lead, al-though this was quickly reduced to 11-10 in just four minutes. In the end, they had to endure an incredibly tense final ten minutes as their opponents threat-ened to draw level - time and time again reducing the deficit to just one goal – and they probably would have failed had it not been for their star player.

Cometh the hour, cometh mikkel hansen, who produced a heroic per-formance when it mattered most to see Denmark home. as serbia kept on threatening to draw level, it was hansen the Danes turned too, and he didn’t let them down, firing in four goals from

tially since the first mermaid Bowl (the Danish equivalent of the super Bowl). The DaFF now counts over 3,500 members and approximately 60 clubs, exhibiting growth that suggests that an even bigger explosion in popularity might be forthcoming. The mermaid Bowl is now televised, which can only add to the popularity of the sport in Denmark.

Denmark is already ranked in the top 15 in the world, and with the 2015 International Federation of american Football senior World Championship taking place in stockholm, Denmark has an opportunity to show its prow-ess close to home, providing it qualifies for the 12-team tournament. only four will come from europe, and with swe-den guaranteed a spot as hosts, Den-mark faces an uphill battle to crash the continent’s top tier of Germany, aus-tria, France, sweden, the Czech repub-lic, Finland and Great Britain.

While it is often remarked that the tall, strong, and athletic Danes have the perfect attributes to play sports more physically demanding than handball, their mental capabilities are often over-looked. as a nation, they are more likely to fight with tenacity and less likely to feign injury than many of their europe-an counterparts. While not determina-

four attempts in the 50th, 52nd, 54th and 59th minutes to maintain his side’s two-goal lead.

It was a vital effort against a previ-ously unbeaten serbian side, playing without a key player who had suffered an eye injury during the team’s fiercely fought semi-final against perennial rivals Croatia, who were equally clinical in front of goal. and with ten minutes to go, playing with a man advantage, they had looked the most likely winners.

But in the end they hadn’t reckoned on hansen and it was he – after a dra-matic goal from rasmus Lauge schmidt, who picked up his own rebound to blast a throw past the serbian keeper in the 56th minute – who sealed the win with a breakaway effort with just 20 seconds on the clock remaining.

In all, hansen scored nine goals from 13 shots in the final to finish the tournament with an overall 45 goals in eight games, placing him third on the goalscorers chart, a position that would have been higher had he not started the tournament in such inauspicious fash-ion.

With hansen out-of-sorts in the opening games, Denmark qualified for the second group phase carrying two losses (after losing to serbia and Poland) and knew they could not afford to lose again or they would be out. Wins over macedonia, Germany and sweden fol-lowed, but it still took an unlikely Polish

super Bowl XLVi this sunday will once again be a well-watched TV spectacle as more and more danes take an interest in a sport they are perfectly suited to play

Mikkel hansen underlines his status as one of the world’s most outstanding players with four goals from as many attempts in the final ten minutes

Keegan Dresow

Ben Hamilton

Qualification for 2015 gridiron world cup a realistic goal for national side

handball heroes complete unlikely turnaround to become masters of europe

tive, this suggests a national identity of toughness that is an essential element of gridiron. Perhaps these traits are, in fact, more suited to american than eu-ropean football.

If you are interested in watching a game, go and check one out in Den-mark, where you can see the speed and physicality of the game the way it is supposed to be played – without the commercial breaks of the nFL. Those commercial breaks can slow the game to a grinding halt, and it isn’t hard to see why the nFL has had trouble ex-panding to a european market that isn’t accustomed to watching sporting events with such interruptions.

If you want to try playing the game, check out your local DaFF club on su-per Bowl sunday. many of them are planning ‘rookie’ days, which will pro-vide you with equipment, coaching, and a chance to play. You might never look back.

enjoy the super Bowl for all of its glitz and glamour and million dol-lar commercials, but also know that the international landscape is there for the picking. If Denmark embraces the sport, there is no reason to believe that they cannot excel. In a sport requir-ing strength, toughness and efficiency, Denmark might just be a perfect match.

defeat of Germany to seal their place in the semis, in which they saw off spain by a single goal.

Denmark’s gold medal follows a silver in the World Championship this time last year in sweden, where they lost to France in the final, and a gold in the european Championship in 2008.

and as an added bonus, the win means Denmark have qualified for this year’s London olympics. The women’s team, meanwhile, will need to come in the top two in a six-team qualifying event in may to join them.

It was an exhilirating moment as they lifted the trophy in front of a crowd of mostly muted serbs

Mikkel Hansen (left) played a blinder, scoring four goals in the last ten minutes

Team Danmark has set itself a goal of seven medals at the ol-ympics, the same number it won in 2008. overall, it believes it will be in contention to win 20-22 medals, but that seven was a “re-alistic” expectation. Badminton, cycling, handball, rowing, sail-ing, swimming and tennis were picked out as their best hopes.

manY users of the gaming site Bet24, one of many to be granted licences to operate in Denmark this year, have been notified that their passwords, phone numbers, email addresses and birth dates might have been stolen. how-ever, those who have set up ac-counts since 31 october 2009 are apparently not at risk.

seven-medal olympic goalBetting’s always risky

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153 - 9 February 2012 THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

• official media partner

Whisky tasting, 10 February 2012

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

If you would like to attend then please send us an email (event@bccd.dk) or call +45 31 18 75 58

Non-members are very welcome. Please contact BCCD or go to www.bccd.dk for further information

BCCD are organising a whisky tasting evening on Friday 10 February, where you will have the chance to meet other BCCD members and their partners in a more relaxed setting, while sampling some of Scotland’s finest.

Whisky experts from Whiskymessen will guide you through the tasting of 7 different Single Malts from a bottler in Perthshire called Signatory:

• Glendullan Blackadder Raw Cask• Glenlivet Signatory 46%• Smoked! Islay Single Malt 50%• Kilchoman Islay 46%• Bunnahabhain Adelphi Islay Cask Strength• Glendronach• Balvenie 12

There will also be tasting maps, and Highland Spring Water available to help you make the most of the evening.

Price: 350DKK inc MOMS for Members and their guests, or 400DKK inc MOMS for non-members.

Location: Copenhagen Marriott Hotel, Kalvebod Brygge 5, 1560 København V

NB: You will not be able to drive after the evening, so please make sure you arrange alternate transport home. The nearest train Station is København H. Alternatively you may wish to take a look at the special offers at the Marriott on our website.

groceries in Denmark is actually lower than in Sweden.

“If you compare real pric-es, sales and selection, you get a completely di� erent result than just randomly choosing products,” he said.

Henrik Hyltoft, the cham-ber’s marketing director, said that 24timer was engaged in question-able journalism.

BUSINESS

Sell 5.79 5.49 7.33 0.07 0.18 0.81 6.04 8.73 5.55

Buy 6.32 6.93 7.56 0.07 0.20 0.85 6.24 9.08 5.81

AustralianDollarsAUD

CanadaDollarsCAD

EuroEUR

JapanYenJPY

RussiaRublesRUB

SwedenKronor

SEK

SwitzerlandFrancsCHF

UKPoundsGBP

United StatesDollarsUSD

Exchange Rates

Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency Date: 1 February 2012

  ights after the bankruptcy declaration, leaving thousands of passengers stranded over the weekend and even more with worthless tickets, although there is hope that credit card purchas-es of Spanair tickets might still be refunded.

SAS’s losses in the company are not expected to a� ect the service of its own   ights, how-ever, but shareholders should ex-pect the company to post a large de� cit this year.

After Spanair � led for bank-

SAS HAS lost six billion kro-ner on airline Spanair after it � led for bankruptcy on

Friday – 4.9 billion from its pur-chase and 1.4 billion from the bankruptcy.

Spanair cancelled all of its

ruptcy, SAS’s management re-leased a pro� t warning stating that SAS would be writing o� 1.4 billion kroner on Spanair, and that liquidity will be re-duced by between 160 and 250 million kroner.

SAS owns 10.9 percent of Spanair but its stake is now ef-fectively worthless. Sture Stølen, head of SAS group investor rela-tions, told check-in.dk that the new losses come from writing o� loans and debts for the Spanish airline.

SAS loses six billion kroner on Spanair

THE AILING chairman of AP Møller-Mærsk, Nils Smede-gaard Andersen, is not sched-uled to return to work until April. Andersen underwent heart-valve surgery shortly be-fore the new year, and doctors have now recommended he take more time to recover than ini-tially expected.

Sick leave extended

BUSINESS NEWS AND BRIEFS

NEW FIGURES from the Euro-pean Commission put Denmark near the top of the list for using state support for its banks – a policy proscribed by the EU. � e comparative numbers suggest that Danish banks are among the EU’s worst at weathering the economic crisis without bailouts from tax-payers, reports Ugebrevet A4.

Banks tops in handouts

THE DANISH Chamber of Commerce says that an investigative report last week by freesheet 24timer

is bogus. � e paper ran a front page story alleging that a trolley full of groceries cost half as much in Sweden as it does in Denmark. � e chamber called the paper’s conclusions “worthless”.

� e 24timer analysis com-pared prices between Bilka in Denmark and the Swedish ware-house store Gekås.

“� e prices they reported have nothing to do with actual price di� erences between Den-mark and Sweden,” Geert Laier Christensen, an analyst with the chamber, said. “� ey chose ran-dom goods from a very speci� c shop 200 kilometres from Co-penhagen.”

Christensen said that a report from the Nielsen Institute shows that when measured over six months, the price for everyday

“Stories like those 24timer has published over the last few days cause irritation and confu-sion in the industry,” Henrik Hyltoft, the chamber’s market-ing director, told � e Copen-hagen Post. “� e Danish media should not be engaging in this kind of bottom-of-the-barrel journalism.”

Martin Salamon, from the

Chamber of Commerce argues that report showing Denmark’s groceries to be twice as expensive as Sweden’s is “worthless”, while consumer advocacy group says politicians need to act on high prices

Scandinavian Airlines’ 10.9 percent stake in Spanair rendered worthless after airline � les for bankruptcy

RAY WEAVER

PETER STANNERS

Nation’s high consumer price levels set o� debate

consumer advocacy organisa-tion Forbrugerrådet, however, disagreed with the chamber’s conclusions.

“Consumer prices in Den-mark are too high and poli-ticians need to address the problem,” Salamon said on the organisation’s website. “Consumers can also a� ect quality and prices by ‘voting

with their Dankort’. If they continue shopping at places charging high prices for poor quality goods, things will not improve.”

Higher taxes and wages are often cited as being causes of higher prices in Denmark.

Rasmus Kjeldahl, For-brugerrådet’s director, said that higher costs are only part of the problem and that the greater is-sue is a lack of competition in the Danish marketplace.

“We have heard the su-permarket’s explanation about taxes and fees time after time, but it simply does not work any more as the only explana-tion for the high prices in Den-mark,” Kjeldahl told 24timer.

Kjedahl said his group was confused by the lack of inter-est on the part of politicians in what he sees as a serious problem.

“We are talking about a lot of money, and it would be good for everyone if there was more competition.”

Per Østergaard Jacobsen, a consumer lecturer at Copen-hagen Business School, agreed that grocery prices are too high in Denmark and pointed to the massive amount that supermar-kets pay for advertising as a big part of the reason.

“Retail marketing in Den-mark has increased signi� cantly

Eurostat statistics show Denmark is well above other European countries when it comes to consumer prices

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over the past � ve years,” Jacob-sen told 24timer. “� ey send out signi� cantly more   yers.”

Jacobsen said that suppli-ers spend seven billion kroner annually on   yers and other ad campaigns for supermarkets, and those costs are paid for by consumers.

Suppliers also � nance mil-lions of kroner worth of dis-counts o� ered to supermarket chains on items like computers and CDs by raising the price on groceries and other daily necessities.

Statistics from the Europe-an Union’s Eurostat show that grocery prices in Denmark are not only higher than those in Sweden, they are the highest in the entire EU.

� e idea that it costs less to shop in Sweden is not a new one. Some will recall the online shopping website prissmart.dk that appeared in 2009 promis-ing to deliver goods “at Swedish prices” to customers throughout Denmark. � e company pur-chased products at lower prices in Sweden and trucked them into Denmark. Danish super-markets questioned the legality of the enterprise and custom-ers complained about the poor quality and service. � e compa-ny apparently shut down early in 2010 and their website no longer exists.

FIGURES from Statistics Den-mark show that the amount of unemployed workers fell by 1,100 from November to December, leaving 160,500 people still out of work, or about 6.1 percent of the work force. Unemployment num-bers also dropped between Octo-ber and November, suggesting a trend underlying the statistics.

Unemployment dropping

16 3 - 9 February 2012THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

SPOUSE: Momina Bashir Awan FROM: PakistanSEEKING WORK IN: All of DenmarkQUALIFICATION: MBA (Degrees Assessed by Danish Agency for International Education).EXPERIENCE: 4 years of wide experience as Human Resources Analyst in a USA based Pakistani.Organization. Involved in Recruitment of IT personnel for outsourcing, Compensation and bene� tsplanning, Wage analysis, Conduct Training and Development Seminars and Team building. One year of Experience in Telesales of Citibank NA., 6 months of experience in Customer Services in Telecom sector.LOOKING FOR: Jobs in HR and Customer ServicesLANGUAGE SKILLS: English [Fluent], Urdu [Mother tongue], Hindi [Fluent], Danish [Beginner’s Level].CONTACT: mominabashir@msn.com, +4571352387

SPOUSE: Daniel Jones FROM: United KingdomSEEKING WORK IN: Greater CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: Quali� ed Teacher Status, UK; Bachelor of Science Degree (1st Class), UK.EXPERIENCE: Enthusiastic, hands on teacher with 8 years teaching experience of Mathematics and Science in UK and International Schools. IB, GCSE and A-Level, including as Head of Department with excellent feedback from pupils, parents and teaching colleagues.LOOKING FOR: Teaching positions in secondary schools; Private tuition; Education related roles.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mother tongue English, ¢ uent in Italian.IT EXPERIENCE: MS-o£ ce.CONTACT: daniel_glyn_jones@hotmail.com

SPOUSE: Weihua Xiao FROM: ChinaSEEKING WORK IN: Great CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: Master in American Studies from University of Southern Denmark. Master in Education and B.A. In English. Diploma of Secretary. Certi� cate of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from East China Normal University.EXPERIENCE: Work in the � elds of education, training, translation, interpretation, administration, Chinese (business) culture consulting. 8 years of full-time English language teacher in China. Work for a global company in Shanghai and Copenhagen as Personal Assistant to General Manager/Secretary for about 2 years from 2009 to 2010.LOOKING FOR: Chinese Language teacher, translator, interpreter, administrative position.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, basic Danish.IT EXPERIENCE: A good user of Microsoft O£ ce (Word, PowerPoint, Excel...).CONTACT: weihua06@gmail.com +45 5048 9667

SPOUSE: Rita Paulo FROM: PortugalSEEKING WORK IN: Great CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: Architect .EXPERIENCE: I am an architect and I have experience in Project and in Construction Supervision. In the past 7 years, I have worked mainly in housing, masterplanning and social facilities buildings. My last employer was a Project and Construction company where I had the opportunity to complement my experience in projects together with construction related tasks, developing myself as a professional.LOOKING FOR: Job in Architecture or Construction Company.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native Portuguese, Pro� ciency in English, Basic user of Spanish and DanishIT EXPERIENCE: Strong knowledge of AutoCad and ArchiCad. Experience in Studio Max, CorelDraw, Photoshop, O£ ce tools.CONTACT: rita.vaz.paulo@gmail.com, Tel: +45 2961 9694

SPOUSE: Jawon Yun-Werner FROM: South Korea SEEKING WORK IN: Healthcare, Hospitals, Elderly/Child Care (in Greater Copenhagen Area).QUALIFICATION: B.A. in Nursing, Masters in Public Health. I am AUTHORIZED to work as a Nurse in Denmark. (have Danish CPR and work permit).EXPERIENCE: 1O years of experience as a nurse and midwife from the prominent hospitals.LOOKING FOR: Any healthcare related jobs (hospitals, clinics, elderly/childcare places). I am open to any shift or day.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Korean, Danish (Intermediate, in progress, Module 3).IT EXPERIENCE: MS O£ ce, SASS Statistical SoftwareCONTACT: cuteago@yahoo.com +45 30 95 20 53

SPOUSE: Margaret Ritchie FROM: Scotland, UKSEEKING WORK IN: CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: BA Business Administration majoring in Human Resource ManagementEXPERIENCE: Worked in the � eld of Education within a Scottish University. 12 years of experience. Administrating and organising courses and conferences and also worked as a PA to a Head of School. Great communication skills.LOOKING FOR: Administration work, typing, audio typing, data input. Can work from home.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mother tongue: English, very basic DanishIT EXPERIENCE: A good user of Microsoft O£ ce package, access to internetCONTACT: email: megmagsritchie@googlemail.com tel: 71182949

SPOUSE: Debjani Nandy Biswas FROM: IndiaSEEKING WORK IN: Would like to join in kindergarten, School teacher in English, o£ cial work in English.QUALIFICATION: B.A., M.A in English literature and language (American, European and Indian). EXPERIENCE: Temporary school teacher in Bongaon, India and involved in social work (handicapped society).LOOKING FOR: A possibility in getting practical experiences in kindergarten or any international school, o£ cial work (administration) in English, voluntary work also.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, little Danish (currently learning).IT EXPERIENCE: Diploma in basic computer applications.CONTACT: E-mail: debjaninb@gmail.com, Tel: +45 50219942.

SPOUSE: Ieuan Jones FROM: United KingdomSEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen (Will travel if needed)QUALIFICATION: BA Hons and Professional Diploma, Town & Country Planning (Urban Design & 3rd World Development).EXPERIENCE: Over 7 years experience working as a Development Manager for one of the UK’s leading health and socialcare infrastructure companies, developing new health and community buildings.LOOKING FOR: Opportunities to transfer and develop my skills and knowledge in Denmark. Ideally a full time position but I remain realistic and my options are open. I am more than happy to take on a part time role or work placement while I continue with my Danish course.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (Mother Tongue), learning Danish at Studieskolen, Borgergade.IT EXPERIENCE: MS O£ ce (Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint), Promap.CONTACT: ieuandhjones@gmail.com Tel: +45 52 40 07 85

SPOUSE: Vivek Kanwar Singh FROM: IndiaSEEKING WORK IN: All of DenmarkQUALIFICATION: 3 Years full time Bachelor in Fashion Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology (India).EXPERIENCE: 8 years of experience working in India and Republic of Mauritius with Garment Manufacturing Companies. Worked as a Key Account Manager for many International Brands like: GAP, FRENCH CONNECTION, MARKS & SPENCERS, SAKS 5TH AVENUE, etc.. LOOKING FOR: Full time Job in Textiles, Fashion and Apparel Industry.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (¢ uent-Writing/Reading), Hindi (Fluent-Writing/Reading), Danish (DU3, Module 2).IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Certi� ed System Engineer (no work experience though).CONTACT: vivekkanwarsingh@gmail.com, Mobile: +45-50179511

SPOUSE: Katarzyna Szkaradek FROM: PolandSEEKING WORK IN: Mental hospitals, voluntary(Ngo) organisations, kindergartens, nurseries, babysittingQUALIFICATION: Ma in Psychology (2008), post graduate studies in psychotherapy (4th year/ 5 year). EXPERIENCE: I am a highly motivated and creative individual with excellent communication skills. From January 2010 till August 2010 I worked independly in private practice. For the last 2 years (January ,2009 -October, 2010) I worked with children (also with special needs -Autism, Asperger, Down syndrome etc) and their families as a psychologist. My duties included organizing games, monitoring children’s development , consulting teachers and parents where appropriate and providing individual therapy. For the last 10 years I was member of NGO organisation and I was a volunteer in Israel, Italy, Portugal and Romania.LOOKING FOR: Internship in mental hospitals, part –time or full time jobs in kindergartens, nurseries, job as a babysitter, voluntary job in hospitals.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English–advance level (C1), Danish – (module 3 /module 5), Polish-native speakerIT EXPERIENCE: MS Windows, basic MS O£ ce, Internet.CONTACT: szkasienka@gmail.com tlf. 50828802

SPOUSE: Natalie Gri£ ths FROM: AustraliaSEEKING WORK IN: CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: I have over ten years of experience in production management, sales and marketing in the advertising and media production industry. The past � ve years I have run my own creative production agency Sonique which I started in 2005 in London. Sonique (www.soniqueltd.com) specialized in audio-visual and digital production for direct clients and advertising agencies, from TV commercials to online corporate videos to virals to radio and music composition for clients including Barclays Bank, Santander, McDonalds, Lexus and many more. I have experience in localizing content and working with translators.Working with these large clients and their agencies, project managing every job from brie� ng stage through to completion, I have excellent knowledge of processes both agency and client-side. My attention to detail, personal commitment to each job, high standards of quality, creative vision, ability to keep my calm and my humour under pressure I believe make me well-quali� ed to work on any ad agency team.LOOKING FOR: Project Management, Customer Service, New Business Development, Account ManagementLANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent English. Fluent Italian. Currently studying Danish and at intermediate level.IT EXPERIENCE: MS O£ ceCONTACT: +45 21555823 or natgrif47@hotmail.com for full CV and references.

SPOUSE: Cindy Chu FROM: Hong KongSEEKING WORK IN: Anywhere in Denmark.QUALIFICATION: MSc in Marketing from Brunel University (West London), B.A. in English for Professional Communication from City University of Hong Kong.EXPERIENCE: 4 years experience on strategy planning in marketing, project management and consumer research. I have 3 years experience working in global research agency as a project manager and a research executive for multinational marketing projects. I worked closely with marketing team for data analysis and delivering actionable insights. I am familiar with working with sta² s and clients form di² erent countries. I have also as a PR o£ cer in a NGO for 1 year.LOOKING FOR: Jobs in project management, marketing and PR � eld.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Cantonese (Mother tongue), Mandarin (Native speaker), English (Professional), Danish (Beginner).IT EXPERIENCE: MS O£ ce, SPSS, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator.CONTACT: chocolate3407@gmail.com, +45 22 89 34 07

SPOUSE: Ying Yuan FROM: ChinaSEEKING WORK IN: Great CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: Medical Degree & Master in Human Nutrition.EXPERIENCE: Practiced medicine for 2 years China 2000-200. Conducted a clinical trial for ½ year England 2008. Work in nutrition, pharmaceutical industry, food industry and health secto.IT EXPERIENCE: I am experienced in Statistical software SPSS and MINITAB, Nutritional software NetWISP/WISP.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English and Danish.CONTACT: yuanying118@hotmail.com, +45 31 36 92 58

SPOUSE: Stephanie Bergeron Kinch FROM: USASEEKING WORK IN: The Copenhagen area.QUALIFICATION: Several years of experience writing for newspapers, magazines, and Web sites. M.S. in Media and Communications with focus on social media.LOOKING FOR: Full-time or freelance writing and communication jobs (copywriting / journalism).LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English, Conversational Danish and Spanish.IT EXPERIENCE: Professional use of on-line social media, Microsoft Excel, PhotoShop, InDesign, Mac and PC operating systems.CONTACT: www.stephaniekinch.com or http://dk.linkedin.com/in/stephaniekinch

SPOUSE: Himani Kanwarpal FROM: IndiaSEEKING WORK IN: Århus/ CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: Completed Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and communication in the 2005EXPERIENCE: I worked with Dell International Services India for 1 yr and 5 months as a Technical support agent. Thereafter, I was with SAP Labs from March 2007 till June 2011, where I worked on functional topics like SAP SCM F&R, SAP IS- Retail and SAP SCM APO DP. The pro� le mainly comprised of customizing and con� guring SAP systems and also testing various scenarios. I also conducted training on functional topics and SAP’s automation tool called eCATT. LOOKING FOR: Full Time, part time, intern etc. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, learning Danish.IT EXPERIENCE: Worked with SAP Labs for 4 yrs and 3 months and have functional experience with modules like: SAP IS Retail, SAP SCM F&R, SAP SCM APO DP. Worked with DELL International Services as a Technical Support associate. CONTACT: himani.kanwarpal@gmail.com

SPOUSE: Lorenzo Albano FROM: Venezuela (with CPR number)SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København and HovedstadenQUALIFICATION: PhD in Physics.EXPERIENCE: I have wide experience as an university lecturer in physics, physics laboratory, mathematics and informatics. I have done research in theoretical quantum optics and quantum information. I have done research and development / programming of numerical methods applied to geophysical problems, such as tomographic inversion and wave propagation, independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams. I have participated in gravimetric and magnetometric geophysical surveys.LOOKING FOR: Short and long term work in education in science and mathematics / research / scienti� c computing / oil exploration or other geophysical applications.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in Spanish (native), English and Italian. Basic Danish.IT EXPERIENCE: OS: MSDOS, Windows, Linux (Ubuntu), Solaris, incl. shell scripting. Programming Languages: BASIC, ANSI C, C++, FORTRAN. Web: HTML, CSS, Joomla!. Typography: LaTeX2E.Software: Mathematica 7, MS O£ ce and OpenO£ ce suites, several Windows utilities.CONTACT: lorenzoalbanof@gmail.com. Tel: +45 50 81 40 73

SPOUSE: Nina Chatelain FROM: Vancouver, BC, Canada SEEKING WORK IN: Midt- og syd jyllandQUALIFICATION: BA courses in english and anthropology, certi� cate in desktop publishing and graphic design, internationally certi� ed yoga teacher since 1999.EXPERIENCE: Over 7 years experience as the assistant to the director (what would correspond to a direktionssekretær position) at an international university museum where i also was seconded to act as the program administrator – a project management internal communications role – for the museum’s major renovation project. I acted as the director’s right hand and the museum’s communications hub where i had daily contact with the visiting public, community stakeholders, volunteers and students. I have earlier worked as an editor and writer in various capacities, as well as a desktop publisher/graphic designer.LOOKING FOR: An administrative role in a creative company that needs someone who can juggle a variety of projects and use excellent english writing and editing skillsLANGUAGE SKILLS: English (mother tongue) and Danish (¢ uent comprehension-studieprøven / university entrance exam).IT EXPERIENCE: MS O£ ce Package, PC and Apple, have earlier worked with various desktop publishing software, quick to learn new software and systems.CONTACT: nina.chatelain@gmail.com, Phone: +45 29707430

SPOUSE: Ra² aele Menafra FROM: ItalySEEKING WORK IN: CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: A degree as Prevention techniques in Work and Workplaces.EXPERIENCE: I worked 4 years in a rehabilitationclinic.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Italian (native), English, Danish (currently learning).IT EXPERIENCE: MS O£ ce.CONTACT: menafra1@yahoo.it

SPOUSE: Francesco Grandesso FROM: ItalySEEKING WORK IN: CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: Constructing architect.EXPERIENCE: 4 years at TFF Engineering 2005-2009, 3 years at ADproject 2002-2005.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian & Danish.IT EXPERIENCE: AutoCAD 2011.CONTACT: grandessodk@gmail.com, Mobile: 50110653

SPOUSE: Chiara Stevanato FROM: ItalySEEKING WORK IN: København or nearby areasQUALIFICATION: Bachelor degree in Physics.EXPERIENCE: Now completing the Master’s degree in Physics at Københavns Universitet.LOOKING FOR: Research in Physics. Research projects related to scienti� c areas.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Written and spoken Italian, written and spoken English, written and Spoken French, very basic written and spoken Danish (still attending a second level course).IT EXPERIENCE: Operating systems: Windows, Linux. Programming languages: basic C, C++; Python.CONTACT: chiarasteva@gmail.com. Tel: 41681741

SPOUSE: Anisha Kanjhlia FROM: IndiaSEEKING WORK IN: Arhus in Teaching/Training/Administration/Media/Public RelationsQUALIFICATION: Post Graduate in Advertising & Communication.EXPERIENCE: 6+ years of professional experience in Training, Customer Service, Promotions, Brand Marketing, Content Analysis and Team Management. Strong experience in planning and executing initiatives. Extensive training experience and in¢ uencing skills that will assist me in building a high potential, motivated and an e² ective team. Hands-on training in soft skills like crucial conversations and people management Branch Manager & Head of Training for Cosmo Aviation Training School in New Delhi, India. Pro� cient in analyzing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision making and formulating training strategies.LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus.IT EXPERIENCE: Comfortable with all the basic computer knowledge like Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet browsing.CONTACT: anisha.feb@redi² mail.com, P: 4522305837

SPOUSE: Suheir Sharkas FROM: SyriaSEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus and the nearby areas of the mentioned cities. QUALIFICATION: MBA–International Management, Bachelor in English Literature.LOOKING FOR: Positions in Organizations/Companies in the � elds of: Administration and organization, Event & Project Management, and Assistance Management.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Arabic: Native speaker, English: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), German: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), Danish: Basic 3.3 (understanding, speaking and writing).IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft O£ ce (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Power Point) and web publishing. CONTACT: ssouheir@gmail.com, Tel: 533 721 20

SPOUSE: Clotilde IMBERT FROM: FranceSEEKING WORK IN: Greater CopenhagenQuali� cation: Master of town planning and development and master of urban geography (Paris IV-Sorbonne)EXPERIENCE: 5 years in � eld of town planning and development: - Coordinator in urban project in a semi-public company: supervised a major urban project in Paris area (coordination of studies, acquisition of lands, worked with Planning Development of the Town Council, architects, developers to de� ne the master plan and implement the project...); - O£ cer in research and consultancy � rm (urban diagnosis, environmental impact assessments, inhabitants consultation...).LOOKING FOR: a job in urban project � eld : planning department of Town Council or consultancy� rm in town planning, environment and sustainable development, architecture � rm, real estatedevelopment company.LANGUAGE SKILLS: French (mother tongue), English (professional usage), Spanish (basic), Danish(in progress).IT EXPERIENCE: MS O£ ce, Abode Illustrator, AutoCad (basic), PC and Mac.CONTACT: clotilde.imbert@gmail.com

PARTNERS:THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE

SPOUSE: Isaac P Thomas FROM: IndiaSEEKING WORK IN: East Juthland preferably ÅrhusQUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science).EXPERIENCE:Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process De� nition, Software testing, software development, data analysis, best practice sharing, quality gap analysisLOOKING FOR: Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process De� nitionLANGUAGE SKILLS: Danish beginner, english, malayalam, hindi tamil.IT EXPERIENCE: 8 years experence in IT Industry in software quality assurance, software quality control, software development.CONTACT: isaacpthomas@gmail.com, +4552225642

SPOUSE: Heike Mehlhase FROM: Berlin, Tyskland SEEKING WORK IN: A job opportunity in Copenhagen (administrative position, research assistant or psychosocial care).QUALIFICATION: MPH, Master degree in Psychology, Lerntherapeutin.EXPERIENCE: Five years experience in psychological research andchild psychology.LOOKING FOR: Looking for: a position to expand my experience where I can use my excellent organisational, social and communication skills.LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (mother tongue), English (� uent), Danish (Module 2).IT EXPERIENCE: I am pro� cient in software such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software and basicgraphic editing programs (Microsoft O� ce, Open O� ce) plus statistical software (SPSS).CONTACT: heike@mehlhase.info

SPOUSE: Shilpa Lingaiah FROM: IndiaSEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and nearby areas of the mentioned cities.QUALIFICATION: PG Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (JSS University, India); Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (RGUHS, India). Danish agency for international education has assessed the above quali� cation and corresponds to Danish Master’s degree in Health Sciences.LOOKING FOR: Research related to health science, jobs in pharmaceutical industry or new challenging career opportunities.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English(� uent written and spoken),Enrolled for Danish language classes, Indian languages(Kannada and Hindi).IT EXPERIENCE: MS O� ce.CONTACT: drshilpalingaiah@gmail.com Tel: +4552742859

SPOUSE: Sarah Andersen FROM: United KingdomSEEKING WORK IN: CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: BA Honours Design Management.EXPERIENCE: Creative and versatile Project manager with experience of working in both agency and client environments on projects including; digital, print and event management. Worked with a range of international clients, including Panasonic and Disney. Previously employed by NMA Top 100 Digital Agencies and D&AD Awards in London. Able to manage projects from concept to production and to meet tight deadlines. LOOKING FOR: Digital Project Manager or Event Production Manager (full, part time or freelance)LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (native), enrolled for Danish language class.IT EXPERIENCE: O� ce, Project, Visio, FTP and CMS.CONTACT: www.sarahandersen.net for portfolio, CV and contact

SPOUSE: Dolon Roy FROM: IndiaSEEKING WORK IN: SjællandQUALIFICATION: Masters in Science(Chemistry), BEd. (Teacher training course).EXPERIENCE: St. John Diocessan School February-May 2005, Kolkata, India. The Assembly of God Church School April-May 2006, Kolkata, India. Disari Public School June 2006-October 2007, India. Research project work Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen University, March-July 2009.LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time work teaching in primary,secondary or higher school level (Chemistry, Mathematics, Science).LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Bengali, Danish (modul 3/modul 5).IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft o� ce.CONTACT: dolonroy2005@yahoo.com. Mob: +45 60668239

SPOUSE: S.M. Ariful Islam FROM: BangladeshSEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: PhD student (2nd year) in Language Policy and Practice in Aalborg University, MA in Bilingualism, MA in English Linguistics, BA in English.EXPERIENCE: 18 months as a University lecturer in English in Bangladesh. Taught advanced grammar, four skills (listening, speaking, reading & writing), ELT courses, Second Language theories, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics.LOOKING FOR: A position of English teacher/lecturer in English Medium Schools, Colleges and Universities.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Bengali (mother tongue), English (second language), Danish (� uent), Hindi and Urdu (Spoken) and Swedish (basic).IT EXPERIENCE: MS O� ce.CONTACT: Mail: ariful@id.aau.dk, arif401@yahoo.com, mobile: +45 42778296

SPOUSE: Lena Schulz zur Wiesch FROM: Berlin, GermanySEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen and Capital Region.QUALIFICATION: Cand. scient. pol. from the Humboldt-University Berlin and London School of Economics. EXPERIENCE: Seven years work experience from the German Parliament (EU-consultant) and as distinguished research associate at the Humboldt-University (urban planning). Strong analytical and inter-cultural skills. Team-worker.LOOKING FOR: Jobs in consulting, public administration, politics, NGOs, international institutions or companies.LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (mother tongue), English, Spanish, French, Danish (all � uently).IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft O� ce, CMS.CONTACT: lenaszw@web.de

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE

WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs.If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a pro� le to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your pro� le on the spouse job page when possible.

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

PARTNERS:THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE

SPOUSE: Jennifer Bouma FROM: The NetherlandsSEEKING WORK IN: Egedal Kommune, Copenhagen 30 km.QUALIFICATION: Managers Secretary, hands on, reliable, structured, self reliant, social, teamplayer).LOOKING FOR: Secretary job.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Dutch, Danish, English, German, French, Italian.IT EXPERIENCE: MS O� ce ( Word, Excel), Outlook, SAP.CONTACT: jenniferbouma@ hotmail.com

SPOUSE: Isabel Douglass FROM: San Francisco-USASEEKING WORK IN: Music EducationQUALIFICATION: BA in Music.EXPERIENCE: 10 years of internationally touring performances and 7 years of accordion teaching experience.LOOKING FOR: I oª er piano accordion lessons to individuals and small groups. In the courses students will learn a repertoire of songs ranging in styles including French musette, Argentine Tango, and Klezmer while strengthening there technique and understanding of music theory. Please visit www.myspace.com/isabeldouglass to learn more about me.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English Speaker.CONTACT: isabeldouglass@gmail.com Phone: 60653401

SPOUSE: Francis Farias FROM: Venezuela (CPR number)SEEKING WORK IN: Greater KøbenhavnQUALIFICATION: Master in Spanish Studies from Universidad de Cadiz, Spain, as a Spanish Teacher and BA in Teaching English as a Second Language. Diplomas in Digital Photography (from Venezuela and Spain).EXPERIENCE: 7 years experience as a teacher of English and Spanish at JMV University. Academic translator (Spanish-English/English-Spanish) and freelance photographer.LOOKING FOR: Spanish language teacher, translator, interpreter, photographer.LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (native). Basic Danish.IT EXPERIENCE: O� ce tools, Photoshop.CONTACT: carolina1928@gmail.com, +45 50814073

SPOUSE: Monika Sysiak FROM: PolandSEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen / eastern ZealandQUALIFICATION: Master degree in Environmental Engineering from Cracow University of Technology. Major in Water Supply, Sewage and Waste Treatment and Water Quality Protection. Completed one semester in Environmental Engineering at Engineering College of Aarhus.EXPERIENCE: Internship during studies in designing water supply systems and sewerage systems.LOOKING FOR: Graduation programme, internship, training, part time or full time job related to mymquali� cations.LANGUAGE SKILLS: Polish (mother tongue), English (� uent), Danish (starting).IT-EXPERIENCE: AutoCAD, MOUSE DHI, MS Windows, MS O� ce.CONTACT: EMAIL: monikasysiak@gmail.com; phone: +45 50 43 70 43

Biotech Job Vacancies

For more information, deadlines and other job vacancies visit our webpage www.cphpost.dk/jobvacancies

Novo Nordisk

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

Research information scientistIT system consultantMass spectrometry scientistIT Project Portfolio AnalystScientist for Mammalian ExpressionProduct & Marketing ManagerIn vivo research scientist for Haemophilia PharmacologyClinical Reporting GraduateGlobal Finance GraduateBusiness Process GraduateEuropean business management graduateGlobal Marketing GraduateRegulatory Affairs GraduateBusiness IT GraduateRegulatory Affairs GraduateBiostatistics GraduateEpidemiology GraduateHealth Economics GraduateClinical Reporting GraduateTrial Management GraduateManagement assistantCategory Manager, Construction

Global Regulatory Affairs Manager, Global Regulatory AffairsSourcing Specialist

Ferring

Lundbeck

Leo-Pharma

Personal AssistantExperienced Toxicologist – Non-clinical development of BiologicASP.NET developerMarket AnalystRegulatory Affairs ManagerProcess Specialist – Sourcing Development

Business Objects Data Warehouse Specialist for Corporate IT Business Intelligence GroupHead of Department - Global Regulatory & Medical InformationExperienced Publication Manager with a great business understanding neededHead of DMPK and SafetyIT Application Specialist for SAP HR applicationSenior Patient Innovation ManagerJunior/student assistant to Corporate Sales Force Excellence – 6 months contractCorporate Trainer, Corporate Training & Development

SPOUSE: Isabel Douglass FROM: USASEEKING WORK IN: CopenhagenQUALIFICATION: My lessons are organized, fun, and based around your individual needs! My role as your private tutor is to provide you with the information you need, to keep you on schedule with your educational goal, and to provide lessons that � t your learning style. In addition, I aim to keep you excited to learn by introducing interesting material such as news articles, movie clips, and song lyrics.EXPERIENCE: 5 years of experience.LOOKING FOR: English TeachingLANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English SpeakerCONTACT: isabeldouglass@gmail.com Phone: 60653401

18 3 - 9 February 2012The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dkculture

Who is ... Clement kjersgaard?victoria steffensen

denmark has won three awards at this year’s sundance Film Festival, which revealed its 2012

roll of honour over the weekend in Utah. The haul included the gong for best director of an inter-national feature film, which was claimed by mads matthiesen for his debut ‘10 timer til paradis’ (Teddy Bear).

The award could not have been better timed for matthiesen, one of five Danish nominees at the festival, as his film came out at Danish cinemas last Thursday. starring real-life bodybuilder kim kold, the film follows the story of Dennis, a 38-year-old body-builder who lives alone with his mother, whom he shares an inter-esting relationship with. hoping to find love, Dennis decides to try his luck in Thailand.

The other Danish winners, Lise Birk Pedersen’s ‘Putin’s kiss’ and Lauren Greenfield’s ‘The Queen of Versailles’, won the awards for best photography in

the international documentary category (Lars skree) and best director in the Us documentary category respectively.

“I am very surprised and proud to win this award”, mat-thiesen told Det Danske Film-institut, which provided support to all three of the award winners. matthiesen last visited sundance in 2008 with his short film ‘Den-

nis’, on which ‘Teddy Bear’ is based, and he noted that “sun-dance has in many ways been where it all started.”

‘Putin’s kiss’ enjoyed its world premiere in the main competition at amsterdam’s IDFa (Interna-tional Documentary Film Festi-val), while the Danish premiere took place on January 19. The film follows masha Drokova, a

Nicolas Winding refn shooting his film ‘Bronson’

Across: 7 Overt; 8 Elector; 9 Precede; 10 Agile; 12 Settlement; 15 Exasperate; 18 Tango; 19 Curator; 21 Austere; 22Picks.Down: 1 Complacent; 2 Deter; 3 Stye; 4 Recent; 5 Decadent; 6 Strikes; 11 Enterprise; 13 Employed; 14 Earnest; 16Racket; 17 Stick; 20 Rapt.

text 45

Across

7. Unconcealed (5)8. Voter (7)9. Go before (7)10. Nimble (5)12. Colony (10)15. Irritate greatly (10)18. S. American dance (5)19. Caretaker (7)21. Stern (7)22. Chooses (5)

No 382

Down

1. Self-satisfied (10)2. Discourage (5)3. Inflamed eye-lid (4)4. Up-to-date (6)5. Deteriorating (8)6. Hits (7)11. Undertaking (10)13. In a job (8)14. Serious (7)16. Din (6)17. Adhere (5)20. Absorbed (4)

Post Quick Crossword No 381Across: 7 Origin; 8 Compel; 10 Besides; 11 Title; 12 None; 13 Topic; 17 Spoil; 18 Solo; 22 Antic;23 Thought; 24 Paltry; 25 Quiver.Down: 1 Combine; 2 Dissent; 3 Finds; 4 Contain; 5 Spite; 6 Alter; 9 Associate; 14 Spectre;15 Forgive; 16 Contort; 19 Happy; 20 Still; 21 Bogus.

The Copenhagen Post Quick Crossword No 382he is a journalist and TV pre-

senter.

Where will I have seen him?he is currently presenting his aptly-named series ‘Clement sondag’ on Dr1, in which he interviews people currently in the news. It airs on … you guessed it … sunday evenings.

But I don’t speak Danish, so I doubt I’ve seen him.You might have seen him whilst channel hopping, and he’s in-stantly recognisable.

How so?he has a rather pronounced bot-tom lip.

I thought that was Jens Olaf Jersild.no, that would be the man who discusses political issues after the news on Thursday evenings.

But he has remarkable lips too.That’s right. It seems that Dr – in a bid to not fall foul of any discrimination rules – has cho-sen people whom would, with-out doubt, be consigned to the realms of radio presenting in the Us or the Uk.

Good for Dr, I say!I totally agree with you.

Is he any good?he’s very good. he asks his guests questions that other presenters might shy away from. In fact he told B.T. tabloid that he finds most other television boring be-

Trio of home-grown films take sundance Festival by storm

“Who? You’re winding me up”

YoU woULD have thought the success of cult hit movie ‘Drive’ had opened doors

for nicolas winding refn, but not at the BBC, reports shortlist, a British entertainment website.

according to refn, he ex-pressed an interest to the Uk’s state broadcaster last year about directing some episodes of ‘Dr who’, a long-running sci-fi se-ries that is one of the BBC’s most profitable exports.

“I would have loved to direct ‘Dr who’ but they didn’t want me — they turned me down last year,” he told the website.

refn then went on to reveal how he also fancied directing another cult British sci-fi series,

this time from the late 1970s and early 80s.

“maybe if they revive ‘Blake’s 7’, I could do that,” he said. “I love it. It’s great. That could be fun to update.”

refn is no stranger to Brit-ish cinema and television. In 2008 he directed the acclaimed ‘Bronson’, a biopic about a ca-reer prisoner who takes pride in being known as ‘Britain’s most dangerous man’, and in 2007 he filmed an episode of ‘marple’ – so the BBC’s disinterest is a mys-tery, indeed, that even st mary mead’s finest might have trouble solving.

although it might have something to do with a live in-terview refn gave in september about ‘Drive’ on the BBC’s flag-ship breakfast programme in which he said: “Violence is very easy to work with because it’s a bit like f**king”.

ben hamilton

‘drive’ director turned down by British cult sci-fi series ‘dr Who’

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Dennis (Kim Kold) is a 38-year-old bodybuilder who had never found love until he visited Thailand

russian woman who works for a pro-Putin youth organisation.

‘The Queen of Versailles’ is a Danish/Us documentary co-produced by Denmark’s mette heide. It was the opening film of the festival. Depicting the rise and fall of an american billionaire’s family, the film is an exploration of the realities involved in achiev-ing the american Dream.

What do a danish bodybuilder, a pro-putin activist and a Us billionaire’s family have in common? Brilliant danish filmmaking, according to the world’s leading independent film festival

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cause journalists are simply too polite. he received last year’s Publicistprisen, an award for contribution to the media world, presented by the national Press Club of Denmark.

What’s his background?he’s a bit of a clever clogs. In 1994 he graduated from the United world College in hong kong, after which he went to no less than oxford University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics and economy! not content with that, he went on to get a bachelor’s in political science from the Univer-sity of Copenhagen!

Has he interviewed anyone fa-mous?aside from the many ‘famous’ Danish people, he has also inter-viewed John mcCain, madeleine albright and Desmond Tutu.

Family??Yes, he has a son of seven, whom he showers with attention (says he). however, his record as a boyfriend isn’t so good, having walked out of the mother of his son, when the child was just a month old!

meanwhile, mads Brüg-ger’s ‘The ambassador’ about the shady dealings of diplomacy and omar shargawi’s ‘1/2 revolu-tion’, an eye-witness account of the arab spring in Cairo, were well received, but failed to win awards. shargawi’s film was origi-nally going to be about egyptian street kids, but then he got caught up in the events that changed the

world forever. and also in hot demand at

sundance was Danish actor Thure Lindhardt (‘Brotherhood’, ‘angels & Demons’), whose performance in Ira sachs’ drama ‘keep the Lights on’, a drama that follows a ten-year gay romance between a German and an american in new York, is earning plaudits from viewers and critics alike.

193 - 9 February 2012 The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dk Denmark through the looking glass

anyone who learnt the alphabet reading ‘halfdans aBC’ will mourn the passing of its illustrator Ib spang olsen last month

The day the graphics died: how Ib touched his country deep inside

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The man who coloured in the childhoods of most Danish peo-ple alive today is dead. The multi-talented Ib Spang Olsen, who

recently passed away at the age of 90, was one of Denmark’s most noted story-tellers – but he is probably best known for his drawings in ‘halfdans aBC’, a book that most Danes growing up over the last 40 years have used to learn to their alphabet.

he belonged to a new generation of illustrators – together with egon math-iesen and Svend Otto S – who were highly inspired by Soviet picture book art and had a tendency to include politi-cal issues in their work.

But while his talent was a vast pal-ette of nuances, it is for his work in chil-dren’s books that he is best remembered. most bookshelves in Danish playrooms and children’s rooms will contain at least one book with his illustrations or scribblings – and the admiration was mutual as Olsen was particularly fond of telling stories to children.

Olsen was born in Østerbro, Co-penhagen in 1921, and his upbringing was a modest one. nevertheless, it was a time that resonated with him, and throughout his career he returned to his childhood memory bank for inspiration for his humorous and often borderline grotesque pencil drawings of everyday life, be it alley cats, playing children or hard-working mothers in kitchen windows.

Olsen’s colourful life as an illustra-tor began in 1942 as a paper cartoon-ist at trade union publication Social-Demokraten – today’s aktuelt – in the hjemmets Søndag section. This marked the beginning of a very busy

career, in which he did around a draw-ing a day for publication in newspapers, books, and comics, and also for TV and posters.

While his talent was one that couldn’t be taught, he did find time to study, attending the Copenhagen art academy and the Graphic School from 1945-1949, and his career actually included a spell as a teacher, at Berna-dotteskolen from 1952-1961. he was very much a freelancer!

While Olsen’s preferred working method usually included a pencil, he also used plenty of other different draw-ing techniques. he used zincography until the end of the 1950s, after which he started using heliographics that made it possible to print the original graphic in book prints and offset. he used his knowledge of different techniques to work in a broad range of different pic-ture genres, from natural observations to book illustrations. and while Olsen is mostly known for his illustrations, he also tried his hand at making ceram-ics and sculptures, and other indoor furnishings.

his work was rewarded with sev-eral prizes, amongst others the hC andersen medal for his drawings, the ministry of Culture’s children’s book prize three times, and also Gyldendal’s children’s book prize in 2008. You can see some of his work in his gallery that’s placed in one of the small pavilions that encircles the King’s Garden in Copen-hagen. here you can also buy a broad selection of his works.

as Olsen grew older, his production lessened, although he still remained ac-tive until the end. meanwhile, he had other things to occupy his time. he was the chairman of the ministry of Cul-ture’s working group about children and culture from 1982-1990, and a member of the academia Council, which is part of the Royal Danish art academy.

he also had four children – Tine and Tune from his first marriage, and Lasse and martin from his second and

Malene Ørsted

illustrator ib spang olsen, who has died at the age of 90halfdans aBC is beloved the country over for olsen’s illustrations and halfdan rasmussen’s nonsense rhymes (see top photo) for each letter of the alphabet

look away now kids! examples of olsen’s more adult work

enduring union to fellow artist nulle Øigaard. One of his children, Lasse, is a film director and in 2005 started to film a documentary about his father, ‘Det er med hjertet man ser’ (You see with your heart), which was recently shown on DR between Christmas and new Year (and is downloadable at dr.dk/nu). The film is an honest portrait of a man who made a drawing a day for many, many years.

Olsen’s position as his country’s most successful and beloved illustrator became even clearer after his death. “It was you, Ib, who brought colour into my childhood. Rest in peace,” said one commenter on Politiken newspaper’s website the day after Olsen’s death.

It was indeed the day the graphics died.

The Copenhagen posT CphposT.dk

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